Freycinet National Park

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Freycinet National Park
Tasmania
IUCN category II (national park)
File:Wineglass Bay from Lookout.jpg
Wineglass Bay
Freycinet National Park is located in Tasmania
Freycinet National Park
Freycinet National Park
Nearest town or city Swansea
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Established 1916
Area 169 km2 (65.3 sq mi)
Visitation 200,000 [1] (in 2008)
Managing authorities Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service
Official site Freycinet National Park
See also Protected areas of Tasmania

Freycinet is a national park on the east coast of Tasmania, Australia, 125 km northeast of Hobart. It occupies a large part of the Freycinet Peninsula, named after French navigator Louis de Freycinet, and Schouten Island. Founded in 1916, it is Tasmania's oldest park, along with Mount Field National Park.

Bordering the national park is the small settlement of Coles Bay, and the largest close town is Swansea. Freycinet contains part of the rugged Tasmanian coastline and includes the secluded Wineglass Bay, voted by several travel authorities as one of the world's ten best beaches. Famous features of the park include its red and pink granite formations and a series of jagged granite peaks in a line, called "The Hazards".

Geology

Devonian Granite is the dominant rock type at Freycinet.[2] Orthoclase, a pink feldspar gives the mountains and coastline their characteristic pink tint.[2] Black micas and white quartz are also found.[2] The western side of Schouten Island is composed of Jurassic Dolerite.[2]

Flora and fauna

Forty-nine endemic species to Tasmania are found at Freycinet.[2]

Mammals found include the brushtail possum, ringtail possum, sugar glider, eastern pygmy possum, little pygmy possum, echidna, wombats, New Holland mouse, swamp rat, water rat, Tasmanian bettong and the long-nosed potoroo.[2]

The Tasmanian devil was once common at the park, but has seen a significant drop in density due to the devil facial tumour disease. Cetaceans such as southern right whale, humpback whale, and bottlenose dolphins are known to use the bay to feed, calve or to take rests.

Climate

The park receives on average 600 mm (23.6 in.) of rain per year. It has a climate similar to that of France with on average more than 300 days of sunshine.[3]

Climate data for Friendly Beaches
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 36.4
(97.5)		 37.0
(98.6)		 37.0
(98.6)		 31.4
(88.5)		 24.0
(75.2)		 21.0
(69.8)		 19.0
(66.2)		 23.5
(74.3)		 27.0
(80.6)		 32.7
(90.9)		 35.0
(95)		 37.0
(98.6)		 37.0
(98.6)
Average high °C (°F) 22.8
(73)		 22.6
(72.7)		 21.4
(70.5)		 18.6
(65.5)		 16.1
(61)		 14.1
(57.4)		 13.7
(56.7)		 14.7
(58.5)		 16.7
(62.1)		 18.0
(64.4)		 19.5
(67.1)		 21.8
(71.2)		 18.3
(64.9)
Average low °C (°F) 13.1
(55.6)		 13.2
(55.8)		 11.8
(53.2)		 9.6
(49.3)		 8.3
(46.9)		 6.4
(43.5)		 5.7
(42.3)		 6.1
(43)		 7.5
(45.5)		 8.6
(47.5)		 10.0
(50)		 11.6
(52.9)		 9.3
(48.7)
Record low °C (°F) 6.0
(42.8)		 7.2
(45)		 5.3
(41.5)		 1.0
(33.8)		 −1.1
(30)		 0.0
(32)		 −0.5
(31.1)		 −0.1
(31.8)		 1.2
(34.2)		 1.2
(34.2)		 3.0
(37.4)		 5.5
(41.9)		 −1.1
(30)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 61.2
(2.409)		 60.3
(2.374)		 53.7
(2.114)		 50.3
(1.98)		 47.0
(1.85)		 36.2
(1.425)		 48.5
(1.909)		 48.7
(1.917)		 33.3
(1.311)		 65.2
(2.567)		 58.8
(2.315)		 36.6
(1.441)		 601.7
(23.689)
Source: Bureau of Meteorology [4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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