Millstream Chichester National Park Brochure
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RECYCLE Photo – N Gibson N – Photo Mulla mulla. mulla. Mulla Please return unwanted brochures to distribution points distribution to brochures unwanted return Please This document is available in alternative formats on request. on formats alternative in available is document This 5M 20140464–0514 Information current at November 2014. November at current Information The Warlu is considered to be sensitive to loud noise and poor conduct. poor and noise loud to sensitive be to considered is Warlu The cover the landscape. the cover Photo – Parks and Wildlife and Tourism WA Tourism and Wildlife and Parks – Photo cover Front Crossing Pool. Pool. Crossing around the homestead and please behave respectfully at Deep Reach Pool. Pool. Reach Deep at respectfully behave please and homestead the around Please do not interfere with cultural sites. Do not swim in the waters waters the in swim not Do sites. cultural with interfere not do Please mulla mulla and Sturt desert pea pea desert Sturt and mulla mulla Many areas in the park are culturally significant to Aboriginal people. people. Aboriginal to significant culturally are park the in areas Many of blankets when mid-winter considerate Be 7. rain, but most spectacularly in in spectacularly most but rain, them. Please do not use soap in streams and pools as it kills wildlife. kills it as pools and streams in soap use not do Please them. Visitor guide Visitor permitted. Please do not feed kangaroos or other wildlife, or approach approach or wildlife, other or kangaroos feed not do Please permitted. Plants flower year round following following round year flower Plants Do not disturb animals, plants or rocks. Pets and firearms are not not are firearms and Pets rocks. or plants animals, disturb not Do wildlife Respect 6. www.dpaw.wa.gov.au of an arid ecosystem, providing food and homes for wildlife. for homes and food providing ecosystem, arid an of Phone: (08) 9334 0333 9334 (08) Phone: part is wood Dead permitted. not are fires fuel solid and fires Ground 6151 WA Kensington Avenue, Perry Dick 17 impacts campfire Minimise 5. Wildlife and Parks of Department Headquarters Operational State park; please brush seeds from clothing and equipment before moving on. on. moving before equipment and clothing from seeds brush please park; Leave the natural environment as you find it. Several weeds threaten the the threaten weeds Several it. find you as environment natural the Leave Fax: (08) 9144 1118 9144 (08) Fax: find you what Leave 4. 2000 9182 (08) Phone: 6714 WA Karratha 835, Box PO roadside stops. roadside Estate Industrial Karratha Road, Lambert and Anderson Cnr toilets. Use sullage points provided in the towns and Main Roads Roads Main and towns the in provided points sullage Use toilets. Wildlife and Parks of Department from portable toilets. As such, do not empty portable toilets into park park into toilets portable empty not do such, As toilets. portable from Office Regional Pilbara or biolytic systems, which can be destroyed by chemicals in blackwater blackwater in chemicals by destroyed be can which systems, biolytic or Please take your litter with you. The toilets at Millstream use composting composting use Millstream at toilets The you. with litter your take Please Fax: (08) 9184 5146 9184 (08) Fax: properly waste of Dispose 3. 5144 9184 (08) Phone: 6714 WA Karratha 835, Box PO and walking, and can take many years to re-grow. to years many take can and walking, and Park National Chichester Millstream parking driving, indiscriminate by damaged easily is it fragile; is Spinifex campgrounds. designated in only Camp maps. park the on areas so please have a chat with them. with chat a have please so areas marked trails and roads the on Stay park. the in signs the Follow enjoyable and informative. They regularly visit camping and day-use day-use and camping visit regularly They informative. and enjoyable surfaces durable on camp and Travel 2. National park rangers are always glad to help make your visit more more visit your make help to glad always are rangers park National contacted on (08) 9184 5144. 9184 (08) on contacted More information More the Shire of Ashburton on (08) 9189 1029. The ranger’s office can be be can office ranger’s The 1029. 