Cape Range National Park, Nature reserve in Western Australia, Australia
Cape Range National Park covers 47,655 hectares on the western side of the North West Cape peninsula, 1,105 kilometres north of Perth. Its limestone range, the only elevated limestone plateau on the North West Coast, rises to 314 metres and holds deep canyons, more than 700 caves and beaches facing Ningaloo Reef. Termite mounds stand close together across the spinifex bushland.
The North West Cape received its name in 1818 when Captain Phillip Parker King explored the coast during his voyage. European settlement began decades later, reshaping the human presence along these shores over time.
The park lies within the country of the Baiyungu and Thalanyji peoples, and Yardie Creek and the surrounding ranges hold sites of ongoing importance to them. The name Yardie is an Aboriginal word recorded in the area. Visitors today share the park with Traditional Owners, whose knowledge informs how the land and its waterholes are cared for.
A car is essential for exploring the park, as many routes are unpaved and require careful driving through remote terrain. Stock up on water and supplies before arriving, as amenities are limited within the reserve itself.
Yardie Creek is the park's only waterway that holds water all year, trapped behind a sandbar at its mouth. It shelters wildlife such as the black-flanked rock wallaby, and its name is also carried by Yardie Creek Station, part of the pastoral lease Thomas Carter bought from J Brockman in 1888.
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