Freycinet National Park

Freycinet National Park
Tasmania
Wineglass Bay
Map
Nearest town or cityColes Bay
Coordinates42°07′31″S 148°17′54″E / 42.12528°S 148.29833°E / -42.12528; 148.29833
Established1916
Area169 km2 (65.3 sq mi)
Visitation200,000 (in 2008)[1]
Managing authoritiesTasmania Parks and Wildlife Service
WebsiteFreycinet National Park
See alsoProtected areas of Tasmania
Wineglass Bay viewed from the beach.

Freycinet National Park is a national park on the east coast of Tasmania, Australia, 125 kilometres (78 mi) northeast of Hobart. It occupies a large part of the Freycinet Peninsula, named after French navigator Louis de Freycinet, and Schouten Island. Founded in 1916, it is Tasmania's oldest park, along with Mount Field National Park. Bordering the national park is the small settlement of Coles Bay, and the largest nearby town is Swansea. Freycinet contains part of the rugged Tasmanian coastline and includes the secluded Wineglass Bay. Features of the park include its red and pink granite formations and a series of jagged granite peaks in a line, called "The Hazards".

Because of the range of rare and endemic flora and fauna species present, as well as the diversity of landscapes and communities at Freycinet National Park, its role in conservation is particularly significant.[2] The area within the park is also of cultural importance, with many Aboriginal and European sites protected, though deeper investigation into human history within the park still needs to be undertaken.[2] Large sections of the park remain undisturbed by humans, including parts of the catchment and the landscape.[2]

Tourism at Freycinet forms a significant component of the economy for the eastern part of Tasmania, with visitors drawn to the region by the natural environment, weather and recreational activities available in the area.[2] Every year thousands of people are attracted to the coastal environments and the area's rural and isolated setting.[3]

  1. ^ "Independent, tourism-related Web site for Tasmania". Michael Lichon. Retrieved 9 May 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service (2000). "Freycinet National Park, Wye River State Reserve Management Plan". Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service. Archived from the original on 1 March 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  3. ^ Patterson, C. (2008). Cultural capital and place: Coles Bay and the Freycinet Peninsula, Tasmania. Geographical Research, 46, 350-360.

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