Narawntapu National Park (previously called Asbestos Range National Park) is located in Tasmania, Australia. It is found on Tasmania's north coast, next to Bass Strait, between Port Sorell to the west and the mouth of the Tamar River to the east. The park is about 20 kilometers east of Devonport, 60 kilometers northwest of Launceston, and 250 kilometers north of Hobart.
Narawntapu includes islands in the Port Sorell estuary and the Carbuncle, as well as land that extends to the low water mark, such as areas covered with water at high tide and exposed at low tide. The highest point in the park is 392 meters above sea level. It is included in Australia's Register of the National Estate.
The park is a popular destination for visitors, many of whom come from nearby towns like Devonport and Port Sorell. A visitor center is located in an area called Springlawn, where people can see Forester kangaroos, Bennett's wallabies, and Tasmanian pademelons grazing on open plains.
History
The park was created as the Asbestos Range National Park on June 29, 1976. In 2000, the name was changed to Narawntapu because people were worried that the word "asbestos" was scaring away visitors. The name "Narawntapu" comes from the Tasmanian Aboriginal people and refers to the coastal landforms known as West Head and Badger Head within the park.
Climate
Narawntapu has a type of climate found in coastal areas, with about 750 millimeters of rain each year, mostly during winter. The most common winds come from the northeast and northwest. The average temperature is 17 degrees Celsius in January and 9 degrees Celsius in July.
Flora and fauna
The park has several types of plant communities, including coastal heathland, dry sclerophyll woodland, herbland, grassland, and salt marsh. The rare pygmy clubmoss is found in the park.
A notable feature of the park is the large number of marsupials living there. Animals such as kangaroos, wallabies, pademelons, common wombats, and Tasmanian devils can be seen. Eastern and spotted-tail quolls, platypuses, and echidnas also live in the area. The park has many bird species, including those that are at risk of disappearing, such as the hooded plover, Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle, and swift parrot. The intertidal mudflats in the North East Arm area are an important place for migratory birds to find food. These mudflats are part of the Rubicon Estuary Important Bird Area, recognized by BirdLife International because they are vital for pied oystercatchers.
The land near the wetlands also has a wide variety of birdlife. During certain times of the year, many ducks, as well as herons, swans, cormorants, coots, bitterns, and grebes, live in the lagoon.
In 2019, the wombat population in the park had dropped to between 3 and 10 individuals due to an outbreak of mange that started in 2010. Scientists used a drench technique at the entrances of wombat burrows to treat the animals. This method slowed the spread of the disease temporarily, but eventually, all the wombats infected with mange died.