31-673: The Five Islands Nature Reserve is a protected nature reserve located in the Tasman Sea , off the Illawarra east coast of the state of New South Wales , Australia. The 26-hectare (64-acre) reserve comprises five continental islands that are situated between 0.5 and 3.5 kilometres (0.31 and 2.17 mi) east of Port Kembla . The Five Islands are Flinders Islet (Toothbrush Island), Bass Islet, Martin Islet , Big Island (also called Rabbit or Perkins Island) and Rocky Islet. The reserve
62-526: A land lease from the U.S. government , while Mackinac National Park was handed down to become the first of the Michigan state parks . As with national parks, facilities at state parks are often leased to concessionaires to operate. Breaks Interstate Park is operated under an interstate compact by Virginia state parks , although it is also one of the Kentucky state parks , straddling both sides of
93-589: A few exceptions such as Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in California, and Wood-Tikchik State Park in Alaska, the largest state park in the United States . In addition to preserving natural landscapes and providing recreational opportunities, many state parks also serve as important educational resources . They often offer guided tours, interpretive programs, and exhibits that help visitors learn about
124-414: A part of the mainland, with the whole shelf area probably dune covered, up until about the end of the last Ice Age. As the sea level rose over the last 18,000 years the islands became separated from the mainland with sand and soil eroded away. At the highest sea levels of about 5,000 years ago portions of the islands would have been sea-swept. Soil cover is shallow and while deepest on Big Island, grazing in
155-699: A restaurant) for lodging at some parks. These typically use "Resort" in the name, such as "_____ Resort State Park" in West Virginia state parks and "_____ State Resort Park" in neighboring Kentucky state parks , which has 17 such resort parks, the most of any state. Other states use the Resort name inconsistently (like DeGray Lake Resort State Park , the only one out of three resorts in Arkansas state parks ), or have only one such park ( South Carolina state parks ' Hickory Knob State Resort Park ), or do not use
186-585: The Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration . Waratah anemone Actinia tenebrosa , commonly known as the waratah anemone , is the most common species of sea anemone found in the waters of eastern Australia and New Zealand (where it is known in Māori as kōtore , or kōtoretore ). It is found relatively high on the seashore, in rock pools , and various cracks and shaded surfaces such as under rock overhangs in
217-621: The Waratah anemone and either the Leafy or common sea dragon (though both are referred to by description, not by common name). Five species of birds were listed as breeding there in a presentation by J. A. Keast of the Australian Museum in 1952: little penguins, the white-faced storm petrel , wedge-tailed shearwater (aka muttonbird), crested tern and silver gull . At this time, Australia's only mainland breeding colony of muttonbirds
248-411: The beadlet anemone ( Actinia equina ) of the northern hemisphere. The column has a number of iridescent blue spherules armed with nematocysts . The waratah anemone is found along the coasts of southern Australia, its range extending from Perth to New South Wales. It is also found throughout New Zealand. It is found in cracks and crevices, under overhangs and under boulders on rocky shores, usually in
279-426: The intertidal zone . When underwater, this sea anemone opens up to display numerous tentacles, arranged in three whorls. Out of water, the tentacles retract and the anemone closes to resemble a dome shaped red, crimson, brown, green or black blob of jelly, about 4 cm (1.6 in) across and 2.7 cm (1 in) high. While in a closed state, the anemone has a soft, ductile and jelly-like exterior. This species
310-541: The Five Islands. Year after year she sat, so still and quiet she turned to stone. Dust and dead leaves fell upon her, grass and wild flowers grew over her, and so she became part of the mountain range. She is now known as Mount Keira . An account of a visit to the islands in 1914 refers to the island supporting "hundreds" of little penguins successfully breeding in burrows along with shearwaters and gulls. It also briefly mentions several species of marine life, including
341-527: The West Wind, lived on top of Merrigong (the Illawarra Range ) With the West Wind were his six little daughters Mimosa, Wilga, Lilli Pilli, Wattle, Clematis and Geera. Sometimes the children's cousins, who lived in a seaside camp just north of Red Point, came up the mountain for a visit. The little children brought gifts of fish, pretty sea-shells, fruit and flowers, but Mimosa, an unpleasant child,
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#1732794174275372-897: The administration of the government of each U.S. state , some of the Mexican states , and in Brazil . The term is also used in the Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales . The equivalent term used in Canada, Argentina, South Africa, and Belgium, is provincial park . Similar systems of local government maintained parks exist in other countries, but the terminology varies. State parks are thus similar to national parks , but under state rather than federal administration. Similarly, local government entities below state level may maintain parks, e.g., regional parks or county parks . In general, state parks are smaller than national parks, with
403-738: The country's state parks. The NASPD further counts over 43,000 miles (69,000 km) of trail, 217,367 campsites, and 8,277 cabins and lodges across U.S. state parks. The largest state park system in the United States is Alaska State Parks , with over 100 sites encompassing 3.3 million acres. Many states include designations beyond "state park" in their state parks systems. Other designations might be state recreation areas , state beaches, and state nature reserves . Some state park systems include long-distance trails and historic sites . To encourage tourism in rural areas, several states have simple lodges, inns, hotels, or motels (usually with
434-478: The designation at all (such as the lodges of Georgia state parks ). The term "lodge" may also refer to a hiking lodge , essentially a large cabin for hikers rather than a large facility with private rooms and a restaurant. Other lodging may include yurts and tipis . Not all parks owned by a state are necessarily part of its state-park system, such as Stone Mountain Park near Atlanta. Some Texas state parks are
465-413: The great rock into the sea, giving Mimosa a shower bath, which cooled her naughty temper. "Whoosh, gurgle, goggle," she cried, coughing and choking. She looked about and was startled to see she was some distance from the land. In fact, she was on an island, to which neither her sisters nor her friends could swim, for fear of sharks. Poor Mimosa! Too late she regretted her naughtiness. Day after day she sat on