9189 (08) on Ashburton of Shire the conditions with the department’s Karratha office on (08) 9182 2000 or or 2000 9182 (08) on office Karratha department’s the with conditions pre-paid phone cards. Roads may be closed after heavy rain. Check travel travel Check rain. heavy after closed be may Roads cards. phone pre-paid accepts only telephone public the and Millstream at fuel no is There Snappy gums. Snappy prepare and ahead Plan 1. Leave No Trace principles. Trace No Leave seven the follow and park the for Care Dragonfly Dragonfly National Park National Chichester Millstream Wildlife The environment Wildlife is abundant in areas of the park close to water. Rock holes, The Chichester Range rises sharply from the coastal plain and includes riparian zones and river pools support a thriving ecosystem. On the rocky peaks, tranquil gorges and hidden rock pools. Scattered white- plains, many species of animal adapted to aridity can be frequently barked gums and pincushion spinifex clumps cover the stony plateau, seen, and the transition zone between moist and dry environments is which gradually slopes down to the bed of the Fortescue River (Yarnda particularly diverse. Plants flower year round following rain, but most Nyirranha) before rising again to the vast bulk of the Hamersley Range. spectacularly in mid-winter (June to August) when blankets of mulla Along the river lies the Millstream oasis with its string of deep spring- mulla and Sturt desert pea cover the landscape.The brilliant yellow fed pools fringed by sedges, palm groves and paper-bark forest. flowers of wattles and sennas provide a dramatic contrast to the Jirndawurrunha Pool hard red earth and chocolate brown rocks. Wildfires caused by lightning strikes occur throughout summer, and controlled burning for biodiversity and asset protection is conducted Plants more typical of the tropical north grow near permanent water regularly. Burnt areas recover quickly after rain and pools; here forests of silver cadjeput and Millstream palms can be provide a variety of food and habitats for local wildlife. Millstream Chichester National Park seen. The Millstream palm, with its fanned, grey-green leaves and Most of the 240,000ha Millstream Chichester National Park is a smooth bark, is a relict from the deep past when rainforest covered Climate landscape of rolling spinifex hills, spectacular escarpments and winding the Pilbara in the paleoclimate. Introduced species such as date palms The Pilbara is located within the arid tropics. During the summer, tree-lined watercourses. In contrast, there is the lush oasis of the and cotton palms were once prolific at Millstream. They competed with between October and April, temperatures rise above 40°C and cyclones Millstream wetlands and Fortescue River pools. native vegetation, blocked creek channels and encouraged wildfires. Poison morning glory and local thunderstorms can flood roads and watercourses. The cool Wickham's Grevillea Grevillea wickhamii (Ipomoea muelleri) The majority have been removed and the areas replanted with native The arid-land plants and animals respond dramatically to infrequent vegetation. Other weeds at Millstream include the Indian water fern, season, between May and August, experiences little rain, with daytime rainfall events while the wetlands support a diversity of plant, bird and water lily and stinking passion vine. temperatures around 26°C. Nights at this time of year can be cool, so insect species. Many of these are endemic and rely on the permanent warm clothes may be necessary. water source at Millstream. The way of water Thirty three species of dragonfly and damselfly have been recorded in the Millstream wetlands, and over 1000 species of moths. Almost The area has a long and dynamic cultural history. It forms part of the The water that feeds the Millstream oasis springs from an aquifer, or 100 reptile species call the park home and nearly 150 species of birds. Yindjibarndi homeland and was an active pastoral station for more natural underground reserve, contained in the porous dolomite rock. Resident mammals include the endangered northern quoll, little red than 100 years. It is now recognised as a national park with significant This aquifer is fed by the Fortescue River (Yarnda Nyirranha) catchment, antechinus (kaluta) the ghost bat natural, recreational and cultural values. The Millstream precinct is also which includes run-off from the Hamersley Range. The aquifer has an and the euro. a priority one water catchment area. estimated area of 2000km2 and is believed to contain 1700 million cubic metres of water. Many of the bird species are When you visit the park, call into the Millstream Homestead Visitor delightfully coloured and can Centre to obtain information on the park’s many features, or stroll The Millstream area is a priority one catchment and, used in tandem be seen during the cooler hours along one of the interpretive walk trails with the Harding Dam, the aquifer supplies water to industry and for of the day, especially near water, The park is situated in a remote area and travel on dirt roads is domestic use to the people of Wickham, Roebourne, Point Samson, and reptiles are prolific. Lizards necessary to access the park. Road conditions change frequently Dampier and Karratha. The water level is constantly monitored and, are seen frequently on rocks and especially in summer with rain. In the cooler months, the park is in times of low water, pumps can be used to keep the Millstream pool trees, even large species such generally accessible by 2WD vehicles but it is best to contact the park topped up and flowing—an essential safeguard for the long-term as the pilbara olive python and office or the department’s Karratha office beforehand.