Yuraygir National Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yuraygir National Park New South Wales
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Minnie Water Lake
Yuraygir National Park Location in New South Wales
Established	1980
Area	313.71 km2 (121.1 sq mi)
Managing authorities	New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service
See also	Protected areas of New South Wales

Yuraygir is a national park in New South Wales, Australia. It is located about 482 kilometers northeast of Sydney. This park was created in 1980. It was formed by joining and making bigger two older national parks: Angourie and Red Rock National Parks. Both of these had started in 1975. When Yuraygir National Park was first made, it was in separate pieces. Over the next 20 years, more land was bought to connect these parts. This helped make it one large, protected area.

What's in a Name?

The name "Yuraygir" comes from the local Aboriginal tribe who lived in this area. It is a way of writing their name, which was spelled in different ways before. Some older spellings included Jeigir, Yegir, or Youngai.

Exploring the Park

Yuraygir National Park covers 65 kilometers of coastline. This makes it the largest coastal park in New South Wales. You can walk along the coast on the Yuraygir coastal walk. This amazing walk takes about four days to finish. The park has 48 beaches, including the very popular Shelley Beach, which is 800 meters long.

Amazing Animals

Many different animals live in Yuraygir National Park. Scientists have recorded 30 types of mammals here. Some of these are special and need protection. These include the rufous bettong (Aepyprymnus rufescens), the tiger quoll (Dasyurus maculatus), and the brush-tailed phascogale (Phascogale tapoatafa). You might also spot a squirrel glider (Petaurus norfolcensis).

The park also has swamps and wet heath areas. These are important homes for certain birds. Two threatened bird species found here are the eastern ground parrot (Pezoporus wallicus) and the eastern grass owl (Tyto longimembris).

Plants and Park Challenges

Like many natural areas, Yuraygir National Park faces challenges from unwanted plants and animals. Some animals that cause problems are wild pigs, cats, dogs, horses, and foxes. These animals are not native to the park and can harm the local wildlife.

There are also problem plants, often called weeds. These include groundsel bush (Baccharis halimifolia), bitou bush (Chrysanthemoides monilifera subsp. rotunda), and lantana (Lantana camara). Another problem plant is the slash pine (Pinus elliottii). These weeds can grow quickly and take over areas, pushing out the native plants that belong there. Park rangers work hard to manage these challenges and protect the park's natural beauty.