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Arakoon State Recreation Area
| Source: |
Go to the Register of the National Estate for more information. |
| Identifier: |
17097 |
| Location: |
Carri St, South West Rocks |
Local
Government: |
Kempsey Shire |
| State: |
NSW |
| Country: |
Australia |
Statement of
Significance: |
The landscape of the Smoky Cape area is of considerable beauty, forming a prominent forested backdrop to the lower Macleay Valley and providing dramatic coastal panoramas. Smoky Cape contains a number of important coastal communities that have been reduced in area, including wetland, and dry and littoral rainforest habitats. Three rainforest species are at their southern limit in the reserve while at least three other species approach the southern limit of their range within the area. An outlier population of the swamp banksia (BANKSIA PALUDOSA) occurs in the area. The area has a comparatively rich and diverse orchid flora with sixteen species identified so far, including saprophytic, epiphytic and terrestrial species. Several rare, restricted or scientifically significant species of butterfly occur at Smoky Cape, including the regent skipper (EUSCHEMON RAFFLESIA ssp RAFFLESIA). The reserve provides habitat for the koala (PHASCOLARCTOS CINEREUS ssp. CINEREUS) which is a vulnerable and rare species in New South Wales. |
| Description: |
Arakoon State Recreation area comprises a section of coastline incorporating the Smoky Cape range which is a dominant element in the otherwise flat landscape of the floodplain of the Macleay River near Kempsey. The range's two prominent peaks, Big Smoky (309m) and Little Smoky (210m) are joined by a north/south trending ridge line from which fall a series of secondary ridges and steep valleys. The irregular terrain and substantial local relief derives from the three major lithotypes which form the Smoky Cape Range. The dominant rock type is the coarse grained, pink/white Smoky Cape granite (adamellite), and this extends from Trial Bay to Little Smoky, partly determining the coastal configuration about Laggers Point. This outcrop of resistant adamellite is the only coastal occurrence on the eastern continental margin between Bundaberg and Moruya Head. A second lithotype consisting of porphyry occurs along the eastern margin of the Big Smoky pluton and merges into the adamellite. It occurs also as xenolithic inclusions in the rocks of Laggers Point. The third rock type, the mudstone, pebbly siltstone and sandstone of the Permian Kempsey beds, outcrop in the south of the area, from Little Smoky to Hat Head National Park. Within these rocks, folds and faults of considerable geologic interest are exposed at the southern end of Gap Beach. Of additional geologic significance is the contact between the sedimentaries and the adamellite which is reputedly one of the finest examples of its type in New South Wales. In the northern part of the area (from Arakoon to South-West Rocks) bedrock is covered by beach sand deposits overlain by fluvial and estuarine sediments. These form a salt water lagoon and adjacent swamps. The variable topography, a diverse suite of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary parent materials, and a mild, warm temperate to subtropical climatic regime with an average annual rainfall in excess of 1,200 mm, supports a highly diverse array of vegetation types in a small area. These communities range from swamp marsh systems and coastal heathlands to a variety of woodland and open forest types with significant patches of dry and littoral rainforest. The littoral rainforest assemblage exists as a small, rare linear remnant behind the protective belt of coast banksias (BANKSIA INTEGRIFOLIA) on the low frontal dunes of Gap Beach. Dominant species include green tree (ACRONYCHIA IMPERFORATA), tuckeroo (CUPANIOPSIS ANACARDIOIDES), native guava (RHODOMYRTUS PSIDIOIDES), blue cherry (SYZYGIUM coolminianum) and brush cherry (S. PANICULATUM). Two vines, SMILAX AUSTRALIS and CISSUS ANTARCTICA, are featured prominently in this community. On the steep southern slope of the northern headland, dry rainforest occurs. This community type forms a structurally well developed stand on the mid to low sheltered aspects with low closed forest on the higher and more easterly exposed slope facets. Dominant constituents, in clearfloristic contrast to the littoral assemblage, include cabbage palm (LIVISTONA AUSTRALIS), yellow tulip (DRYPETES AUSTRALASICA), red olive berry (ELAEODENDRON AUSTRALE), black apple (PLANCHONELLA AUSTRALIS) and native olive (OLEA PANICULATA). There is a conspicuous ferny understorey dominated by DOODIA ASPERA and a diverse vine component with twenty four species represented, the most common of which are ARTHROPTERIS TENELLA, RIPOGONUM FAWCETTIANUM and the two species of the littoral patch. In the moist gullies of Smoky Cape is tall open forest dominated by blackbutt (EUCALYPTUS PILULARIS), tallowwood (E. MICROCORYS), and brush box (LOPHOSTEMON CONFERTUS). This community type possesses a distinctive understorey of treeferns and grass trees with wattles in the subcanopy. At the drier locations of the Smoky Cape Range lower drier sclerophyll open forest occurs. These communities are typically dominated by blackbutt, red bloodwood (E.GUMMIFERA), smooth barked apple (ANGOPHORA COSTATA) and grey ironbark (E.PANICULATA) with some scribbly gum (E.SIGNATA) and white stringybark (E.GLOBOIDEA) with a conspicuously herbaceous understorey. Adjacent to the dry sclerophyll forests on the more exposed ridges with nutrient poor regosols and lithosols, low open forest and woodland (sometimes consisting of dense stands of stunted, gnarled eucalypts) occurs. The floristics of the canopy dominants are similar to those of the dry sclerophyll forests with The addition of