Freshwater National Park
Encyclopedia
Freshwater is a national park
in Queensland
, Australia
, 34 km north of Brisbane
. The park is west of Redcliffe, near Deception Bay, within Caboolture Shire.
The park's vegetation is a remnant of the Open Sclerophyll
Woodland which was once common in this area. The dominant tree
s are Eucalyptus
species, notably Scribbly Gum - E. racemosa with smooth white trunks, and some Angophora
species, while the shrub
layer varies from an Open Heath area dominated by low grasstrees in the south of the park, to dense Casuarina
stands, and small swamp
y areas with paperbark trees (Melaleuca
sp.). A small creek
runs through the north end of the park.
Sighted in the Open Heath area are low growing plants such as the Fringed Lilly Thysanotus tuberosus, Tall Sundew Drosera peltata, which is a carnivorous plant, Flat-stemmed Cord Rush Eurychorda complanata and Wallum Grevillea Grevillea leiophylla, which is a delicate pink flowered grevillea growing to only about 30cm. This is only a small selection of the numerous beautiful plants to be found in this park.
This park is one of the few protected places of Open Woodland/Low Heathland in the area. Much of this type of vegetation has been cleared for development.
Though very small, and surrounded by development, roads and a highway, the park is rich with wildlife. In spring it teams with birds, most noticeable being the many species of Honeyeater
s. Australian Fairy Wren
s such as the beautiful blue Variegated Wren and the brilliant red and black Red-backed Wren both occur here. In a very large old gum tree Wedge-tailed eagle
s have made a nest, and the adults are often seen soaring over the park. Calls from White Throated Gerygones, Spangled Drongo
s and Rainbow Bee-Eater
s make a pleasant background sound in the park.
The invertebrate
fauna is rich, with many species of dragonflies and damselflies being quite obvious in summer. The magnifcent large dragonfly Hemianax papuensis hawks through the park all year long, while in summer the beautiful Rhyothemis graphiptera, with wings barred with glistening dark purple, waft slowly along the tracks, and deep red Diplacodes bipunctata males sun themselves on twigs low to the ground.
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, 34 km north of Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. The park is west of Redcliffe, near Deception Bay, within Caboolture Shire.
The park's vegetation is a remnant of the Open Sclerophyll
Sclerophyll
Sclerophyll is the term for a type of vegetation that has hard leaves and short internodes . The word comes from the Greek sclero and phyllon ....
Woodland which was once common in this area. The dominant tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s are Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
species, notably Scribbly Gum - E. racemosa with smooth white trunks, and some Angophora
Angophora
Angophora is a genus of ten species of trees or large shrubs in the myrtle family , native to eastern Australia. It is closely related to Corymbia and Eucalyptus, and all three are often referred to as "eucalypts". The differences are that Angophora have opposite leaves rather than alternate, and...
species, while the shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
layer varies from an Open Heath area dominated by low grasstrees in the south of the park, to dense Casuarina
Casuarina
Casuarina is a genus of 17 species in the family Casuarinaceae, native to Australasia, southeast Asia, and islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It was once treated as the sole genus in the family, but has been split into three genera .They are evergreen shrubs and trees growing to 35 m tall...
stands, and small swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
y areas with paperbark trees (Melaleuca
Melaleuca
Melaleuca is a genus of plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae known for its natural soothing and cleansing properties. There are well over 200 recognised species, most of which are endemic to Australia...
sp.). A small creek
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
runs through the north end of the park.
Sighted in the Open Heath area are low growing plants such as the Fringed Lilly Thysanotus tuberosus, Tall Sundew Drosera peltata, which is a carnivorous plant, Flat-stemmed Cord Rush Eurychorda complanata and Wallum Grevillea Grevillea leiophylla, which is a delicate pink flowered grevillea growing to only about 30cm. This is only a small selection of the numerous beautiful plants to be found in this park.
This park is one of the few protected places of Open Woodland/Low Heathland in the area. Much of this type of vegetation has been cleared for development.
Though very small, and surrounded by development, roads and a highway, the park is rich with wildlife. In spring it teams with birds, most noticeable being the many species of Honeyeater
Honeyeater
The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family of small to medium sized birds most common in Australia and New Guinea, but also found in New Zealand, the Pacific islands as far east as Samoa and Tonga, and the islands to the north and west of New Guinea known as Wallacea...
s. Australian Fairy Wren
Wren
The wrens are passerine birds in the mainly New World family Troglodytidae. There are approximately 80 species of true wrens in approximately 20 genera....
s such as the beautiful blue Variegated Wren and the brilliant red and black Red-backed Wren both occur here. In a very large old gum tree Wedge-tailed eagle
Wedge-tailed Eagle
The Wedge-tailed Eagle , sometimes known as the Eaglehawk in its native range, is the largest bird of prey in Australia, but it is also found in southern New Guinea. It has long, fairly broad wings, fully feathered legs, and an unmistakable wedge-shaped tail...
s have made a nest, and the adults are often seen soaring over the park. Calls from White Throated Gerygones, Spangled Drongo
Spangled Drongo
The Spangled Drongo is a bird of the family Dicruridae.The Spangled Drongo is the only Drongo to be found in Australia...
s and Rainbow Bee-Eater
Bee-eater
The bee-eaters are a group of near-passerine birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa and Asia but others occur in southern Europe, Australia, and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies, and usually elongated central tail feathers...
s make a pleasant background sound in the park.
The invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
fauna is rich, with many species of dragonflies and damselflies being quite obvious in summer. The magnifcent large dragonfly Hemianax papuensis hawks through the park all year long, while in summer the beautiful Rhyothemis graphiptera, with wings barred with glistening dark purple, waft slowly along the tracks, and deep red Diplacodes bipunctata males sun themselves on twigs low to the ground.