Northcliffe is located at the transition between karri forest and the open, low-lying vegetation of the coast. Nyoongar Aboriginal people managed large tracts of this coastal country as grazing habitat for thousands of years. They used a mosaic of cool fires on a two-yearly rotation to stimulate plant growth and maintain diversity. In later times coastal cattlemen continued this practise.
landscape patterns
South of Northcliffe, walkers are rewarded with a wide variety of vegetation: karri forest, jarrah woodland, paperbark swamps, low shrublands and swampy sedgelands. While the distribution of vegetation types may appear haphazard, there is in fact a pattern that relies on the underlying soils and landforms.
plant & soil partnerships
Karri grows almost exclusively on red loam while jarrah prefers sandy pea gravel (laterite) with both forest types occurring on higher ground. Most of the shrublands occur on low-lying, poor, sandy soils that are often waterlogged in winter. These often fringe swampy sedgelands, located on perpetually wet, infertile, sandy peat, and come ablaze with splashes of brilliant vermillion in autumn when the swamp bottlebrush (Beaufortia sparsa) is in flower.
rock, rocks and more rocks
The soils of the south west were formed over many millions of years by a complex interplay of environmental forces and the weathering of the underlying rock. The original granite rock can often be seen close to the surface. As one moves eastwards the occurrence and size of these granite outcrops increases. On the Pingerup Plains and the Woolbales Hills they become the dominant features.
wet feet
Southwards and eastwards the Track crosses increasingly flat and lower lying terrain. Some stretches in D'Entrecasteaux National Park are flooded up to knee deep between July and November. Winter rainwater slowly drains across the flat landscape into beautiful Lake Maringup and via the Shannon and Inlet Rivers into Broke Inlet which is the largest, most pristine inlet of the south coast.
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See information about Northcliffe.