Blue River Provincial Park facts for kids
The Blue River Provincial Park (in French, Parc provincial de la Rivière Bleue) is a special nature reserve in New Caledonia. It's located in the South Province, near a place called Yaté. This park is a great place to see unique plants and animals that you won't find anywhere else!
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Exploring the Park's Landscape
The Blue River Provincial Park is a big area. It's part of an even larger nature area called the Upper Yaté fauna reserve.
The park includes three main rivers: the Blue, White, and Month of May Rivers. The White and Month of May Rivers flow into Yaté Lake. This lake was formed when the Yaté Dam was built in 1958.
You can find parts of the lake and its shores inside the park. There's even a cool "drowned forest" where trees stand in the water.
The land in the park goes from 160 meters (about 525 feet) up to 1,250 meters (about 4,100 feet) high. Because of the rivers and the land, you can see many beautiful waterfalls, water holes, and interesting rock formations called "giant's kettles" in the Blue River valley.
Amazing Plants and Animals
The park is home to two main types of natural areas found in New Caledonia. One is called maquis shrubland, which grows on a special type of rock. The other is a tropical rainforest.
Many plants and animals here are endemic, meaning they live only in New Caledonia and nowhere else in the world!
The Famous Kagu Bird
The Blue River Provincial Park is especially famous for the kagu bird. This bird is endangered, which means it's at risk of disappearing forever. It has become a symbol of New Caledonia.
About 700 kagu birds live in this park. This is the largest group of kagus living in the wild! It's one of the last places where you can see them in their natural home.
Other Unique Wildlife
Besides the kagu, you might also spot other rare animals. These include the crow honeyeater, the notou (a type of pigeon), the New Caledonian crow, and the crested gecko.
Giant Trees and Special Plants
The park also has a huge, very old tree called a giant Agathis lanceolata. It's about a thousand years old and 40 meters (about 130 feet) tall! It's one of the biggest trees known in New Caledonia.
You can also find wild carnivorous plants here, like Drosera neocaledonica and Nepenths vieillardii. These plants eat insects! Beautiful orchids also grow in the park.
A Look Back in Time
People have lived in the Blue River valley for a very long time. You can find ancient rock carvings, called petroglyphs, in the park.
In the early 1900s, people used to cut down trees and mine for chrome in this area. Because of this, they built roads and railways. Some of these old railways, about 36 kilometers (22 miles) long, are still there today! You can also see an old machine called a traction engine winch and the Pérignon bridge, which is made of local wood.
The Yaté Dam was built in 1958. This changed the landscape a lot, creating Yaté Lake. The park itself was officially created in 1980. In 1989, the South Province became responsible for looking after the park.
Fun Things to Do at the Park
The South Province started improving the park for visitors in 1998. They wanted to protect nature, teach people about the environment, and welcome more tourists.
In 2002, a special building called the "Maison du Parc" (Park House) opened at the main entrance. It has a display area with information about the park, a library, and a shop.
There are also places set up for camping and picnics along the rivers. You can enjoy walking and cycling on the many trails throughout the park.
