Macquarie Pass National Park, Nature reserve in Wollongong, Australia.
Macquarie Pass National Park is a nature reserve along the Illawarra escarpment in New South Wales, Australia. It covers sandstone ridges, heavily forested gullies, and several waterfalls, all accessible through marked walking tracks.
Macquarie Pass National Park was established in 1970, protecting eucalypt forests and one of Australia's most southerly stands of subtropical rainforest. The pass itself opened in 1898 and has since been the main route between the Illawarra coastal plain and the tablelands. In the first half of the 19th century the area was heavily logged for cedar.
The park is named after Macquarie Pass, the route through the Illawarra escarpment opened in 1898 and still the main way between the coastal plain and the highlands. The pass carries the Illawarra Highway, and the locality of Macquarie Pass, a suburb of the City of Shellharbour, had no population at the 2021 census.
Visiting during spring or autumn tends to be more comfortable, as summer rains can leave tracks muddy and slippery. Sturdy, waterproof footwear and enough water are important, since some sections of the trails are steep and can be tiring.
The locality of Macquarie Pass, defined as a suburb of the City of Shellharbour, had no population at the 2021 census. The park also carries a major power line running east–west, and the Glenview and Mount Murray Road tracks follow its easement. The Brown Barrel Walk is named after Eucalyptus fastigata, the brown barrel tree.
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