Mount buffalo

The 310 km² park is located in the Australian Alps . The “heart” of the park is which is 1,723 meters above sea level. The hydrography of the park includes the rivers and , as well as the reservoir, on the banks of which a recreation area is organized from November to April. Although the cliffs of the park are not very numerous, there are places where those who wish can go climbing , dueling and hang gliding . In winter (June – August), ski runs ^[3] with a total length of more than 14 kilometers and toboggan runs ^[4] are open in the park. There are hiking trails with a total length of more than 90 kilometers ^[5] and a path for cyclists with a length of 20.9 km and an average slope of4.8% ^[6] . The more or less large settlements closest to the park are in the north, and in the east.

Mount Buffalo was so named by the researchers and during their expedition in 1824, as it reminded them of its bison shape. Soon, gold diggers and botanists began to climb the plateau, and from the 1880s, tourists.

The park was established on November 4, 1898 , then it occupied an area of ​​11.66 km², covering Mount Buffalo and the surrounding plateau. A significant role in the appearance of the park was played by Alice Manfield - a girl, a mountain guide , a naturalist and a photographer who, with her unusual profession and manner of dressing ( ), attracted many tourists to these parts. In 1908, a road was laid on a plateau to the lonely Manfield Chalet , and the park's area was increased to 104.06 km². For almost a century, from 1910 to 2007, in this house, which was sold to the in the 1930s, travelers could find shelter and eat in the restaurant equipped here until the chalet was closed. In 1957, cattle grazing was completely prohibited in the park. In 1980, the park area was expanded to the current 310 km².

At the end of 2006, the park was damaged by , in particular, it was barely able to defend the historic chalet Alice Manfield ^[7] (in 2007 it was closed and abandoned anyway, as the tenure of the Victoria Railways expired and no one I didn’t want to commit myself to the further preservation of this building). On November 7, 2008, the park was inscribed on the ^[8]

Due to the significant difference in altitude: from 300 meters above sea level in the north, to 1700 meters in the center and in the south of the park, a variety of types of animals live here. In the forests at the foot of the rocks there are kangaroos , wallabies , Posums , marsupial flying squirrels . There are many wild rats and mice on the plateau. Colonies of moths of the species inhabit enormous quantities in rock crevices: they eat it around the clock, in the afternoon - birds, at night - bats, but it does not get any smaller. It is interesting that this insect is so rich in protein that the aborigines came to these places from time immemorial to collect this moth in clusters for food. Peregrine falcons nest on rocks in small numbers, but rosella parrots are found anywhere in the park.

As for plants, there are many eucalyptus species on the slopes, Eucalyptus delegatensis appears from an altitude of 1100 meters above sea level, Eucalyptus is low flowered from 1300 meters, and a rare endemic grows at the highest point of the park, Mount Buffalo. . Other endemic plants of the park include and . In the swampy areas of the park there is a lot of sphagnum .

• - the highest point of Mount Buffalo and the entire Mount Buffalo Park

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  Chalet Alice Manfield ...

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  ... and his first mistress.

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  Reservoir

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  Plateau

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  - the highest point of and the entire Mount Buffalo Park

• Park official website
• Mount Buffalo at australiannationalparks.com