Alwal National Park, Nature reserve in Cape York Peninsula, Australia
Alwal National Park covers about 425 square kilometres of the Shire of Cook on Cape York Peninsula, roughly 180 km west of Cooktown. Its western part protects a stretch of the upper Morehead River, while sandstone escarpments and rocky slopes dominate the east. Between them lie undulating low hills, seasonal wetlands and patches of vine-thicket; about 30 separate wetland ecosystems cover just under 1% of the park.
The Queensland Government established this protected area in May 2010, converting the former Mulkay property into a conservation zone. This action aimed to safeguard the region's natural characteristics and biodiversity for the long term.
The park is managed jointly by the Queensland government and the Olkola Aboriginal Corporation Land Trust under the Cape York Peninsula Aboriginal Land (CYPAL) model. The name Alwal comes from the Kunjen language, in which it refers to the Golden-shouldered parrot. The land was previously known as Mulkay.
There is no vehicle access and no visitor facilities in the park. The park lies about 180 km west of Cooktown and 380 km northeast of Normanton, reached via the Peninsula Developmental Road, roughly 100 km northwest of Laura near the Hann River Roadhouse. The western part borders the upper Morehead River.
The park's name comes from the Kunjen word for the Golden-shouldered parrot, one of Australia's most endangered birds. The species survives in only a few known populations, and some of the last are inside Alwal. The park also protects habitat for the Cape York rock-wallaby, red goshawk and black-necked stork.
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