Geikie-Gorge-Nationalpark

The Geikie Gorge National Park is located 390 km east of Broome and 280 km from Derby in Western Australia. The National Park is located in the Kimberley region and can be reached from Fitzroy Crossing, 20 km away on a paved road.

The Geikie Gorge - a gorge with 50-100 m high limestone walls - was founded in 1883 by Sir Archibald Geikie, the Director General of the Geological Society of London, named (Sir Archibald them but has never seen ). In 1967 established the National Park Bunaba, an Aboriginal tribe, who call the area Darngku live.

Geology

The Gogo Formation of the Geikie Gorge is one of the - a 350 million years old Devonian reef - extending parallel to the granite escarpment of geologically much older Kimberley Plateau (King Leopold Ranges) to 350 km. The history is comparable to that of Windjana Gorge and includes two stages: the first stage is to raise the Devonian sea floor about 250 million years ago, with subsequent formation of limestone. The reef was covered by younger sedimentary rocks. For about 20 million, there was a second increase with subsequent erosion of younger rocks, so that the underlying older limestone, the calcareous algae, stromatoporoids and corals had formed, again came to the fore.

Today's landscape formed the Fitzroy River, which can rise high in the rainy season by more than 16 meters. The respective water level leaves in the walls of the soft limestone strips that are easy to see.

Fossils of the Devonian marine animals are well received in some parts of the rock walls.

Fauna and Flora

In the river there are freshwater crocodiles during the day to stretch out on sunny ledges. Barramundis can be fished.

Many species of birds inhabit the park, for example, various herons and cormorants, warblers and bowerbirds, rare osprey and white-bellied sea eagle.

In the eucalyptus and Myrtenheidenbäumen riverside often hang large colonies of bats.

Tourism in national parks

The Fitzroy River with its limestone gorge can be driven in the dry season ( April to November) with boats and small cruise ships.

Several short hiking trails at about 3 km part of the canyon walls and sandy shore area.

The park is only open during the day and includes no camping facilities.

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