The Australian Alps National Parks

Stretching from Canberra through the Brindabella Range to the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales and along the Great Divide through eastern Victoria, Australia's alpine and subalpine environments are unique and special."

As a well-watered, snow-clad and mountainous area in a mostly dry and flat continent, the Australian Alps with 1.6 million hectares of protected areas are of great significance.
The parks contain plants and animals found nowhere else, a rich and diverse Aboriginal and European cultural heritage, magnificent outdoor recreation and tourism opportunities and the headwaters of some of Australia's most important rivers.

Victoria's Alpine National Park at 646,000 hectares is the State's largest and protects our highest mountains and varied alpine environments. Extensive snowfields are the primary winter attraction; the warmer months bring stunning wildflower displays and opportunities for bushwalks and four wheel driving. Enjoy varied and beautiful summer wildflowers, and discover a whole range of other plants and animals, all adapted to cope with climatic extremes. The Alpine National Park has the greatest range of flora and fauna of any national park in Victoria
With adjoining national parks in NSW and the ACT, The Alpine National Park forms a protected area that covers almost all of Australia's high country. It's one of eight Australian Alps national parks that are managed co-operatively to ensure that Australia's mainland alpine and sub-alpine environments are protected consistently and that policies and guidelines across State and territory borders are compatible. Australia's Alps are vitally important as a source of water in our dry continent. Most of the major rivers of south-eastern Australia have their sources there.

Things to Do
Skiing and other snow sports entice many thrill seekers to the park in the winter months. Downhill skiing is based at resorts such as Falls Creek and Mount Hotham, alternatively try cross-country skiing, perhaps with snow camping. Walking. From short strolls to the the 655 km Australian Alps Walking Track which traverses the Alps from Walhalla to Canberra.

WARNING: Ensure you are prepared for sudden weather changes on any walk, short or long. For information on walking tracks visit the Australian Alps National Parks website. Cycling. There are many great trails including the challenging Great Alpine Road which runs from Bright to Omeo. Fantastic opportunities for Four-Wheel Driving. NOTE: A number of tracks are closed seasonally to protect the environment. Hunting is permitted in accordance with regulations Fishing. Superb opportunities for river fishing in stunning alpine landscapes. Esp Brown Trout in King and Rose Rivers and at Lake William Hovell. Commercial tour operators offer a variety of activities such as horse riding, canoeing, rafting, rock climbing and mountain biking.

Facilities
Accommodation ranges from bush camping to lodges and motels in surrounding towns, and in the adjacent ski resorts of Falls Creek, Mt Hotham, Mt Buller and Dinner Plain.Facilities at picnic spots are generally limited to fireplaces, picnic tables, and in some cases toilets. Be self-sufficient with drinking water. Carry it in and/or know how to make untreated water safe for drinking. For more information contact Parks Victoria on 13 1963 or visit the Department of Human Services Better Health website http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/.

Heritage
Aboriginal people went to and through the Alpine area over thousands of years, and knew its flora, fauna, geography and seasonal changes intimately. Groups visited the Alps in summer to hold ceremonies and gather the nutritious Bogong Moths that shelter there. Today, Aboriginal communities in Victoria, NSW and the ACT take a particular interest in the management and heritage of the high country. Much more of the Alps’ Aboriginal heritage was revealed by the fires of 2003 and archaeological surveys were carried out in the following year.

European pastoralists from NSW started moving south into the Alps in the 1830s. Grazing began around Omeo in 1836, and runs were taken up in the foothills. Summer grazing soon extended to the higher country, and huts were built there for shelter and storage during stock mustering. You can experience this history by visiting the cattlemen's huts dotted along the high plains or the ruins of Wonnangatta Station (home of the pioneer Bryce family for many years). Wallaces Hut near Falls Creek, built in 1889, is one of the oldest surviving huts in the area. Sadly many huts and other heritage sites were burnt in the fires of 2003.

From the 1850s to around 1900, gold lured many people to the Alps. Relics can still be seen in Historic Areas adjacent to the park, and towns like Dargo, Harrietville, Mitta Mitta, Omeo and Bright have strong links to the gold era.

