Editing Girraween National Park

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox Australian place
| type                   = protected
| name                   = Girraween National Park
| state                  = qld
| iucn_category          = II
| image                  = 1 Girraween National Park 4.JPG
| caption                = Granite domes known as the Pyramids
| image_alt              = 
| coordinates            = {{coord|28|46|27|S|151|54|43|E|display=inline,title}}
| relief                 = 
| map_alt                = 
| nearest_town_or_city   = [[Stanthorpe, Queensland|Stanthorpe]]
| area                   = 117
| area_footnotes         = <ref name="explore">{{cite book |title=Australia's National and Marine Parks: Queensland |last=Reid |first=Greg |year=2004 |publisher=Macmillan Education Australia |location=[[South Yarra, Victoria]] |isbn=0-7329-9053-X |pages=22 }}</ref>
| established            = {{start date|1966|10|21|df=y}}
| established_footnotes  = 
<ref name="rymich">{{cite web|url=http://www.rymich.com/girraween/index.php?section=history&sub=chapter2&d1=one&page=gi_one|title=History of Girraween National Park |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425080359/http://www.rymich.com/girraween/index.php?section=history&sub=chapter2&d1=one&page=gi_one |archive-date=25 April 2013 |page=Chapter 2 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="heritage">{{cite book |title=Heritage Trails of the Great South East |last=Queensland Environmental Protection Agency |year=2000 |publisher=State of Queensland |isbn=0-7345-1008-X |pages=122 }}</ref>
| visitation_num         = 
| visitation_year        = 
| visitation_footnotes   = 
| managing_authorities   = Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
| url                    = https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/girraween
}}
'''Girraween National Park''' is an area of the [[Granite Belt]] in the [[Darling Downs]] region of [[Queensland]], Australia reserved as a national park. Girraween is known for its diverse flowers, landscapes and unique wildlife. [[Bushwalking]] and [[rock climbing]] are the most popular activities in the park.

==Location==
The park is situated 40&nbsp;km south of [[Stanthorpe, Queensland|Stanthorpe]]. The southern boundary of the park is the state border between Queensland and [[New South Wales]]. It is a twin park with [[Bald Rock National Park]], which lies across the border in New South Wales, and features Bald Rock, the second-largest monolith (after [[Uluru]]) on the continent. Curiously, South Bald Rock and West Bald Rock lie in Girraween National Park in Queensland, not in Bald Rock National Park in New South Wales.

==Features==
[[File:Vistagirrahween email.jpg|thumb|left|Granite outcrops are a feature of the park.]]
It features [[granite]] landscapes, balancing boulders, clear streams, wetlands, cascades and open forest.<ref name="explore"/> The granite outcroppings, such as the Pyramids and [[Castle Rock (Queensland)|Castle Rock]] at 1112 m, dominate the local scenery. The park contains many kilometres of graded walking trails to the park's major features like the [[First Pyramid]], [[Second Pyramid]], The Sphinx, Turtle Rock, Underground Creek, the Eye of the Needle and [[Mount Norman]] - the highest point in the park at 1267 metres.<ref name="seeing">{{cite book |year=1980 |title=Seeing South-East Queensland |edition=2 |pages=73 |publisher=RACQ |isbn=0-909518-07-6}}</ref> Fire trails can be followed when venturing into the southern and eastern sections of the park. The park has a temperate climate. During winter snow can fall in the area.<ref name="explore"/>

===Fauna and flora===
Girraween is an Aboriginal word meaning 'place of flowers' and the best time to see the local flora is late in July when the [[Acacia pycnantha|Golden Wattle]] blooms.

The park has abundant fauna, including some that are rarely seen elsewhere in Queensland, such as the common [[wombat]], [[spotted quoll]], [[lyrebird]] and the [[turquoise parrot]].

The area is also noted for its diverse flora. The eucalypt forests and heathlands provide habitat for abundant birdlife. In spring, many wildflowers bloom, this led to its being called "place of flowers" in the indigenous language. The area is the only place where the [[Wallangarra whitegum]]s grow.<ref name="explore"/>

In 1992, [[Taronga Park Zoo]] staff discovered the rare [[Bald Rock Creek turtle]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/qld/content/2006/s1626436.htm |title=Rare Species |access-date=2008-08-30 |date=2006-04-26 |work=Stateline |format=Transcript |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] }}</ref> The species has only been found within a ten km stretch of the creek.

== Facilities ==
Camping facilities are provided by the Queensland Department of National Parks at Castle Rock. The site has toilets available, is suitable for caravans and has disabled access to the amenities blocks.

==See also==
{{portal|Queensland}}
* [[Protected areas of Queensland (Australia)|Protected areas of Queensland]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{Cite book|title=Landforms and Geology of Granitic Terrains|author1=C. R. Twidale|author-link=Charles Rowland Twidale|author2=Juan Ramón Vidal Romaní|year=2005|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=0-415-36435-3}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/girraween Queensland Government, Environment and Resource Management, Official site for Girraween National Park]
*[http://www.rymich.com/girraween/ Girraween National Park, Queensland, Australia]
*[http://www.exploroz.com/Places/64109/QLD/Girraween_National_Park.aspx Girraween National Park QLD] www.exploroz.com

{{Darling Downs}}
{{National Parks of Queensland}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:National parks of Queensland]]
[[Category:Darling Downs]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1966]]
[[Category:1966 establishments in Australia]]