| Border Ranges National Park New South Wales | |
|---|---|
 Brindle Creek in the Border Ranges National Park is an impressive rainforest stream. | |
  Border Ranges National Park | |
| Nearest town or city | Kyogle |
| Coordinates | 28°21′35″S152°59′10″E / 28.35972°S 152.98611°E /-28.35972; 152.98611 |
| Established | 8 June 1979 (1979-06-08)[1] |
| Area | 317.29 km2 (122.5 sq mi)[2] |
| Managing authorities | NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service |
| Website | Border Ranges National Park |
| See also | Protected areas of New South Wales |
TheBorder Ranges National Park is aprotectednational park that is located in theNorthern Rivers region ofNew South Wales,Australia. A small portion of the national park is also located inSouth East Queensland. The 31,729-hectare (78,400-acre) park is situated approximately 150 kilometres (93 mi) south ofBrisbane, north ofKyogle.[1]
The park is part of the Shield Volcano GroupWorld Heritage SiteGondwana Rainforests of Australia inscribed in 1986[3] and added to theAustralian National Heritage List in 2007.[4]
The Border Ranges region, which includes theMcPherson Range,Tweed Range, Lamington Plateau and Levers Plateau, were formed from the erosion of theTweed Volcano over many years. A number ofvolcanic plugs remain in the Border Ranges National Park.[5] Notable for extensive stands ofNothofagus moorei (Antarctic beech), the park offers a 64 kilometres (40 mi) gravel road circuit through sub tropical, cool and warmtemperate rainforest types. The area was extensively logged during the 20th century, providing timber to a number of nearby sawmills.[5] TheLions Road and theSydney–Brisbane rail corridor pass through the park at its narrow middle section.
Border Ranges andLamington National Park are recognised as abiodiversity hotspot, containing a mixture of northern and southern flora species (the McPherson-Macleay overlap) with a number ofendemic, rare and endangered species. Fauna is similarly diverse and species like theHastings River mouse, have been rediscovered in the park in recent years.[6]
Lower areas of the park contain eucalypt forests that provide habitat foreastern grey kangaroos,red-necked wallabies andkoalas.[5]Pademelons andpotoroo are also found in the park as well as a diverse array of birdlife including the rareAlbert's lyrebird.[5] The park is part of theScenic RimImportant Bird Area, identified as such byBirdLife International because of its importance in the conservation of several species ofthreatened birds.[7]
The Border Ranges contains one of Australia's most diverse range of spider species within its montane rainforests.[8]
Two camp grounds (car/camper and walk-in tent camping only) and a number of picnic areas, some with shelters, water and composting toilets, are available at various points in the rainforest adjacent to the road, and one picnic spot at Blackbutts Lookout, has extensive views toMount Warning, and of the Tweed Valley, an erosioncaldera which, while broken by the sea on its eastern flank, is considered larger in size than theNgorongoro Crater in Tanzania.