The 1939 bushfires in the forests around Melbourne and the boom in house-building after World War II led to a greatly increased demand for timber from the Alps. This resulted in the building of a network of roads that helped open the Alps to visitors. Today tourism is one of the most important activities in the Alpine area.

The fires of December 2006-January 2007 have resulted in further heritage loss. Surveys and restoration works are under way or planned.

Aboriginal Traditional OwnersParks Victoria acknowledges the Aboriginal Traditional Owners of Victoria - including its parks and reserves. Through their cultural traditions, the Bidawal, Dhudhuroa, Gunai - Kurnai and Nindi-Ngudjam Ngarigu Monero identify the Alpine National Park as their Traditional Country.Further information is available from Aboriginal Affairs Victoria AAV and Native Title Services Victoria .

Fauna
The park supports a wide diversity of animals, including threatened species such as the Smoky Mouse, Broad-toothed Rat, Powerful Owl, Spotted Tree Frog and She-oak Skink.
The rare Mountain Pygmy-possum, the world's only exclusively alpine marsupial and the only marsupial that stores food to last throughout the winter, lives on isolated rocky slopes covered with heathland. This specialised habitat is only found in a few places within the Victorian and New South Wales Alps.

Bogong Moths are interesting insects inhabiting the Bogong and Dargo high plains and peaks between November and April, away from the heat of the inland plains. They shelter in rock crevices and provide food for Mountain Pygmy-possums and Little Ravens.

Vegetation
More than 1100 native plant species are found in the park, many of these specially adapted to survive the severe winter climate. Twelve species, including the Bogong Daisy-bush and Silky Daisy, are found nowhere else in the world.
Mature Alpine Ash forests are common as you go up the mountains, and Snow Gums are the predominant eucalypts in the woodlands around the snowline.
In higher exposed areas where conditions are too severe for trees, the vegetation changes to heathlands, alpine herbfields and grasslands, mossbeds and snowpatch communities.

Bald Rock National Park

Bald Rock National Park is located in the Northern Tablelands adjacent to the Queensland Border. The entrance is 29 km north east of Tenterfield along the Mt Lindesay Road. Bald Rock is the main feature of the Park. This magnificent dome is 750m long and 500m wide, rising 200m above the surrounding forest and is the largest exposed granite type rock in Australia.The rock is not a true granite, being classified as Stanthorpe Adamellite, it is of Lower Triassic age showing marked phases in mineralogy and texture. Resultant soils are generally poor and sandy.Together with the adjoining Girraween National Park in Queensland and Boonoo Boonoo National Park to the east, the region preserves land with magnificent recreational and conservation value.

WALKS

The Bungoona Walk of 2.5km leads you gently through interesting bush and huge boulders to the summit. Follow the signs and white markings back down the sloping rock face for a more direct descent. The climb rewards the visitor with a full 360 degree view of the granite dotted landscape and to the north east, the volcanic plugs of the McPherson Range and the upper Clarence River. The sense of exposure on the saddle of Bald Rock, the view from the 1277m summit and the ever changing colours of the rock wall make it an unforgettable experience.ACCESSA gravel access road of 5km runs from the Mt Lindesay Road to the Rest Area and Camping Area north of the Rock. Tables, cooking galley, rubbish pits, pit toilets, fire places and water are provided.

WILDLIFE

Run-off from the large area of bare rock produces a high moisture level to the bush immediately around the base. This in turn produces an area of Wet Sclerophyll forest, whereas the remainder is dry Sclerophyll forest. In addition there are heaths on the rock & hanging swamps in lower areas. Residents include the Swamp, Red Neck and Black Striped Wallabies, Eastern Grey Forester Kangaroo and the Wallaroo. Various large possums, including the Greater Grey Glider may be spotted at night. Koalas, Wombats and Dingoes have been seen. The Lyre Bird and Satin Bower Bird are regularly observed.

