West Cape Howe National Park

West Cape Howe National Park is a national park in Western Australia, 390 kilometres (240 mi) southeast of Perth. The park is found between Albany and Denmark within the City of Albany and in the Great Southern region.

West Cape Howe National Park
Western Australia
IUCN category II (national park)
View across Shelley Beach to West Cape Howe
West Cape Howe National Park
Nearest town or cityDenmark
Coordinates35°06′22″S 117°35′34″E
Established1985
Area36.05 km2 (13.9 sq mi)[1]
Managing authoritiesDepartment of Parks and Wildlife
WebsiteWest Cape Howe National Park
See alsoList of protected areas of
Western Australia

Torbay Head, the most southerly point of the mainland of Western Australia, is situated within the park.[2] The park is abutted against the coast of the Southern Ocean and takes up approximately 23 km (14 mi) of the coastline between Lowlands Beach and Forsythe Bluff.[3]

History

The park began as being vested in the Shire of Albany in 1977 for the purposes of recreation. By 1985 the area was gazetted as C Class Reserve after agreement between the shire and vested in the National Parks and Nature Conservancy Authority. Following the addition of an extra 41 ha (100 acres) that was a timber reserve along the northern boundary the park was given an A Class status in 1987. The park is now a single reserve (26177) and is made up of an area of 3,517 ha (8,690 acres).[4] The rare and ancient Main's assassin spider, currently listed as threatened, was found to inhabit the park during a survey conducted in 2008.[5]

Flora

The park is home to a range of habitats including karri forest, coastal heath and wetlands each of which support a diverse array of vegetation and plant species. The area around Lake William supports a dense sedge scrub and rare species such as Amperea volubilus and an unnamed species of Melaleuca. The Albany Pitcher Plant, Cephalotus follicularis, is also found in the park.[6]

Facilities

Due to the sandy nature of many of the tracks, much of the park is accessible only to four-wheel drive vehicles, although all vehicles may reach the popular Shelley Beach where a campground is located.[7] Shelley Beach also has a look-out, toilet and barbecue launching facilities for hang-gliders.[8] The nearby Golden Gate Beach is also a popular location for surfers.

Western Australia's long-distance walking trail, the Bibbulmun Track passes through the park. The park has many facilities for bushwalkers, with a 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) return trip spur-trail from the track to Torbay Head and a boardwalk section of the track.[9] In the West of the park, there is an overnight shelter for walkers that sleeps 12-15 persons, named "West Cape Howe Campsite".[10]

References
  1. "Department of Environment and Conservation 2009–2010 Annual Report". Annual Report. Department of Environment and Conservation: 48. 2010. ISSN 1835-114X. Archived from the original on 11 January 2011.
  2. "Rainbow Coast WA - West Cape Howe". 2009. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  3. "Department of Environment - West Cape Howe National Park". 2010. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  4. "West Cape Howe Management Plan 1995-2005" (PDF). 1994. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  5. "Verve Energy Media release - Exciting find of rare assassins spider found on WA South Coast" (PDF). 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 February 2011. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  6. "West Cape Howe Area (Place ID 9358)". Australian Heritage Database. Department of the Environment. 1991. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
  7. "Department of Parks and Wildlife - Shelley Beach". 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  8. "Department of Parks and Wildlife - West Cape Howe". 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  9. "Rainbow Coast WA - West Cape Howe". 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  10. "Bibbulmun Track Denmark-Albany Section". 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2013.

See also
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