Namadgi National Park is located in the south-west of the Australian Capital Territory, 40 kilometres from Canberra. The park borders Kosciuszko National Park in the state of New South Wales.
The park was established in 1984, and its 106,000 hectares of land protects the amazing granite cliffs of the northern tips of the Australian Alps. The park's ecosystems are highly diverse, ranging from vast grassy plains in the valleys to eucalyptus forests and alpine meadows on the mountain slopes. The park's fauna is equally diverse, with eastern grey kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, Australian magpies, rosella parrots and crows. The Naas Valley is home to a unique huge tree called the Natural Dormitory, where around 400 species of Australian birds, bats and mammals have nests, hollows and dens.
This sub-alpine region can be very cold in winter, with mostly warm days in summer, but the weather changes unpredictably quickly. Snow usually falls only on the Bimbury and Brindabella ranges. Bimbury Peak (1,911 metres) is the highest mountain in the Australian Capital Territory. And the primitive area of the same name, Bimbury, occupies one third of the park in the western part of the park on the border with New South Wales. This rugged, deep-valley area can be viewed from the Genini and Franklin Mountains or from the Yerrabi Walking Trail, which starts 36km south of the Namadgi Visitor Centre.
The word "Namaji" is used by the Ngunnawal Aboriginal people to refer to a mountain range south-west of Canberra where primitive tools and rock paintings over 21,000 years old have been found. These places are considered sacred by the Ngunnawal people, where they find a connection with their ancestors. Here you can visit the Moth Cave, where the tribe used to gather, and Tidbinbilla Mountain, the site of the initiation rites for young men.
Traces of European influence can also be found here: agriculture, logging, ski bases and even the space industry have all been present in the Namaji territory at various times over the years. To explore the life of the early inhabitants of the area, a 9-kilometre Settlers' Trail in the southern part of the park passes through several historic sites - huts and farmyards, hedges and cattle pens. One interesting site is Gudgenby Wooden Lodge in the valley of the same name. The lodge was built in 1927 and today offers a glimpse into the past of the European peasants who lived in this area. Here you can also follow the Kiandra Trail, which was used by gold miners to reach the Gudgenby Valley. Or follow the Orroral Trail to the old Apollo spacecraft tracking station in the Orroral Valley - this is where the first pictures of American astronaut Neil Armstrong walking on the moon were taken!
The most popular way to get acquainted with the park is to walk along one of the walking trails, of which there are about 160 kilometres! But you can also travel here by bicycle, on horseback, and in winter - on skis.
On 7 November 2008, Namadgi National Park was listed as one of 11 areas protecting the Australian Alps as a National Treasure.
