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18-670: Cape Range National Park is a national park in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia , 1,105 kilometres (687 mi) north of Perth . The park occupies the western side of the North West Cape peninsula over an area of 47,655 hectares (117,760 acres). The nearest town is Exmouth , and directly off the coast is the Ningaloo Reef . The area resulted from a gradual uplifting from the sea floor followed by fluctuating sea levels, wind and water erosion that have slowly eroded

36-417: A Dutchman , made the first authenticated landing by a European along this coastline in 1616. Early explorers recorded phenomenal tidal ranges along this coast. Most of Lake Macleod is normally dry, covering an area of 2,000 km (770 sq mi), 60 km (23 sq mi) of which is covered by perennial bodies of brine . Climatically, this part of Western Australia is greatly influenced by

54-482: A number of sheep stations in the area. In 2021, 4 year old girl Cleo Smith was abducted and later found in Carnarvon . 22°S 115°E  /  22°S 115°E  / -22; 115 Lake MacLeod Lake Macleod is a marine salt lake in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia , 30 kilometres (19 mi) north of the port and regional centre of Carnarvon . Dirk Hartog ,

72-417: A population of dusky gerygones . The northern ponds consist of intermittently flooded, brackish to hypersaline mudflats surrounding saline springs and permanent saline channels and lagoons. Large numbers of red knots , Australian pelicans , little black cormorants , black-tailed godwits and black-winged stilts have been recorded. A substantial population of canary white-eyes is present. A review of

90-679: Is covered in scrub, primarily spinifex and mulga , with very little tree cover. Horticulture is the major industry of the Gascoyne region. Bananas, tomatoes, grapefruit, mangoes, table grapes and a range of vegetable products are grown along the Gascoyne River . Climatic advantages enable the growers to meet out-of-season demand both locally and in export markets. Fishing is also a major industry with prawn, scallop, crab and wet line fishing operations based in Carnarvon and Exmouth. In

108-507: Is generally warm all year round, with mean maximum daily temperatures ranging from 22 °C (72 °F) in July to 35 °C (95 °F) in January. The region receives about 320 days of sunshine per year. Annual rainfall is low and variable, averaging about 200 mm (8 in), most of which occurs as a result of cyclonic activity. Because of the semi-arid climate, most of the Gascoyne

126-424: Is periodically inundated by freshwater Some 382 square kilometres (147 sq mi) of the permanent ponds in the north-western part of the lake have been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA) because they support fairy terns , over 1% of the world populations of red-necked stints , curlew sandpipers , banded stilts , red-necked avocets and red-capped plovers , as well as

144-402: The bird flower and the desert sturt pea . The area was under pastoral lease beginning in 1876 when J Brockman acquired leases in the area covering North West Cape to run cattle. Brockman sold parts of the lease in 1888 to ornithologist Thomas Carter including Yardie Creek and Ningaloo Station . Carter was the first settler in the area and established a pastoral station in 1889. The area

162-525: The schooner Monkey , while searching for the wreck of the barque Mercury . Shark Bay became the site of Australia 's first pearling industry when production of mother-of-pearl began in January 1850. In 1839, George Grey explored the area and named the Gascoyne River after Captain John Gascoyne RN, son of Bamber Gascoyne , a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty. Captain Gascoyne

180-443: The Gascoyne's land area was covered by pastoral leases . Before being settled by Europeans, the Gascoyne had been home to Indigenous Australians for thousands of years. The first known European to land in the region was Dirk Hartog in 1616; other early visitors include Willem Jansz , William Dampier , Nicolas Baudin , and Phillip King . In September 1834 the presence of pearl shell and guano were noted by Thomas Hunt of

198-400: The backbone of the peninsula which extends as far as North West Cape . Yardie Creek, a spectacular gorge where the water is trapped by a sandbar , is located within the park. Over 700 caves are located within the park and it is probable that many others remain undiscovered. Over 630 species of wildflower are found within the park, that generally bloom toward the end of winter, including

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216-410: The lake appears to be near the northern end where the light blues indicate some standing water. Close inspection of the image discloses very faint lines at the southernmost end of Lake Macleod where large evaporation beds are used for the production of high-quality salt and gypsum . The lake is recognised as a DIWA wetland as it is an outstanding example of a major lake situated on the coast that

234-457: The lowest population of any region of Western Australia, with about 9,277 people. The majority of residents are non-Aboriginal people born in Australia (74%). Just over half live in Carnarvon (4,426) where Aboriginal residents account for 18% of the population. Other centres are Exmouth , Denham , Gascoyne Junction and Coral Bay . The Gascoyne has a moderate arid tropical, climate. It

252-493: The mining sector, salt and gypsum are mined at Lake MacLeod , north of Carnarvon. Tourism is an important industry, due to the warm dry climate and the long coastline, which includes the Ningaloo Reef and the Shark Bay World Heritage Site . The pastoral industry was historically important but is no longer a major contributor to the economy. It represents the region's main land use: in 1994 84% of

270-418: The north-flowing Western Australian Current that brings cool water northward from Antarctica , which is not conducive to producing inland precipitation . This cool offshore current, coupled with a very flat coastal plain, contributes to the near-desert-like conditions along the coastal region as evidenced by the brown landscape around the lake and the highly reflective salt beds within the lake. The low point in

288-530: The range and plain leaving behind a range of rugged limestone , deep canyons, and pristine beaches. There is also an eponymous locality of the Shire of Exmouth , but the boundaries of the national park and the locality are not identical. The Cape is the only elevated plateau composed of limestone on the North West Coast. The range has plateaus to an elevation of 314 metres (1,030 ft) and forms

306-784: Was a committee member of the London-based Western Australian Missionary Society and a member of the London Association for the Protection of the Interests of the Colony . In 1858 Francis Gregory explored the region and subsequently publicized it as highly suitable to pastoralism . Settlement began in the 1860s, and the town of Carnarvon was gazetted in 1883. By 1880 the area was home to approximately 20,000 sheep on

324-469: Was declared a national park in 1964, the off-shore area, Ningaloo Marine Park , was declared in 1987. An abundance of flora and fauna are found within the park. Flora species include mangroves , acacia , spinifex , grevillea , verticordia , eucalyptus and minilya lily . Fauna found within the park include rock wallabies , red kangaroos , emus , euros , 100 different species of bird and 80 species of reptile . Gascoyne The Gascoyne has

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