Lake Eacham
| Lake Eacham | ||
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| View of Lake Eacham | ||
| Geographical location | Atherton Tableland , Queensland ( Australia ) | |
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| Coordinates | 17 ° 17 ′ 8 ″ S , 145 ° 37 ′ 30 ″ E | |
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| Middle deep | 65.5 | |
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particularities |
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Lake Eacham , called Yidyam or Wiinggina by the Aborigines , is a groundwater-filled volcanic maar about 300 meters in diameter in the Atherton Tableland of Queensland in Australia .
geography
location
The lake is located in the Wet Tropics of Queensland , to the list of UNESCO - World Heritage listed. The maar is 68 kilometers away from Cairns and can be reached via the Gillies Highway through the Gillies Range .
Origin and Myth
The Lake Eacham and the nearby Lake Barrine arose before about 12,000 years ago, met as hot magma on water. The resulting explosion left a deep crater, which then filled with groundwater.
In the myths of the Aborigines this event is passed down orally: “It is said that two newly-initiated men broke a taboo and angered the rainbow serpent, major spirit of the area (as of most of Australia). As a result 'the camping place began to change, the earth under the camp roaring like thunder. The wind started to blow down, as if a cyclone were coming. The camping-place began to twist and crack. While this was happening there was in the sky a red cloud, of a hue never seen before. The people tried to run from side to side but were swallowed by a crack which opened in the ground ... "
Recent history
In 1886, Lake Eacham and the area around the lake were to be divided up as farmland. However, in 1888 it was recognized that the landscape was unique and the area was designated a "Scenic Reserve". In 1943, the Australian government declared the lake and the area around it a national park and the army created five picnic areas, a diving platform and a jetty. In 1988 the lake was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, and the nearby Lake Barrine , also a maar, was incorporated into the Crater Lakes National Park in 1994 .
ecology
The lake is part of the Crater Lakes National Park . Since no water flows in, only groundwater seeps into the lake and rain fills it, which is why the water level fluctuates by up to four meters between the dry and rainy seasons.
An endemic rainbow fish , Melanotaenia eachamensis , was discovered in the lake in the 1970s , the small population of which was destroyed by larger fish released in the 1980s. In 1989, 3,000 rainbow fish that had been reproduced from Australian aquarium stocks were released again. Six months later, however, no one could be observed in the lake. The rainbow fish from Lake Eacham is only available from a few aquarists (e.g. in the IRG ) and zoo aquariums (e.g. in Leipzig ).
Today 9 species of fish are counted in the lake. There are 10 rare plant species around the lake. There are more than 180 species of birds on the lake, there are also turtles and the Australian amethyst python , the largest snake in Australia and bandicoots , broad-footed pouch mice , possums , rats , bats , kangaroos and frogs .
Tourist information
The lake has an average depth of 65.5 m and is frequented by those seeking relaxation for swimming, canoeing, hiking and bird watching. Motor boating is prohibited on the lake. There is a large sunbathing area and a pontoon , a picnic area, and a circular hiking trail around the lake.
Web links
- Lake Eacham, Crater Lakes National Park , official website at www.nprsr.qld.gov.au (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Ngadjonji Antiquity ( Memento from January 20, 2013 in the Internet Archive ): Ngadjonji , in English, accessed on January 14, 2012
- ↑ a b c d Lake Eacham ( Memento of April 5, 2011 in the Internet Archive ): Nature, culture and history , in English, accessed on January 14, 2012
- ↑ Melanotaenia eachamensis on Home of the Rainbowfish , ISSN 1445-9523 , in English, accessed February 10, 2012