ACTIVITIES

Bald Rock itself and the many geomorphological features of the Park offer a challenge to nature photographers. Just how do you capture their impact and grandeur? The translucent new growth of the leaves in summer, the gold of autumn and winter, the misty rain, the dew drops on the grass and Casuarinas - it is all here waiting.Exploring Bald Rock and its surrounds can be a unique and enjoyable experience as there are so many interesting features for naturalists. However, as no other walks are marked, a map and compass should be used to ensure safety. The rocks may be slippery after rain or snow and in the mornings - especially in winter. Suitable rubber soled footwear should always be worn when clambering over the rock outcrops.With care, much of Bald Rock can be explored and this is a truly unique experience walking over the steep, exposed rock surface high above the countryside. Clusters of boulders, canyons, wonderful echo points, caves, beautiful and fascinating plant communities are just some of the things to be found by the curious walker.

South Bald Rock, 5km south of Bald Rock, although not so grand, is said by many to be even more interesting. It can be reached by taking the marked track from the Rest Area. Allow a day for an easy walk and plenty of time to explore.MAPSHema Maps produce a 1:33,000 topographical map of the area titled Girraween, Bald Rock National Park including Boonoo Boonoo National Park. This is an excellent and current map and is available at the Tenterfield Visitors Centre. For more information on this area please visit Granite Belt Tourist Association
GUIDING SERVICES
A highly recommended way to see both Bald Rock and Boonoo Boonoo National Parks in the one day is to relax and let Woollool Woollool Aboriginal Culture Tours look after you. The Aboriginal guides provide comfortable air conditioned transport, commentary on the White and Aboriginal history, bush tucker and natural history of the area. Lunch provided. Bookings through Tenterfield Visitors Centre or your accommodation.

Accommodation is available in Tenterfield, to the south, or in Liston, to the north of Bald Rock. Information is available from the Tenterfield Visitors Centre.

Bald Rock National Park is a national park in northern New South Wales, Australia, just north of Tenterfield on the Queensland border. On the other side of the border the national park continues as the Girraween National Park.

The park is named after its most prominent feature, Bald Rock, which is a large granite outcrop rising about 200 metres above the surrounding landscape. Access to the rock is provided by a sealed road into the park and walking tracks to the summit. Two tracks are marked, a steep one up the exposed face, or an easier gradient through bushland around the back. The summit offers panoramic views of the surrounding bushland, but vegetation on top prevents a full 360° view.

The park is in the New England granite belt, where about 220 million years ago an episode of granite magmatism resulted in the intrusion of the Stanthorpe Adamellite into the surrounding metamorphic and sedimentary rock. Subsequent uplift and erosion of the New England Fold Belt has seen the majority of the surrounding sediments and metamorphic rocks eroded away, with the Stanthorpe Adamellite remaining due to its resistance to weathering.

This regolith has created a landscape with many exposed inselbergs of granite rocks, some balancing on top of each other, or forming natural arches. The walking track going up the back of Bald Rock leads through such an arch.

Just off the road beside the park is Thunderbolt's Hideout, a set of caves and overhanging granite rocks. It was thought to have been used by bushranger Captain Thunderbolt

Red Centre Way among top Australia attractions

The Red Centre Way is a road network linking Alice Springs, through the West MacDonnell Ranges, to Uluru in Central Australia. [AAP]Also Of Interest:
The "Red Centre Way" in central Australia has been identified as one of the nation's top tourist attractions.

Tourism and industry representatives are meeting in the central Australian town of Alice Springs to identify 15 of Australia's best experiences.

Parks Australia says infrastructure improvements around the Red Centre Way has helped it find a place in the top places to visit, which also includes Kakadu National Park.
Parks Australia project officer Bruce Leaver praised investment in the Red Centre Way from Australia's Northern Territory.

"The investment that the government's been putting into upgrading and presenting and marketing the Red Centre Way goes a long way to presenting this show piece to the world," he said.

"It's up there with Arizona, the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, and the north African mountains, so it's one of the world's top desert mountain systems - and as a tourist attraction that's extremely valuable."
The top 15 attractions will form the basis of an international marketing campaign aimed at attracting more tourists to Australia.