Girraween National Park

Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Australian English Template:Infobox Australian place 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 km south of 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

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 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">Template:Cite book</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 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 whitegums grow.<ref name="explore"/>

In 1992, Taronga Park Zoo staff discovered the rare Bald Rock Creek turtle.<ref>Template:Cite web</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

• Protected areas of Queensland

Further reading

• Template:Cite book

External links

• Queensland Government, Environment and Resource Management, Official site for Girraween National Park
• Girraween National Park, Queensland, Australia
• Girraween National Park QLD www.exploroz.com