The Nightcap National Park is located in the Nightcap Range within the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. The park covers an area of 8,080 hectares, which is about 20,000 acres. It was created in April 1983 and is located 35 kilometers (22 miles) north of Lismore. The park was formed after people protested and blocked logging activities at Terania Creek, Grier's Scrub, and Mount Nardi between 1979 and 1982. Parts of the Whian Whian state forest were later added to the park after more protests and blockades in 1998. The national park is classified by the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas as Category II. It is part of the Shield Volcano Group within the World Heritage Site Gondwana Rainforests of Australia, which was added to the UNESCO list in 1986. The park was also included in the Australian National Heritage List in 2007.
Regional geology and climate
The park is located on the south-eastern side of the Mount Warning erosion caldera. It has features such as gullies, ridges, and a group of peaks that are the leftover parts of the Tweed shield volcano. The tallest peak in the Nightcap Range is Mount Burrell, also called Blue Knob, which reaches 933 meters above sea level. The Nightcap Range is mostly inside the park and is a branch of the Great Dividing Range.
Millions of years ago, lava made of basalt and rhyolite flowed from the Tweed volcano, now known as Mount Warning. This happened over 23 million years ago and created different types of plant communities. Warm temperate rainforest covers much of the park because the soil there is based on rhyolite. In areas with rich basalt soil, sub-tropical rainforest grows.
Nightcap has the highest rainfall in New South Wales, with more than 2,500 millimeters of rain each year. The average temperature ranges from 19.1°C to 29.7°C. The area can be very humid, and temperatures may reach nearly 40°C. During summer, heavy rain and strong storms, similar to those in cyclones, can occur.
Aboriginal heritage
Many Aboriginal communities lived in the area and had a deep spiritual connection to the land. These groups included the Wiyabal people, Nganduwal people, Galibal people, and Githabul-speaking peoples. The Wiyabal people lived in the Nightcap Range for at least 4,000 years. The region is home to the Bundjalung nation. In the past, the park offered rock shelters where Aboriginal people lived. The park’s landscapes, plants, and animals play an important role in Aboriginal culture and Dreaming stories. There are also sacred sites in the area that are very important culturally.
Park history
Before it became a national park, the area served as a historic connection between the Richmond and Tweed valleys, known as the Historic Nightcap Track. It first had a bridle path in 1871 and a telegraph line between the valleys by 1874. A part of this historic path is now a walking trail within the park.
The modern conservation movement, which included direct efforts to protect nature, began in the upper Northern Rivers region between 1972 and 1982. These efforts aimed to stop logging in the rainforest. Terania Creek in Nightcap was the site of Australia’s first anti-logging protests in the rainforest. By 1979, the campaign against logging grew stronger, leading to the "Rainforest War," a three-year event involving activists supported by former NSW Premier Neville Wran. At one point, 100 people formed a human barrier to stop bulldozers from logging.
Nightcap became a national park in 1983 under the Forestry Revocation and National Park Reservation Act 1983 (NSW), including part of the former Goonimbar State Forest. Additional areas from Goonimbar and Whian Whian State Forests were added to the park later that year. By 1989, UNESCO designated 41 reserves in south-eastern Queensland and north-eastern NSW as a World Heritage site, including the western half of Nightcap. This area, called the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia, protects parts of subtropical rainforest with high biodiversity and unique geological features linked to the ancient supercontinent Gondwana.
In 2009, BirdLife International identified the Nightcap Range as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA). The Nightcap Range IBA includes Nightcap National Park, Mount Jerusalem National Park, Goonengerry National Park, and Whian Whian State Conservation Area. It is recognized for its populations of Albert’s lyrebird (Menura alberti), green catbird (Ailuroedus crassirostris), pale-yellow robin (Tregellasia capito), Australian logrunner (Orthonyx temminckii), paradise riflebird (Ptiloris paradiseus), and regent bowerbird (Sericulus chrysocephalus).
Ecology
About 70% of Nightcap National Park has different types of rainforests. The rest has mostly wet sclerophyll forests and some dry sclerophyll forests. The park also has lowland species from the Big Scrub, which was once the biggest subtropical lowland rainforest but was mostly cleared. Less than 1% of the Big Scrub remains today. About 10% of all known native vascular plants in New South Wales are found here, and 72 of these are at risk of extinction. The park has many different species, including over 40 mammals, 27 reptiles, 23 frogs, more than 140 bird species, over 650 plant species like many ferns and orchids, and a wide range of fungi and lichens.
