Location of Simpson Desert National Park
The diversity of Australia is phenomenal. The vegetation, fauna and flora of Australia is very diverse and amazing. There are the areas which feature tropical rainforests and then there are some areas where golden sand takes the breath away. The Simpson Desert National Park is amongst the places where the golden sand is spread to infinity. The Simpson Desert National Park is also known as Munga-Thirri National Park. It is the largest national park in Queensland in Australia. It spreads over and area of more than 10,000 km².
It is among the most favorite travel destination in Australia. The red sand dunes touching the sky look breathtakingly beautiful.
The National Park is situated in Queensland in Australia. It is 957 km north of Port Augusta and about 1,495 km west of Brisbane.
History
For generations, the area where this park is located was inhabited by the aboriginal peoples. The area is quite dry and to manage here, the aboriginals used to dig soaks in the depressions in between the sand dunes. Some of the depressions were as deep as 7m.
The first non- aboriginal person who crossed the central as well as southern areas of this desert was David Lindsay in the year 1886. In the year 1936, Ted Colson became the first person to cross the full length of this desert.
The idea of national park was first surfaced in the year 1965 by the National Parks Association. The park was finally established in the year 1967. In the year 1991, it was extended towards the north. This expansion made the park to cover arid lands and a diverse range of vegetation.
Attributes
The biggest highlights of this park are the large and tall sand dunes. They rise to a height of 50 m and are 1 km apart. Many of the sand dunes range from 10 to 35 meters in height. The longest sand ridge inside the park is about 200 km in length. The most prominent sand dune in the Simpson Desert National Park is the Big Red’ which is situated 35 kilometer west of Birdsville. It is believed that the formation of the sand dunes started about 30,000 years ago.
Another highlight of this national park is the beautiful salt lakes. There are around 180 bird species in the park.
Things To Do
For the bird lovers Simpson Desert Important Bird Area, where you can spot 180 different species of birds. Here you can also spot animals like the feral camels, dingo and geckos. Camping in this park is an amazing experience. To go through the park, you will require a 4WD. The main track of the park is known as QAA Line. The 4WD in itself is an enthralling experience.
Interesting Facts
The Simpson Desert National Park is the largest national park in Queensland. It is considered as the driest place in Australia. Some sand dunes extend as much as 200 kms.
Best Time To Visit
The park is closed in summer season from December 1 to March 15. The best time to visit is between April to October due to the high temperature.
Have you been to Simpson National park? If yes, please share your experience here and let the people know how fun and tough is it to travel on sand dunes or send your own images and story here.
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