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MOUNT HYPIPAMEE NATIONAL PARK -The Crater
Photo courtesy of Carl-Heinz Seelig.
MOUNT HYPIPAMEE NATIONAL PARK -The
Crater
- The Crater and Dinner Falls are located about 30km from Atherton on the Kennedy
Highway.
- Just over the Barron River, the turnoff to these two natural attractions is on
the right.
- Mount Hypipamee National Park is the only park that protects high altitude
rainforest, unlike any other National Park on the Atherton tableland.
- The Crater is the remains of what is believed to have been the only explosion
pipe of this volcanically active area between 10 and15, 000 years ago.
- The volcanic bedrock in the vicinity has caused the variation on the form of soil
types that have evolved. The change in soil type influences the vegetation it supports and
the diversity of animals which are supported by it. As a result, this area has become
renowned for it’s numerous arboreal (tree dwelling), species.
- There is much interesting information about the crater and it’s
surrounds,
presented on an information board at the beginning of the 800m return walk.
- The walk to the crater is well maintained and has been
bituminised. This makes
for easy walking and wheel chair access . The crater itself is astounding in size and is
worth the short walk.
- On your return from the crater, there is a path which leads down to the Dinner
Falls. These falls are on the Barron River.
- An information board located close to the beginning of the walk traces the path
of the river from its beginnings in the Great Dividing Range, through the Atherton
Tablelands and out to the Pacific Ocean.
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