In 2011, the Forests of East Australia became the 35th Biodiversity Hotspot, which includes Nightcap National Park. A Biodiversity Hotspot is an area with many unique species that are losing their homes quickly.
Threatened flora and fauna
The spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus) is an endangered species protected by the EPBC Act. It is a medium-sized marsupial carnivore, the largest of its kind, and is known for the white spots on its tail. The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is listed as vulnerable under the EPBC Act. The Parma wallaby (Macropus parma) is vulnerable under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act). It is a small, nocturnal, and shy wallaby that was once thought to be extinct. Another vulnerable species under the TSC Act is the yellow-bellied glider (Petaurus australis), which lives in old-growth wet sclerophyll forests. The rufous bettong (Aepyprymnus rufescens) is a marsupial weighing about 3 kg that has lost much of its habitat since European settlement. The long-nosed potoroo (Potorous tridactylus) and red-legged pademelon (Thylogale stigmatica) are also listed as threatened species.
Many microbat and megabat species live in the park, with several classified as vulnerable. These include the greater broad-nosed bat (Scoteanax rueppellii), eastern long-eared bat (Nyctophilus bifax), golden-tipped bat (Kerivoula papuensis), eastern false pipistrelle (Falsistrellus tasmaniensis), large-eared pied bat (Chalinolobus dwyeri), yellow-bellied sheathtail-bat (Saccolaimus flaviventris), eastern tube-nosed bat (Nyctimene robinsoni), little bentwing-bat (Miniopterus australis), eastern bentwing-bat (Miniopterus schreibersii oceanensis), and southern myotis (Myotis macropus).
The red goshawk (Erythrotriorchis radiatus) is critically endangered under the TSC Act and vulnerable under the EPBC Act. It is a large bird of prey with a wingspan of up to 60 cm that hunts smaller birds and nests in tall trees near water. The black-breasted button-quail (Turnix melanogaster) is critically endangered due to habitat loss and fragmentation. The rufous scrub-bird (Atrichornis rufescens) is a threatened bird that lives on the ground and needs dense vegetation for nesting. The white-eared monarch (Carterornis leucotis) is a small bird that eats insects and nests high in rainforest canopies. The marbled frogmouth (Podargus ocellatus), related to nightjars, is a threatened bird that lives near rainforest streams with Bangalow palms or ferns. Several fruit-doves, including the superb fruit-dove (Ptilinopus superbus), rose-crowned fruit-dove (Ptilinopus Regina), and wompoo fruit-dove (Ptilinopus magnificus), are listed as threatened. The park has the largest known population of the threatened Albert's lyrebird (Menura alberti). A single sighting of the regent honeyeater (Anthochaera phrygia) has been recorded in the park. This bird is critically endangered under the TSC Act and endangered under the EPBC Act. It has a wingspan of 30 cm and has been the focus of conservation efforts for over 20 years.
Two frog species are endangered under the EPBC Act: the Fleay's barred frog (Mixophyes fleayi), a 90 mm frog that lives in rainforest streams, and the giant barred frog (Mixophyes iteratus), a 108 mm frog with a strong build. Loveridge's frog (Philoria loveridgei), a 30 mm ground-dwelling frog, is endangered under the TSC Act. The pouched frog (Assa darlingtoni) and green-thighed frog (Litoria brevipalmata) are both vulnerable under the TSC Act. All these frogs are threatened by the chytrid fungus.
Two reptiles are listed as vulnerable under the TSC Act: the Stephens' banded snake (Hoplocephalus stephensii), a 1-meter-long tree-dwelling snake that hunts at night, and the three-toed snake-tooth skink (Coeranoscincus reticulatus), a 23 cm lizard that lives underground.
The Nightcap oak (Eidothea hardeniana) is critically endangered under the EPBC Act. It was discovered in 2000 and grows in a single location on the southern side of the Nightcap Range. Fossils found near Ballarat, Victoria, suggest that its genus and rainforests were once widespread. Other endangered tree species under the EPBC Act include the southern ochrosia (Ochrosia moorei), which grows from the Gold Coast to Coffs Harbour, and the Minyon quandong (Elaeocarpus sedentarius), once thought extinct but now found in three nature reserves. The peach myrtle (Uromyrtus australis) has a similar range to the Minyon quandong.
The following plant species are listed as endangered under the TSC Act: Coast Euodia (Melicope vitiflora), Amyema plicatula, short-footed screw fern (Lindsaea brachypoda), green-leaved rose walnut (Endiandra muelleri subsp. bracteata), narrow-leaf finger fern (Grammitis stenophylla), and tree guinea flower (Hibbertia hexandra). Most are endangered because of their limited range and threats such as habitat clearing, fragmentation, fire, and illegal collection.
