Porongorup National Park is a national park that was gazetted in 1971 in order to protect the Porongorup Range. This park covers an area of 2511 hectares. The name porongorup came from the Aboriginals word of Purringorep. Porongorup National Park is known for its scenic beauty. Because of this beauty, there are several walkways throughout the park that will enable you to enjoy and appreciate the natural beauty this park has to offer.
* You can get to Wansborough path from the Tree-in-the-Rock picnic area. Tree-in-the-Rock is located east and then south of Porongorup village.
* Devil’s Slide walkway is considered to be about medium in difficulty. It is a 4 km return path that will last about two hours. Because of the slippery walks, it is suggested that you not use take this path during wet weather.
* Hayward Peak trail is a 3 km return path that is considered to be in the medium difficulty range and should take about two hours to complete.
* Nancy Peak trail is a 4 km circuit walk, medium in difficulty, and takes about two hours to complete.
* Castle Rock pathway, also east of the village of Porongorup, is medium in difficulty, 3 km in length, and two hours to complete. On this pathway you will be lead to the famous balancing rock, and on up to take a stand on Castle Rock.
The facilities in the national park of Parongorup are:
* Barbeques
* Toilets
* Picnic tables
This park is open all year around.
Porongorup Range
As was stated earlier, Parongorup National Park was established to protect the Porongorup Range. In the spring of the year, from October through December, when the birds are singing and the 750 species of plants are in bloom it is a sight of absolute splendor. Among these 750 species of plants, 55 of the 71 orchid species are found only in this range. The range is also home to a forest of giant Karri trees, with the ground becoming a carpet of brilliantly colored wildflowers. In order to inhale the breathtaking beauty of these flowers and other plants, plan to visit Porongorup in the spring.
Porongorup Range is also home to several different species of birds. There are at least seventy-eight species of birds here. Some of these species include:
* Parrot
* Wren
* Cockatoo
* Robin
* Firetail
* Lorikeet
Bird watching at the range goes on all year round. About the only time these birds are not too visible is when it is extremely hot or windy.
Most of the animals to be seen in the Porongorup Range area are the grey kangaroos and the brush wallabies. The rest of the animals that reside there are nocturnal.
The Porongorup Range is only about 15 km in length from east to west. Devil’s Slide is the highest point in the range at a height of 670 metres high. From atop the peaks of this range is Stirling Range to the north and to the south is the Southern Ocean, which is visible on a clear day. As you can clearly tell, it is an absolute blessing to have such a variety of trails and pathways to be able to witness the beauty that lies here.
When you plan a visit to the national park of Porongorup and the Porongorup Range, take some time to walk around in the forest areas. Look down as you walk, because you may just be walking on fossils. Try to come in the spring so you can look around at the majesty of the flowers growing there, and then stop to hear the magnificent music of the birds singing. Enjoy your visit.