Waychinicup National Park
Encyclopedia
Waychinicup National Park is a in Western Australia
(Australia
), 404 kilometres (251 mi) southeast of Perth
and 65 kilometres (40 mi) east of Albany and extends as far Cheynes Beach near Bremer Bay. Facilities at the park include a camping area and bush toilet near the inlet of the Waychinicup River
.
The park offers and array of landscapes from the rugged coast to boulder strewn hilltops. Tree filled deeply incised valley
s have fresh water streams flowing through them and are covered in moss
covered boulders.
The park is bordered by the Southern Ocean
to the south, Mount Manypeaks
Nature Reserve to the east and agricultural land to the north. The coastline of the park is enclosed between Normans Beach and Cheynes Beach.
s.
The park forms part of the Two Peoples Bay and Mount Manypeaks Important Bird Area
, identified as such by BirdLife International
because of its significance in the conservation of several rare and threatened bird species. The critically endangered Noisy Scrub-bird
, which was once thought to be extinct, is found within the park; a small population of 14 were translocated from Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve
in 1983, followed by another 16 in 1985. By 1994 it was estimated that 223 male birds had been heard singing in the area.
The Western Bristlebird
is another vulnerable species that is found within the park. Most of the birds remaining population is found in Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve
and Waychinicup National Park. Population
s of the bird that have been on the decline since the late 19th century has started to stabilise.
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...
(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...
), 404 kilometres (251 mi) southeast 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 65 kilometres (40 mi) east of Albany and extends as far Cheynes Beach near Bremer Bay. Facilities at the park include a camping area and bush toilet near the inlet of the Waychinicup River
Waychinicup River
The Waychinicup River is located in the Great Southern region of Western Australia. The headwaters of the river are located near the town of Manypeaks along the South Coast Highway, with an elevation of approximately above sea level and flows in a generally southerly direction through the Mount...
.
The park offers and array of landscapes from the rugged coast to boulder strewn hilltops. Tree filled deeply incised valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
s have fresh water streams flowing through them and are covered in moss
Moss
Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...
covered boulders.
The park is bordered by the Southern Ocean
Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60°S latitude and encircling Antarctica. It is usually regarded as the fourth-largest of the five principal oceanic divisions...
to the south, Mount Manypeaks
Mount Manypeaks (Western Australia)
Mount Manypeaks is a distinctive peak located approximately north-east of Albany, north-east of Two Peoples Bay and 6 km south-east of the town of Manypeaks in the City of Albany local government area.-History:...
Nature Reserve to the east and agricultural land to the north. The coastline of the park is enclosed between Normans Beach and Cheynes Beach.
Fauna
The park is home to some of the rarest animals in Australia. Some of the species found in the park include Quenda, Ring tailed possums and one of the few mainland populations of QuokkaQuokka
The Quokka , the only member of the genus Setonix, is a small macropod about the size of a domestic cat. Like other marsupials in the macropod family , the Quokka is herbivorous and mainly nocturnal...
s.
The park forms part of the Two Peoples Bay and Mount Manypeaks Important Bird Area
Two Peoples Bay and Mount Manypeaks Important Bird Area
The Two Peoples Bay and Mount Manypeaks Important Bird Area is a 261 km2 tract of coastal and subcoastal land east of the city of Albany in south-west Western Australia. It is an important site for the conservation of several rare and threatened birds....
, 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 significance in the conservation of several rare and threatened bird species. The critically endangered Noisy Scrub-bird
Noisy Scrub-bird
The Noisy Scrub-bird is a species of bird in the Atrichornithidae family. It is endemic to Australia.-Distribution and habitat:...
, which was once thought to be extinct, is found within the park; a small population of 14 were translocated from Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve
Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve
Two Peoples Bay is a protected area east of Albany. The area is accessible by 2WD vehicles. The bay itself, including two small secluded beaches, faces due east and is protected from the Southern Ocean by a headland formed by the granite massif of Mount Gardiner...
in 1983, followed by another 16 in 1985. By 1994 it was estimated that 223 male birds had been heard singing in the area.
The Western Bristlebird
Western Bristlebird
The Western Bristlebird is a species of bird in the Dasyornithidae family.It is endemic to Australia.- Description :...
is another vulnerable species that is found within the park. Most of the birds remaining population is found in Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve
Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve
Two Peoples Bay is a protected area east of Albany. The area is accessible by 2WD vehicles. The bay itself, including two small secluded beaches, faces due east and is protected from the Southern Ocean by a headland formed by the granite massif of Mount Gardiner...
and Waychinicup National Park. Population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
s of the bird that have been on the decline since the late 19th century has started to stabilise.