Environmental threats
Wild dogs (Canis spp.), feral cats (Felis catus), and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are harmful predators that threaten native animals in the park, especially small mammals, ground-nesting birds, and their eggs. These introduced species can also compete with native predators, such as the endangered spotted-tailed quoll. Black rats (Rattus rattus) eat both plants and animals, including insects, lizards, birds, and eggs. While rats cause more harm on islands, they still threaten mainland habitats. In 2010, cane toads (Bufo marinus) began appearing near the park’s outer areas, but in smaller numbers than in the nearby Borders Ranges National Park. Cane toads are poisonous at all life stages, and animals that eat them may die. They also harm native frogs by competing for breeding areas and eating them.
Lantana (Lantana camara) is a weed of national significance that harms the park. Other important weeds include whiskey grass (Andropogon virginicus), crofton weed (Ageratina adenophora), and mistflower (Ageratina riparia). Weeds that are becoming more concerning in the park are camphor laurel (Cinnamomum camphora), devil’s fig (Solanum torvum), and Parramatta grass (Sporobolus africanus).
Fire is not needed for rainforest plants to grow or reproduce. If a fire occurs, it can harm rainforest species, such as the Nightcap oak. A suspicious fire happened in September 2014 near Minyon Falls Road in the park. No one was injured, and the fire only damaged dry sclerophyll forest. The park was severely damaged by the 2019-2020 Australian brushfire season, causing serious concerns for its wildlife. However, many Nightcap oak trees survived the fires, with less than one-fifth dying. Some animals, like the red-legged pademelon and long-nosed potoroo, were not greatly affected, but others, such as the golden-tipped bat, likely suffered.
Phytophthora cinnamomi is a tiny fungus that lives in soil and causes root rot in plants, which can kill them. It has spread widely across Australia, mainly in areas with more than 600 mm of rainfall and south of latitude 30°. This disease is listed as a key threat under the EPBC Act and could harm the Nightcap oak.
Chytridiomycosis, caused by a chytrid fungus, is the most dangerous disease for vertebrates worldwide. In Australia, it is believed to have caused the extinction of four frog species and threatens at least ten more. Fifty frog species in Australia are infected with the chytrid fungus. The disease has been found in the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area in Northern-Rivers NSW. It has been detected in the giant barred frog and is a major threat to the endangered frog. Other frogs in the park, such as the Fleay’s barred frog and Loveridge’s frog, are also at risk from the disease.
Management
The management plan for Nightcap National Park is called the Parks & Reserves of the Tweed Caldera Plan of Management, created by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. The main goals are as follows:
Help ecosystems stay healthy or, if needed, repair damaged areas in the park while following the rules of the World Heritage Convention. Check if Nightcap NP should be added to the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage area. Provide information about the World Heritage Gondwana Rainforests through signs and brochures.
Protect all native plants, animals, and their habitats in the park. Work with nearby landowners to manage areas outside the park that share similar habitats. Help nearby landowners protect and manage areas that connect to the park. Stop swimming in areas near Protesters Falls to keep the water clean for the endangered Fleays barred frog.
Remove weeds and plant native species that would naturally grow in those areas. Control the spread of the introduced Queensland maple tree, which is grown for its wood. Manage pests like wild dogs, red foxes, feral cats, black rats, cane toads, and other harmful insects following the Pest Management Strategy for the Northern Rivers Region of NPWS.
Stop fires from harming rainforests and wet sclerophyll forests. Manage how often and how intensely fires happen in other areas to allow nature to recover properly. Complete and use the Fire Management Strategies for Nightcap NP.
Access
The park has three main sections. The Mount Nardi section, which includes Tuntable Falls and the Pholis Walk to Pholis Gap, can be reached by a paved road from Nimbin. The park also includes the Old Googarna walking track near Mount Neville and the Historic Nightcap Track, which starts at Doon Doon and goes south through the Whian Whian SCA to Dorroughby or east to Huonbrook and Mullumbimby. From Dunoon, vehicles can travel along The Channon and Terania Creek Road to reach the Terania Creek Basin and walk to Protesters Falls. Terania was the site of one of the largest efforts to protect the area during the late 1970s. In the Whian Whian SCA, Minyon Falls is a 100-meter (330 feet) waterfall that flows from a subtropical rainforest valley. It has several popular walking trails and a road-accessible lookout and picnic area.