Windjana-Gorge-Nationalpark
The Windjana Gorge National Park (English Windjana Gorge National Park ) is located in the Australian state of Western Australia, 1855 km north-east of Perth, 505 km east of Broome, 150 km north of Fitzroy Crossing and 145 km from Derby in the area of the Kimberleys.
The main attraction of the park is the Windjana Gorge, a 3.5 km long gorge in the Napier Range, through which the Lennard River flows. The walls of the canyon are up to 100 m high.
Geology
Originally Gogo formation was a large coral reef, which was covered in Devon, more than 300 million years ago, of water. Traces of fossils of Devonian marine animals can find themselves in the canyon walls.
The history includes - comparable to that of the Geikie Gorge - 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 years ago 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 Lennard River, which consistently leads to the rainy season; the dry season remain only a few ponds at the lower end canyon.
History
The place was the Aboriginal tribe of Bunuba holy; this called the there prevailing creation spirits Wandjina what William Forrester, in 1884 a farm on the premises einrichtete, as Windjana misunderstood. The farm buildings Lillimilura Homestead was later used as a police station, the ruins of which have been preserved. The Bunuba - resisters Jandamarra was shot in the Windjana Gorge on November 16, 1894 at Pigeon 's Rock, but managed to escape to the flowing underground Tunnel Creek and there hiding 2.5 years.
Fauna and Flora
In the river, the freshwater crocodile ( Crocodylus johnsoni ) sunning during the day on the muddy shore and on the sandbanks lives. Also various species of birds, lizards and snakes species are resident here.
In the eucalyptus species and Paperbark trees on the riverbank often hang large colonies of a flying fox type.
The upper canyon end is a thicket of mangroves, umgeschlungenen with lianas eucalyptus species and Blood Woods ( Corymbia species), which is broken occasionally by the baobab species Adansonia gregorii and flowering plant species such as the Kapok Bush ( Cochlospermum fraseri ).
Tourist infrastructure
Access is from the north on the unpaved Gibb River Road and also unpaved Fairfield Leopold Downs Road, which crosses the Lennard River; a spur road leads approximately 20 km into the National Park; from the south ( Fitzroy Crossing ) branches Fairfield Leopold Downs Road after about 30 miles from the Great Northern Highway.
One accompanied by documentation boards trail leads along the river to the upper end of the canyon, the hike ( round trip) about 7 km long and offers extensive opportunities to observe the local fauna and flora, especially a large even in the daytime active bat colony in the trees and the harmless freshwater crocodiles.
Since it is always hot here ( even in winter often well over 30 ° C) it is recommended to start the hike early in the morning; Nature photographers will find the evening the best light to the illuminated from the west canyon walls.
Before the entrance to the gorge is a wild campsite with toilets, running water and fire pits. However, firewood must be brought, as the collecting is prohibited in the National Park. Towards evening usually comes by a ranger and collect the fees.
During the rainy season of the National Park with Obstruction of the slopes is closed.