Crater-Lakes-Nationalpark

The Crater Lakes National Park (English: Crater Lakes National Park ) is part of the Wet Tropics of Queensland in Australia. The national park with two maars is entered in the list of UNESCO world heritage and national conservation list. As two independent National Parks of Lake Barrine National Park and the Lake Eacham National Park have already been reported in 1934, before they were merged in 1994.

Location

The National Park is located in the Atherton Tableland about 60 kilometers south of Cairns; of the park closest place is Yungaburra.

The park with a size of less than ten square kilometers, is divided into two parts. The two areas surrounding each of the two eponymous lakes.

In the vicinity of the national parks Gadgarra, Little Mulgrave, Yungaburra and Curtain Fig lie

Crater lakes

In the Crater Lakes National Park, there are two volcanic lakes, Lake Barrine and Lake Eacham, which are eight kilometers apart. They were formed by volcanic activity as lava exploded in contact with groundwater and craters created that filled over time with rain water.

The lakes are surrounded by rain forests where buttress, strangler fig and Kauri trees, climbing and epiphytes grow.

Flora and Fauna

In the nature reserve is home to over 180 species of birds, Hypsilurus boydii, musk rat kangaroo, Australian Amethystine ( 3 to 5 meters long, the largest snake in Australia ), bandicoots, Breitfuß Bag mice, possum, rats, bats, kangaroos and frogs. In addition, there are numerous butterflies such as Papilio ulysses and the eastern Australian Water. In the western part of Lake Eacham, a maar, turtles are found. Until the mid-1980s, here was also endemic in the lake rainbow fish Melanotaenia eachamensis, who is now gone. The type, however, has survived through breeding.

Musky rat kangaroo

Australian Amethystine at Lake Barrine

Papilio ulysses

Australian Water

Tourism

The lakes provide recreation seekers opportunities for hiking, swimming and picnic. Both crater lakes have designated spaces with picnic tables with sunscreen, drinking water and toilets. At Lake Eacham there Barbecue tables with gas. Hiking trails lead visitors around the lakes. Near the lakes, there are self-catering cottages plus accommodation in Mareeba and Yungaburra.