National parks in Australia
Photo: Swedeshots, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Australia is known for having a large number of national parks, actually the largest of any country in the world, with around 650. However, it has a system that's very unusual, because most national parks are managed by the individual states and territories, not by the federal government, similar to the Netherlands or Quebec's provincial parks – the name "national" is a complete misnomer. The few managed by the federal government are managed by Parks Australia.
National parks account for about 3% of Australia, accounting for about 350,000 km2 of land – which is larger than the area of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Estonia combined or just a bit more than the area of Italy. Australia has the second largest amount of area protected as national parks, just behind Canada.
UnderstandThe concept of "national parks" quickly emerged with the world's second national park, Royal National Park, created soon after Yellowstone National Park was given special protection in the United States.
Get inAs there are many national parks in Australia, it's not exactly possible to give an overall description on how to get in, but accessibility significantly varies across the country.
National parksThere are too many national parks to list here, but these ones are the ones that are either most well known or have some sort of significance.
SeeMany national parks that are heavily touristed or have some great natural scenery or views will often have at least one or two lookouts, but many national parks have a lot more than one.
DoNearly all national parks have at least one hiking or walking trail, even tiny ones like Malabar Headland National Park (which would be no more than your ordinary neighbourhood park), and they are very prominent.
EatVery few national parks have some sort of cafe, restaurant, kiosk or any place to eat in the first place. Most will have some sort of picnic table or two, but otherwise, you will generally have to bring your own food.
See also
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "National parks in Australia" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Swedeshots, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons