Geikie Gorge National Park
Encyclopedia
Geikie Gorge National Park is a national park in the Kimberley region
of Western Australia
, 1837 kilometres (1,141 mi) (great circle distance) northeast of Perth
and approximately 420 km (261 mi) east of Broome
by road.
The gorge was named in honour of Sir Archibald Geikie
, the Director General of Geological Survey for Great Britain
and Ireland when it was given its European name in 1883. Sir Archibald never visited the gorge and in due course the traditional owners, the Bunaba
people, hope that it will be more generally known by its Aboriginal name, Darngku.
The park is one of the most accessible in the Kimberley as it is only 20 km (12 mi) from Fitzroy Crossing
and is serviced by a bitumen road. No camping is allowed in the park and visitors can only enter during the day. The park has picnic shelters, barbecue areas, toilets and water available.
A 3 kilometres (2 mi) walk trail exists along the eastern base of the gorge walls although the terrain is rough and uneven it does offer an excellent view. The western side of the gorge is closed to visitors as it is a nature preserve. Tour boats also operate in the gorge and a boat ramp is available for the public to use.
The gorge has been formed by the Fitzroy River
and the level of the river in the wet season can rise by up to 16.5 metres (54.1 ft). The flood level can be clearly seen on the walls where the abrasive action of the floodwaters on the limestone
has scoured the surface white.
The limestone was originally a reef
formed not by corals but by algae and lime secreting organisms that are now extinct. The reef was formed in the Devonian period when the reeding waters allowed the organisms to build a reef up to 2 km (1 mi) thick. The remains of the reef now stand as the limestone range that wind across the countryside up to 100 m (328.1 ft) above the plains. Fossil
s from the devonian can be found within the limestone strata.
The river water sustains an abundance of life including barramundi
, sawfish
and freshwater crocodile
s all of which can be found in the gorge.
The vegetation that fringes the river bank includes River Gums, freshwater mangrove
s, pandanus
, cadjeput and native figs. Dense banks of reeds are also found along the banks. The flora provides a suitable habitat for a range of fauna including fruit bat
s, lilac-crowned wren
, reed warbler
and the great bowerbird
.
Kimberley region of Western Australia
The Kimberley is one of the nine regions of Western Australia. It is located in the northern part of Western Australia, bordered on the west by the Indian Ocean, on the north by the Timor Sea, on the south by the Great Sandy and Tanami Deserts, and on the east by the Northern Territory.The region...
of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, 1837 kilometres (1,141 mi) (great circle distance) northeast of Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
and approximately 420 km (261 mi) east of Broome
Broome, Western Australia
Broome is a pearling and tourist town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, north of Perth. The year round population is approximately 14,436, growing to more than 45,000 per month during the tourist season...
by road.
The gorge was named in honour of Sir Archibald Geikie
Archibald Geikie
Sir Archibald Geikie, OM, KCB, PRS, FRSE , was a Scottish geologist and writer.-Early life:Geikie was born in Edinburgh in 1835, the eldest son of musician and music critic James Stuart Geikie...
, the Director General of Geological Survey for Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and Ireland when it was given its European name in 1883. Sir Archibald never visited the gorge and in due course the traditional owners, the Bunaba
Bunaba
Bunaba is a settlement in Kenya's Western Province....
people, hope that it will be more generally known by its Aboriginal name, Darngku.
The park is one of the most accessible in the Kimberley as it is only 20 km (12 mi) from Fitzroy Crossing
Fitzroy Crossing, Western Australia
Fitzroy Crossing is a small town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, 400 km east of Broome and 300 km west of Halls Creek. It is approximately 2,524 km from the state capital of Perth....
and is serviced by a bitumen road. No camping is allowed in the park and visitors can only enter during the day. The park has picnic shelters, barbecue areas, toilets and water available.
A 3 kilometres (2 mi) walk trail exists along the eastern base of the gorge walls although the terrain is rough and uneven it does offer an excellent view. The western side of the gorge is closed to visitors as it is a nature preserve. Tour boats also operate in the gorge and a boat ramp is available for the public to use.
The gorge has been formed by the Fitzroy River
Fitzroy River (Western Australia)
The Fitzroy River is located in the West Kimberley region of Western Australia.-Discovery:The Fitzroy River was discovered by the West in 1837 by George Grey in the H.M.S. Beagle. The river was subsequently named by Lt J L Stokes on 26/2/1838 after Captain Robert FitzRoy R.N...
and the level of the river in the wet season can rise by up to 16.5 metres (54.1 ft). The flood level can be clearly seen on the walls where the abrasive action of the floodwaters on the limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
has scoured the surface white.
The limestone was originally a reef
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
formed not by corals but by algae and lime secreting organisms that are now extinct. The reef was formed in the Devonian period when the reeding waters allowed the organisms to build a reef up to 2 km (1 mi) thick. The remains of the reef now stand as the limestone range that wind across the countryside up to 100 m (328.1 ft) above the plains. Fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s from the devonian can be found within the limestone strata.
The river water sustains an abundance of life including barramundi
Barramundi
The Barramundi , also known as Asian Seabass, is a species of catadromous fish in family Latidae of order Perciformes. The native species is widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific region from the Persian Gulf, through Southeast Asia to Papua New Guinea and Northern Australia. Known in Thai...
, sawfish
Sawfish
Sawfish, also known as the Carpenter Shark, are a family of rays, characterized by a long, toothy nose extension snout. Several species can grow to approximately . The family as a whole is largely unknown and little studied...
and freshwater crocodile
Freshwater Crocodile
The freshwater crocodile , also known as the Australian freshwater crocodile, Johnston's crocodile or colloquially as freshie, is a species of reptile endemic to the northern regions of Australia...
s all of which can be found in the gorge.
The vegetation that fringes the river bank includes River Gums, freshwater mangrove
Mangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
s, pandanus
Pandanus
Pandanus is a genus of monocots with about 600 known species. They are numerous palmlike dioecious trees and shrubs native of the Old World tropics and subtropics. They are classified in the order Pandanales, family Pandanaceae.-Overview:...
, cadjeput and native figs. Dense banks of reeds are also found along the banks. The flora provides a suitable habitat for a range of fauna including fruit bat
Fruit Bat
Fruit Bat can refer to:* Megabats, a species of bat which eats fruit* Les "Fruitbat" Carter, guitarist of Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine* Fruit Bats , an American band...
s, lilac-crowned 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....
, reed warbler
Reed Warbler
The Eurasian Reed Warbler, or just Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus scirpaceus, is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It breeds across Europe into temperate western Asia. It is migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa....
and the great bowerbird
Great Bowerbird
The Great Bowerbird, Chlamydera nuchalis is a common and conspicuous resident of northern Australia, from the area around Broome across the Top End to Cape York Peninsula and as far south as Mount Isa...
.
See also
- Protected areas of Western AustraliaProtected areas of Western AustraliaWestern Australia is the second largest subnational entity in the world. It contains no fewer than 1224 separate Protected Areas with a total area of 170,610 km²...
- The Kimberley Region