Fitzgerald River National Park
- Introduction
- Fact file
- A look at the past
- Natural features
- Native plants
- Wildlife
- CALM Albany (08) 9841 7133
- Park ranger (08) 9835 5043
- SEE the white spongelite cliffs along the banks of the Hamersley and Fitzgerald rivers
- TAKE a bushwalk in spring to see the wildflowers
- SPOT a southern right whale in the waters off Point Ann
Introduction
Lying between Bremer Bay and Hopetoun on the south coast of Western Australia, Fitzgerald River National Park is renowned as one of the most diverse botanical regions in the world. This vast, flora-rich area is one of only two national parks in Western Australia to be gazetted by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve.
Fact file
Access
From west via South Coast Hwy, Devils Creek Rd and Pabelup Dr; from east via South Coast Hwy, West River Rd and Hamersley Dr
Best Season
Spring and autumn
Location
180 km north-east of Albany; 240 km west of Esperance
Park Information
Size
329 882 ha
Where to Stay
Bremer Bay (08) 9387 4093
Hopetoun (08) 9838 1277
Quaalup Homestead (08) 9837 4124
A look at the past
The Wudjari people once roamed the area now protected within the national park but there are few reminders of their presence here. The Europeans who first explored this coast were distinctly unimpressed by what they saw. In 1802 Matthew Flinders gave the three prominent coastal peaks the uninspiring names of West Mount Barren, Mid Mount Barren and East Mount Barren. In 1841, explorer Edward Eyre described the area as ‘a wretched and arid looking country’. The heritage-listed Quaalup Homestead, situated on the western side of the park, was built in 1858 by settler John Wellstead from quartzite carried from the river. It is now part of the Quaalup Homestead Wilderness Retreat, offering accommodation to park visitors.
Natural features
Surrounding the inlets of the Gairdner, Fitzgerald and Hamersley rivers, the park has a spectacular coastline of sweeping beaches and rocky headlands. Inland are undulating sand plains, out of which rise quartzite mountains with rugged peaks known collectively as ‘the Barrens’. The Fitzgerald and the Hamersley rivers, which cut through the park’s heathlands, are renowned for their white spongelite cliffs. This soft rock was formed by the silica skeletons of ancient sponges and sediments, deposited some 36 million years ago when this area was under the sea.
Native plants
In an area that covers only 0.1 per cent of Western Australia, this extraordinary park boasts nearly 20 per cent of the total number of plant species in the state. More than 1800 plant species have been recorded here, some 75 of which are found nowhere else. One plant found only here and the Stirling Range is the strikingly beautiful royal hakea, with its variegated leaves of brilliant yellow, orange and red, edged with green. Some other plants endemic to the region are the oak-leaf dryandra, the Quaalup bell, the dense clawfl ower and the rare weeping gum.
Wildlife
The wide variety of native animals and birds includes 22 mammal, 41 reptile and 12 frog species. Birdlife is also prolific, with 184 species recorded including western bristlebirds, western whipbirds, owls and the rare ground parrot (see page 311). The park is also a haven to a number of endangered animals, such as the brush-tailed bettong and tammar wallaby. The southern dibbler, a small marsupial, and the heath rat, once thought extinct, have been discovered in the park.
Featured Activities in the National Park
Introduction
The park offers delightful locations for birdwatching, photography and camping. If swimming be careful of the offshore rips. Although most of the park’s main attractions are accessible by car, a 4WD vehicle is needed to reach Fitzgerald Inlet, Trigelow Beach, Quoin Head and Whalebone Beach; the central wilderness area is accessible by foot only. The park may be closed to vehicles during wet weather, so contact the ranger before visiting to check weather conditions and road closures.
Bushwalking
There are many walking trails, often well signposted and leading to great views: Mount Maxwell walk (100 metres); West Beach Point walk (2 km, 1 hour), West Mount Barren walk (3 km, 1½ hours); and East Mount Barren walk (4 km, 2 hours). Point Ann Heritage Trail (1.5 km, 45 minutes) is also worthwhile.
Canoeing/kayaking/boating/sailing
Quaalup Homestead Wilderness Retreat has a kayak that can be hired for a quiet paddle down the Gairdner River to Gordon Inlet.
Fishing
Both beach and offshore fi shing are popular along the coast and target fi sh include shark, tuna, nannygai, queen snapper, herring and, when in season, pike and salmon. The inlets offer good fi shing for bream. There are boat-launching ramps just outside the park at Hopetoun.
Whale-watching
Point Ann has a viewing platform and southern right whales can be seen offshore from June until the end of October.
Campsites
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