Leeuwin-Naturaliste-Nationalpark

The Leeuwin - Naturaliste National Park is a 156 km ² large park in the south-east of Western Australia, Australia.

Location

The park is located about 270 km south of Perth. About the Bussell Highway and Caves Road there is access from the nearby towns of Busselton, Margaret River and Augusta.

The slopes Leeuwin - Naturaliste Ridge extends to a length of 100 km along the coast of the Indian Ocean. Its name comes from the two, lying respectively at the opposite end, spits back: in the south Cape Leeuwin, which is considered most southwest point of the Australian mainland and the North Cape Naturaliste. Between these two capes superiors the coastline runs almost exactly north-south direction. The National Park stretches almost continuously along the entire coastal strip, where it is very narrow in part, expands partly to tens of kilometers into the hinterland.

Park

Rugged cliffs, headlands of granite and striking rock formation as the Canal Rocks and Sugarloaf rock determine the coast of the National Park. From different viewpoints humpback and southern right whales can be observed here.

However, the main attractions in the park are the caves, of which one has to date 360 discovered in the limestone cliffs. Their dimensions range from narrow tunnels over potholes to large caves with 14 km length. In some caves tours are offered, others you can explore on their own fist ( Calgardup ​​and Giants Cave ).

Further inland - about the Boranup Karri Forest - find stocks of old, up to 60 m tall karri ( Eucalyptus diversicolor ) and " Jarrah " forests (Eucalyptus marginata ). The forest is, as one finds it today, about 100 years old. The old stands were cleared of the timber industry, the last sawmill closed in Karridale 1913.

2001, the Department of Environment and Conservation opened the Cape to Cape Track, a 135 km long hiking trail along the Leeuwin - Naturaliste Ridge.