Porongurup National Park, ancient granite 1200 million years old, Western Australia.

Porongurup National Park protects the Porongurup Range, an ancient and mostly leveled mountain range formed in the Precambrian over 1200 million years ago. Visit the park in Western Australia, 360 km southeast of Perth and 40 km from Albany. The Porongurup Range is a remnant of the Precambrian collision that joined Australia and Antarctica until they separated in the Paleocene. For much of the Cretaceous and Paleogene, the Porongurup Range was an island surrounded by the sea, with the Stirling Range forming the southern coastline. The formerly large mountain range has been eroded down to granite intrusions leveled into domes, no more than 15 km from east to west. The highest point in the Porongurup Range is Devils Slide at 670 meters elevation, rising 400 m above the surrounding plain. High rainfall on this ecological island explains the survival of Karri (Eucalyptus diversicolor) forests and ten endemic species of plant. Growing up to 90 meters, Karri trees stand amongst the tallest species in the world.

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Filename: 04AUS-11087_boulders_Porongurup-NP.jpg
Copyright: © Tom Dempsey / PhotoSeek.com
Image Size: 3800x2850 / 3.3MB; http://www.photoseek.com/; Australia South Pacific Southern Hemisphere WA Western Australia
Contained in galleries: AUSTRALIA, WESTERN: Walpole-Nornalup, tingle, karri

Porongurup National Park protects the Porongurup Range, an ancient and mostly leveled mountain range formed in the Precambrian over 1200 million years ago. Visit the park in Western Australia, 360 km southeast of Perth and 40 km from Albany. The Porongurup Range is a remnant of the Precambrian collision that joined Australia and Antarctica until they separated in the Paleocene. For much of the Cretaceous and Paleogene, the Porongurup Range was an island surrounded by the sea, with the Stirling Range forming the southern coastline. The formerly large mountain range has been eroded down to granite intrusions leveled into domes, no more than 15 km from east to west. The highest point in the Porongurup Range is Devils Slide at 670 meters elevation, rising 400 m above the surrounding plain. High rainfall on this ecological island explains the survival of Karri (Eucalyptus diversicolor) forests and ten endemic species of plant. Growing up to 90 meters, Karri trees stand amongst the tallest species in the world.