The Great Dividing Range

The Great Dividing Range in Australia is a chain of plateaus and low mountain ranges that generally line the coasts of Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland. From the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland to the Grampians in Victoria Bass Strait, which separates Australia and Tasmania, the mountain range stretches for around 2,300 miles (3,700 km). The mountains of Queensland are typically between 2,000 and 3,000 feet (600 and 900 meters) high, but the Lamington Plateau, Bellenden Ker, and McPherson ranges reach elevations of up to 5,000 feet (1,500 meters). Australia's highest mountain, Mount Kosciuszko, is located in a section of the Australian Alps further south, close to the border between New South Wales and Victoria (7,310 feet).

Few mountain-adapted animals may be found in the Great Dividing Range because it is not as high as some other mountain ranges. In the rainforests of the northeast's mountainous region, you can see tree kangaroos and bird-wing butterflies. Australia is home to several bird species, including the galah and the Australian magpie. A large portion of the Great Dividing Range is made up of forested areas with eucalyptus, acacia, and casuarina trees (see photo), along with hummock grasses and flowering plants like banksias in the undergrowth. The majority of the vegetation on the western slopes consists of subtropical or temperate eucalyptus and scrub woods. A "living fossil" called the Wollemi pine was found in Wollemi National Park in 1994.

Country: Australia

Length of range: 2,200 mi