Moogerah Peaks National Park
Encyclopedia
Moogerah Peaks is a National Park in the Fassifern Valley
of South East
Queensland
, Australia
, located approximately 70 km south west of the state capital Brisbane
. The 676 hectare park consists of four separate protected areas which surround volcanic peaks and rocky cliffs near Moogerah Dam.
forest with montane heath
on exposed rock faces. In sheltered areas there are some patches of rainforest
. The park is part of the Scenic Rim
Important Bird Area
, identified as such by BirdLife International
because of its importance in the conservation of several species of threatened birds.
s with a volcanic origin. The summits of Mount French, Mount Edwards
, Mount Moon
and Mount Greville
are each contained within four separate sections of the park.
On Mount French the cliff
s at Frog Buttress
are one of the state's most popular areas for rockclimbers. The National Park surrounds Lake Moogerah
, and access to the Mount Edwards portion of the park can be had across the dam wall and spillway of the lake.
Palm Gorge is situated on Mount Greville. This narrow gorge contains a nearly pure stand of Piccabeen Palms
. To the west and south of this park lies the Main Range National Park
preserving part of the Scenic Rim
. The flora of the peaks is diverse including rainforests, sclerophyll woodlands and montane heath in the rocky exposed areas. Endemic flora species occur on the peaks that can be found nowhere else on earth, such as the Moogerah Peaks Leionema and Mount Greville Reed Grass.
Fassifern Valley
Fassifern Valley is a valley of the Scenic Rim in South East Queensland. Towns found in the valley include Harrisville, Kalbar, Roadvale, Warril View and Aratula...
of South East
South East Queensland
South East Queensland is a region of the state of Queensland in Australia, which contains approximately two-thirds of the state population...
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...
, located approximately 70 km south west of the state capital 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 676 hectare park consists of four separate protected areas which surround volcanic peaks and rocky cliffs near Moogerah Dam.
Environment
Because the peaks are relatively inaccessible the natural vegetation of the area has remained intact. The vegetation is mostly open eucalyptEucalypt
Eucalypts are woody plants belonging to three closely related genera:Eucalyptus, Corymbia and Angophora.In 1995 new evidence, largely genetic, indicated that some prominent Eucalyptus species were actually more closely related to Angophora than to the other eucalypts; they were split off into the...
forest with montane heath
Heath (habitat)
A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
on exposed rock faces. In sheltered areas there are some patches of rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
. The park is part of the Scenic Rim
Scenic Rim
The Scenic Rim is a group of forested mountain ranges of the Great Dividing Range straddling the border between south-eastern Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales, Australia.-Description:...
Important Bird Area
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird Area is an area recognized as being globally important habitat for the conservation of bird populations. Currently there are about 10,000 IBAs worldwide. The program was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife International...
, identified as such by BirdLife International
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
because of its importance in the conservation of several species of threatened birds.
The Moogerah Peaks
The Moogerah Peaks are a small set of mountainMountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
s with a volcanic origin. The summits of Mount French, Mount Edwards
Mount Edwards
Mount Edwards is a mountain in South East Queensland, Australia. The mountain rises 634 m above sea level and is part of the Moogerah Peaks National Park. It lies approximately 100 km south west of Brisbane just outside the town of Boonah. The mountain is the closest of the Moogerah Peaks to...
, Mount Moon
Mount Moon
Mount Moon is a lightly timbered, dome-shaped mountain in South East Queensland, Australia. The mountain rises 786 m above sea level and is part of the Moogerah Peaks National Park. It lies approximately 100 km south west of Brisbane just outside the town of Boonah...
and Mount Greville
Mount Greville
Mount Greville is a cone-shaped and deeply fissured mountain in South East Queensland, Australia. The mountain rises 720 m above sea level and is part of the Moogerah Peaks National Park. It lies approximately 100 km south west of Brisbane just outside the town of Boonah...
are each contained within four separate sections of the park.
On Mount French the cliff
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
s at Frog Buttress
Frog Buttress
Frog Buttress is a cliff on the north-west side of Mount French, in the Moogerah Peaks National Park near the town of Boonah in Queensland, Australia. It became famous when local rock climbers Rick White and Chris Meadows discovered it in 1968...
are one of the state's most popular areas for rockclimbers. The National Park surrounds Lake Moogerah
Lake Moogerah
Lake Moogerah, formed by Moogerah Dam, is a water supply and irrigation dam on Reynolds Creek, a tributary of the Bremer River in Southeast Queensland's Fassifern Valley. The lake is used for recreation, fishing and camping...
, and access to the Mount Edwards portion of the park can be had across the dam wall and spillway of the lake.
Palm Gorge is situated on Mount Greville. This narrow gorge contains a nearly pure stand of Piccabeen Palms
Archontophoenix cunninghamiana
Archontophoenix cunninghamiana, the Bangalow Palm or King Palm, is an Australian palm. It can grow up to and over 20 metres tall. Its flower colour is violet and the red fruits are attractive to birds. It flowers in mid-summer and has evergreen foliage...
. To the west and south of this park lies the Main Range National Park
Main Range National Park
Main Range is a mountain range and a national park in Queensland , 85 km southwest of Brisbane. It is part of the World Heritage Site Gondwana Rainforests of Australia . It protects the western part of a semicircle of mountains in South East Queensland known as the Scenic Rim...
preserving part of the Scenic Rim
Scenic Rim
The Scenic Rim is a group of forested mountain ranges of the Great Dividing Range straddling the border between south-eastern Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales, Australia.-Description:...
. The flora of the peaks is diverse including rainforests, sclerophyll woodlands and montane heath in the rocky exposed areas. Endemic flora species occur on the peaks that can be found nowhere else on earth, such as the Moogerah Peaks Leionema and Mount Greville Reed Grass.