Girraween National Park is an area of the Granite Belt in south-east Queensland. Girraween boasts massive granite outcrops, balancing boulders, clear running streams and spectacular wildflowers in spring.
Golden wattles, yellow, red and purple pea flowers, dainty orchids and flannel flowers grow amid forests of red-gum, stringybark and blackbutt. Frogs, lizards and snakes rustle among the leaf litter. Brilliant turquoise parrots, yellow-tufted honeyeaters and superb fairy-wrens splash the granite-strewn countryside with colour, while red-necked wallabies, brush-tailed possums and spiny echidnas weave their way through the wonders of the woodland.
see: Girraween National Park for more information
How to get there:
Girraween is situated approximately 260 km by road south-west of Brisbane. To reach the park, turn off the New England Highway 26 km south of Stanthorpe or 30 km north of Tenterfield. The winding bitumen road continues a further 9 km east through the Wyberba Valley to the park information centre.
The alternative road from Stanthorpe to Girraween via Eukey and Storm King Dam has some gravel sections (but in my opinion is a much more spectacular way to experience the park for the first time).
Walking
Girraween has 17 km of walking tracks, ranging from a 280 m stroll beside Bald Rock Creek to an 11 km return walk to Mount Norman. Most walks start near the visitor information centre and day-use area. Main tracks are well defined but expect rocky sections and steep upper slopes (and some can be quite challenging if you are lugging a pile of camera gear).
Tips:
Girraween is just 26km from Stanthorpe – with a well deserved reputation for being the coldest place in Queensland. Even during summer, you should be prepared to be cool… but in winter, make sure that you bring plenty of clothe to rug up in.
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