Tag Archives: Goomburra National Park

Dragonflies in the mail

A beautiful set of Australian postage stamps, featuring dragonflies and damselflies, was released in August 2017. One of my images, of a damselfly known as a Whitewater Rockmaster, was included on the first day cover and the stamp set packaging.

Whitewater Rockmaster (Diphlebia lestroides), Goomburra National Park. This striking insect is one of Australia’s largest damselflies. Photograph by Robert Ashdown.

First day cover, 1 August 2017.

From the Stamp Bulletin, Issue 347, July-August 2017:

This year’s theme for Stamp Collecting Month is dragonflies, one of the most striking groups of the insect world. Of the 6,000 or so known species worldwide, there are about 325 species in Australia.

The order, Odonata, is basically made of two suborders, Anisoptera (dragonflies) and Zygoptera (damselflies). To the untrained eye, they look very similar. The true dragonflies, however, are larger than damselflies, have broader hindwings than forewings (especially at the base), and they rest with their wings outstretched. They are also more powerful fliers. The smaller, lighter damselflies generally fold their evenly-sized wings close along their abdomens when at rest, for unlike dragonflies, they have a hinge on their wings.

Although titled Dragonflies, this stamp issue represents the two suborders. The Arrowhead Rockmaster is the sole damselfly featured. The issue also includes the Beautiful Petaltail, which is one of five giant dragonfly species endemic to Australia. The selection of species is based on visual and taxonomic diversity — each species belonging to a different genus, spanning four families. The stamp designs show male dragonflies, which are often more spectacular in colouration than females.

The Whitewater Rockmaster image was taken at Goomburra National Park. For more posts on this magic little patch of sub-tropical rainforest, see here and here. I’d better get back soon to let that rockmaster know that he’s famous.

Dripping Dragons

Reproduction of a small article I wrote for the NatureWatch section of the Summer 2012 edition of Wildlife Australia, the magazine of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland.

Australia is a land blessed with dragons — lizards of the family Agamidae — with at least 75 species, mostly in arid-to-dry tropical areas. Queensland has a great variety of these wonderful reptiles, although only two are found in rainforests.

Boyd's Forest Dragon

Boyd’s Forest Dragon. Photos R. Ashdown

The spectacular Boyd’s Forest Dragon (Hypsilurus boydii) inhabits Queensland’s northern wet tropics. Both temperature and mood influence a male dragon’s features. Warm summers, the time for courtship and mating, bring on displays of their brightest colours and patterns. The female digs a burrow to lay her parchment-shelled eggs.

At the southern end of the State, Australia’s only other rainforest dragon species is also active, in its own cautious, cryptic way. The smaller, similarly camouflaged Southern Angle-headed Dragon (H. spinipes) warms itself in morning patches of sunlight while clinging motionless to saplings and the buttresses of larger trees.

Southern angle-headed dragon, Goomburra NP.

Southern Angle-headed Dragon, Goomburra National Park.

Southern Angle-headed Dragon

Southern Angle-headed Dragon, Goomburra National Park.

 

Goomburra


Reflections, Goomburra

Rainforest reflections, Dalrymple Creek, Goomburra. Photo R. Ashdown.

Goomburra is a section of Main Range National Park, on the western part of the Scenic Rim—a spectacular arc of mountains stretching from Mount Mistake to Springbrook in south-eastern Queensland.

Once a cattle property, Goomburra has a long forestry history, with  red cedar, pine and beech logged from the valley, and milled at Allora, as far back as 1870.  By 1923, the upper reaches of the valley were proposed for State forest, and forestry planning occurred. Selective harvesting of hardwood and softwood species occurred and experimental plantations were established. By September 1985, forestry extraction from the valley, gorges and ridges had been reduced and in 2002 Goomburra was transferred to the  Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. The Goomburra section was incorporated into Main Range National Park in June 2006.

Goomburra Valley

Storms brew over the Goomburra Valley. Photo R. Ashdown.

Dalrymple Creek, Goomburra National Park

Dalrymple Creek runs through the Goomburra section of Main Range National Park.

Azure Kingfisher

Azure Kingfisher (Alcedo azurea). Photo Harry Ashdown.

Fleay's Barred Frog

Goomburra is home to Fleay's Barred Frog (Mixophyes fleayii), a frog whose numbers have declined dangerously - it is currently classified as endangered. Photo R. Ashdown.

Bracken, Goomburra

Bracken Fern frond. Photo R. Ashdown.

Eastern Yellow Robin

Eastern Yellow Robin (Eopsaltria australis). Photo R. Ashdown.

Southern Angle-headed Dragon

Southern Angle-headed Dragon (Hypsilurus spinipes), one of the park's many reptile species. Photo R. and H. Ashdown

White-browed Scrubwren

White-browed Scrubwren (Sericornis frontalis). Photo R. Ashdown.

Goomburra fungus

Goomburra fungi. Photo R. Ashdown.

Leaves, Dalrymple Creek, Goomburra NP

A raft of leaves and flowers, Dalrymple Creek. Photo R. Ashdown.

Red-necked Pademelon, Goomburra NP

Red-necked Pademelon (Thylogale thetis). Photo R. Ashdown.

Orange-streaked Ringlet, Goomburra NP

Orange-streaked Ringlet (Hypocista irius). Photo R. Ashdown.

Rufous Fantail, Goomburra NP

The rufous-coloured, fan-shaped tail of the Rufous Fantail (Rhipidura rufifrons). Photo Harry Ashdown.

Orchid, Goomburra NP

Russell's Greenhood (Diplodium russellii). Photo R. Ashdown.

Looking east over Mt Castle from the top of the Great Dividing Range, Goomburra National Park.

Looking east over Mt Castle from the top of the Great Dividing Range, Goomburra National Park. Photo R. Ashdown.

Part of a special rainforest reserve.

In December 1994, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee officially declared the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area over the Scenic Rim, including most of Main Range and Mount Barney national parks and nearly all of Lamington and Springbrook national parks, and the rainforests of northern and central New South Wales.

World Heritage status is a prestigious international recognition of the important conservation values of this area, especially its unique geology, subtropical and cool temperate rainforests and rare flora and fauna.

As part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area, Main Range is an extremely important refuge for many animals. These include a species of land snail, the beautiful Richmond Birdwing Butterfly, endangered birds (e.g. the Eastern Bristlebird), amphibians such as the Fleay’s Barred Frog, and mammals such as the Spotted-tailed Quoll and the Hastings River Mouse. Main Range National Park plays a vital role in protecting this rich diversity of globally significant wildlife.