496-440: The island, until she turned into a mermaid, slid into the sea and swam about. Mimosa's fate should have been a lesson to her sisters, but, bye and bye, they grew lazy, careless and disobedient. One evening Oola-boola-woo, the West Wind, came home, at sunset, to find Wilga lying on a warm rock, playing with a pet lizard. She had not washed her face or combed her hair, nor had she tidied the house. Oola-boola-woo felt that his patience
527-522: The late 18th century, the mainland coast opposite the Five Islands was occupied by the Tharawal people . Cattle and rabbits were introduced to the islands before 1861. In 1867 a house was built on Big Island by the Perkins family, who lived there until 1872, grazing cattle and catching sharks. In the early 20th century the sea floor to the west of Big Island was mined for shells. In Dreamtime legend,
558-445: The late 19th century has accelerated the likely irreversible natural erosion processes. State park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational potential. There are state parks under
589-493: The local flora , fauna , geology , and cultural history of the area. These programs are designed not only to enhance the visitor experience but also to promote conservation awareness and encourage responsible enjoyment of natural resources. There are 6,792 state park units in the United States, according to the National Association of State Park Directors (NASPD). There are some 813 million annual visits to
620-657: The middle to low intertidal zone but occasionally higher up the shore. This species is viviparous and broods its young inside its body cavity. When the offspring are well-developed they are expelled through the mouth. The juveniles often attach themselves to rocks in close proximity to the parent forming clonal clusters. When these anemones are growing alongside each other they appear to know whether or not they are closely related. If they are, they will tolerate each other's close presence, while if they are unrelated, they will attack each other. The waratah anemone can also reproduce sexually with planktonic larvae settling far away from
651-502: The reserve include the eastern water skink , common garden skink , weasel skink and three-toed skink . Marine mammals recorded as occasionally hauling-out on the intertidal fringes of the islands include the Australian fur seal , the New Zealand fur seal and the leopard seal . The islands are made of rocks of about 250 million years old which are volcanic in nature with sedimentary rocks overlying parts. The islands were
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#1732794174275682-522: The reserve remains important for seabirds , on which ongoing research is carried out by the Southern Oceans Seabird Study Association . Species recorded as breeding on one or more islands of the reserve include the sooty oystercatcher , little penguin, wedge-tailed shearwater, short-tailed shearwater , crested tern , white-faced storm-petrel, silver gull, kelp gull and Australian pelican . Reptiles present in
713-474: The state line. Other multi-state parks are legally two separate parks with the same name and more informal cooperation between them. The title of oldest state park in the United States is claimed by Niagara Falls State Park in New York , established in 1885. Several public parks previously or currently maintained at the state level pre-date it. Indian Springs State Park has been operated continuously by
744-454: The state of Georgia as a public park since 1825, although it did not gain the title "State Park" until 1931. In 1864 Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove were ceded by the federal government to California until Yosemite National Park was proclaimed in 1890. In 1878 Wisconsin set aside a vast swath of its northern forests as "The State Park" but, needing money, sold most of it to lumber companies within 20 years. Mackinac National Park
775-492: Was at an end. He had had a hard day blowing up dust storms in the west and helped to fan a great bushfire, near Appin, so he was tired. Taking a big breath, he blew Wilga and her rock out to sea. How surprised the people in the camp were next morning, to see two islands in the sea, not far from the coast. It wasn't long until Lilli Pilli, Wattle and Clematis were blown out to sea, on pieces of rock so that there were five islands, with five little mermaids sunning themselves. So Geera
806-473: Was established in 1875 as the second U.S. national park before being converted to a state park in 1895. The first state park with the designation of "state park" was Itasca State Park in Minnesota , established in 1891. Many state park systems date to the 1930s, when around 800 state parks (and several national ones) across the country were developed with assistance from federal job-creation programs like
837-416: Was first described in 1898 by H Farquhar who wrote "Full-grown individuals in situations well exposed to the rays of the sun have a column greenish or brownish black, and the disc and tentacles dusky crimson, while those on the undersides of overhanging stones are reddish brown or crimson, the depth of colour varying according to the amount of light which reaches them." Actinia tenebrosa is similar in form to
868-430: Was located nearby at Red Point , but was threatened by human disturbance. The vegetation communities of the Five Islands, and especially Big Island have been degraded because of previous human usage and the introduction of exotic species of animals and plants. A major problem is the presence of Kikuyu grass on Big Island, which hinders the recovery of native vegetation and the burrowing activities of petrels . Today,
899-474: Was originally dedicated as a fauna reserve in 1960; it is considered significant for its biological and Aboriginal heritage values and is managed by the NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service . At the height of the last ice-age some 18,000 years ago, with a lower sea-level, the islands were part of the mainland. When Europeans first visited the area around and immediately south of Sydney in
930-410: Was sulky and disagreeable to the visitors. When her sisters played and laughed with their cousins, Mimosa scratched and fought. Oola-boolawoo was so annoyed at his daughter's rude behaviour he snatched off the piece of the mountain upon which she sat, and threw it out to the sea. How strange to see a large piece of rock flying through the air with the little black girl, Mimosa, clinging to it! Plop! went
961-479: Was the only child left in Oola-boola-woo's home on the mountain top. How lonely she was! Her father was often away, so there was no one to talk to. There was no one to play with, for the children in the camp had long grown tired of climbing the mountain side to visit the unruly family, on the top. Geera sat hunched, with her arms around her ankles, gazing down at the smoke of the blacks’ camp, or staring out at