Nature
Nature & People
The rugged landscapes of the NSW section of the Great Eastern Ranges contain large areas protected in National Parks and other reserves. These highly scenic areas include 261 of Australia's best-loved and most-visited National Parks and Nature reserves. The region includes the World Heritage listed 'Greater Blue Mountains' west of Sydney, and the 'Gondwana Rainforests' in northern New South Wales. The Great Eastern Ranges also include 46 wilderness areas encompassing 1.75 million hectares of virtually pristine habitat.
The Great Eastern Ranges contain some of the richest, most biologically diverse habitats in Australia. Australia itself is one of the world's 'megadiverse' areas, making the Great Eastern Ranges significant on a global scale.
The distribution of Great Eastern Ranges vegetation communities in part reflects a turbulent geological heritage, as well as the rainfall, elevation, aspect and soil fertility associated with the resulting landscapes. Millions of years of uplift and violent volcanic eruptions have folded and compressed the land, creating mountain chains thousands of kilometres long. Gravel, sand and mud were transported across the landscape and into the Pacific ocean by waterways the size of the Amazon River. They were then lifted out of the ocean to great heights. This lifting process is balanced by erosion, leaving the ancient landscapes we see today.
