Dating back to the time of the dinosaurs, these rainforests are protected by fifty separate national parks and reserves, ranging from the Central Coast to the Northern Rivers and up to Brisbane in Queensland.
This ancient supercontinent was formed of what is today South America, Africa, Arabia, Madagascar, India, Australia and the Antarctic, about six hundred million years ago. Deep and vast rainforest covered this continental region during the time of the dinosaurs till about one hundred and eighty million years ago, when the present continents began to drift apart once again.
Interestingly, the continent of Australia is still drifting northwards, away from Antartica and towards Southeast Asia. This still continues.
Flora
Ferns and conifers from this time period remain in Gondwana Rainforests. There are also animals and birdlife still living here, relatively unchanged from their ancestors in the fossil records.
The rainforests of Australia only occupy some .3 of 1 per cent of the total land mass, they have about one half of all Australian plant species and about one third of animal species. In the Gondwana, there are over 200 endangered species who are protected here.
Covering some 366,500 hectares, the Gondwana Rainforests made it to the World Heritage List in 1986 and was expanded again in 1994.
Next: NSW National Parks: Mimosa NP
Gondwana Rainforests of Australia
Bellingen on the Map: Mid North Coast Map NSW.
Dating back to the time of the dinosaurs, these rainforests are protected by fifty separate national parks and reserves, ranging from the Central Coast to the Northern Rivers and up to Brisbane in Queensland.
This ancient supercontinent was formed of what is today South America, Africa, Arabia, Madagascar, India, Australia and the Antarctic, about six hundred million years ago. Deep and vast rainforest covered this continental region during the time of the dinosaurs till about one hundred and eighty million years ago, when the present continents began to drift apart once again.
Interestingly, the continent of Australia is still drifting northwards, away from Antartica and towards Southeast Asia. This still continues.
Flora
Ferns and conifers from this time period remain in Gondwana Rainforests. There are also animals and birdlife still living here, relatively unchanged from their ancestors in the fossil records.
The rainforests of Australia only occupy some .3 of 1 per cent of the total land mass, they have about one half of all Australian plant species and about one third of animal species. In the Gondwana, there are over 200 endangered species who are protected here.
Covering some 366,500 hectares, the Gondwana Rainforests made it to the World Heritage List in 1986 and was expanded again in 1994.
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