species of ALLOCASUARINA and MELALEUCA ARMILLARIS, and a more varied heathy understorey. On the exposed headlands and on the foredunes to the north and south of Little Bay and Gap Beach are significant tracts of coastal heathland. XEROPHYTIC PROTEACEOUS shrubs (including BANKSIA, LOMATIA, PERSOONIA) with CASSINIA UNCATA, LEPTOSPERMUM LAEVIGATUM, ACACIA LONGIFOLIA var. SOPHORAE, peas, heaths and grasses form this assemblage. On the foredunes of Front Beach and Gap Beach areas of dune pioneer vegetation exist. These communities feature sand binding grasses such as SPINIFEX HIRSUTUS and ISCHAEMUM futiceum with CARPOBROTUS GLAUCESCENS, SENECIO SPATHULATUS, SCAEVOLA AEMULA occasionally under a wind trimmed canopy of BANKSIA INTEGRIFOLIA, B.SERRATA and the WALLUM BANKSIA, B.AEMULA. Significant areas of swamp and swamp forest also exist, particularly about Saltwater Lagoon (which forms Protected Wetland 439) and along the creek which occasionally connects the wetland with the sea. The dominant tree of the swamp forest is the giant paperbark (M.QUINQUENERVIA), variously with the subdominants cabbage palm, brush box, swamp mahogany (E.ROBUSTA) and the strangler fig (FICUS WATKINSIANA), and along the intermittent estuarine creekline, with tuckeroo, coastal she oak (CASUARINA EQUISETIFOLIA) and corkwood (ENDIANDRA SIEBERI). Elkhorns, the epiphytic fern PLATYCERIUM BIFURCATUM, are commonly encountered, particularly on the casuarinas. There is a variably developed and often complex understorey/ground cover of low shrubs, various ferns and terrestrial orchids, GAHNIA spp., RESTIO COMPLANATUS and where standing water is essentially perennial, sedges and Reeds (eg, SCIRPUS INUNDATUS and CHORIZANDRA CYMTONIA). Usually trees diminish in importance at such sites and the graminoids form a low canopy. A number of plant species reach their southern limits in the Arakoon State Recreation Area. Among them are two littoral rainforest species LITSEA LEEFEANA and HODGKINSONIA OVATIFLORA, and the dry rainforest tree CRYPTOCARYA TRIPLINERVIS. The northern scribbly gum EUCALYPTUS SIGNATA is also near its southern limit as is PANDANUS PEDUNCULATUS. An outlying northern population isolate of the swamp BANKSIA (B.PALUDOSA) also exists in the area. There is a very rich terrestrial, lithophytic and epiphytic orchid component in the Arakoon State Recreation Area. Due to the diversity of soil types and vegetation structure of the reserve. Over twenty plant species found at Arakoon are listed as protected species under New South Wales legislation. Arakoon State Recreation Area possesses comparatively depressed vertebrate representation due to prior disturbance of forest and woodland understorey, and in patches, overstorey. Mammal and bird species representation is low. It does however include some notable taxa. Significant mammal occurrences include the koala (PHASCOLARCTOS CINEREUS CINEREUS), the presence of three colour forms of the swamp wallaby (WALLABIA BICOLOR) and sugar glider (PETAURUS BREVICEPS). The Aboreal mammals have been less affected than the ground dwellers (small mammals) which have largely disappeared due to undergrowth disturbance, and so the possums and fruit bats remain abundant. In a similar fashion, ground dwelling birds have suffered and as a result avian species richness is depressed. In spite of this some locally uncommon or vulnerable species listed under Schedule 12 of the New South Wales endangered fauna ACT are recorded at Arakoon. These include the pied oystercatcher (HAEMOTOPUS LONGIROSTRIS), wompoo pigeon (PTILINOPUS MAGNIFICUS) and white bellied sea eagle (HALIAEETUS LEUCOGASTER). The land mullet (EGERNIA MAJOR) is also recorded towards the southern edge of its range. The invertebrate fauna of Arakoon State Recreation Area appears quite species rich. The lepidopterans have been documented and several taxa are notable. The evolutionarily distinctive regent skipper (EUSCHEMON RAFFLESIA RAFFLESIA), and the largest Australian hesperiid, is confined to restricted patches of littoral rainforest north of Port Macquarie and occurs in the State Recreation Area at Gap Beach where it feeds on tuckeroo. An unusual red eyed variant of the symmomus skipper (TRAPEZITES SYMMOMUS SYMMOMUS) is recorded from gap beach and big smoky. Four papilionids (swallowtails) are found in and about the mesic communities. A Very local population of the day flying arctiid moth ASOTA IODAMIA, occurs on tuckeroo in the coastal headland dry rainforest. Several essentially tropical moth species belonging to the agaristidae and noctuidae are recorded here. A green variant of the uncommon geometrid, PINGASA MUSCOSARIA, in the dense forest to the north of the State Recreation Area. Another geometrid moth, OENCHROMA VIMINARIA, exhibits a range of colouration which varies according to distance from the coastal headland inland. A local population of the white cedar moth (LEPTOCNEIREA REDUCTA) is associated with a small stand of MELIA AZEDERACH var. AUSTRALASICA at the northern end of gap beach. The giant swift moth, one of the largest of Australian lepidopterans, ZELOTYPIA STACEYI, which has a somewhat restricted distribution, is also found at Arakoon.The convict settlement of Trial Bay Gaol in the north of the area is listed on the Register of the National Estate. Other relics of nineteenth century European settlement exist within the State Rail Aurthority including a water supply dam at Little Bay and the quarry associated with a failed breakwater project in 1903. The Arakoon State Recreation Area. Has a distinctive and appealing mix of scenic qualities.
Indigenous values are known to exist in this area.
As yet these values have not been identified, documented or assessed for National Estate significance by the Commission. |
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