NAMADGI NATIONAL PARK MIGHT BE the only national park in the Australian Capital Territory, but it’s a big one, taking up nearly half (46 per cent) of the ACT, a fact that surprises even most Canberrans.
Just 40 minutes south-west of Canberra city, with more than 106,000 hectares of alpine, sub-alpine and mountain areas, Namadgi is dominated by high granite peaks, but there are surprises too – such as hidden fern gullies, waterfalls and special bogs called fens. The high-altitude sphagnum moss bogs provide critical habitat for endangered species and act as giant sponges purifying and slowly releasing pristine water for Canberra’s water supply.
On Ngunnawal land, Namadgi is named for the Aboriginal word for the mountains it resides among, with evidence it’s been inhabited for 21,000 years. A shocking…