Mooloolah River National Park, Nature reserve in Sunshine Coast Regional, Australia
Mooloolah River National Park is a protected area of 830.9 hectares on the Sunshine Coast, bordered by the Mooloolah River to the east and Claymore and Dixon Roads to the west, and bisected by the Sunshine Motorway. Almost half of it is floodplain wet heath swamp and about a third is Melaleuca and Eucalyptus tree swamp. The Jowarra section, a remnant of coastal rainforest, sits at the north-western corner of Steve Irwin Way and the Bruce Highway, cut off from the main body except via the river.
The park was designated in 1960 on land that had been vacant crown land. A northern section of 161.93 hectares was added later, separated from the main body by the Sunshine Motorway. A management plan for the park was published in November 1999.
The Jowarra section, a patch of coastal rainforest at the corner of Steve Irwin Way and the Bruce Highway, is cut off from the rest of the park and reachable only along the Mooloolah River. Bird watchers and bushwalkers use the park, which has no formed tracks or facilities; camping is not permitted. A management plan was published in November 1999.
There are no formed walking trails or other facilities in the park, and camping is not permitted. Access is from Mooloolaba via the Sunshine Highway, about ten minutes away; the Sunshine Motorway (S70) runs through the north-west part. A management plan for the park was published in November 1999.
The park contains acid-water swamps where the water is naturally acidic, a wetland type rarely found elsewhere along this stretch of the Queensland coast. Certain frog species have adapted to survive only in these conditions, making this a spot of real interest for anyone following local wildlife.
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