Girraween
Large balancing granite boulders in open forest and heath country
Access
The park is situated 260 kilometres south-west of Brisbane off the New England Highway. The park turnoff is 26 kilometres south of Stanthorpe on the New England Highway. From this turnoff, travel for 9 kilometres and you’ll arrive at the park. This last section of road has many bends in it and a 5 kilometre stretch of gravel, so care should be taken.
Activities
Girraween is a popular place for picnicking, swimming, camping and hiking. During the summer months, Bald Rock Creek is used by thousands of people as there are many swimming holes suitable for both children and adults. There are also over 25 kilometres of walking track in the park that lead to the various features. A track guide is available to give you more details of these walks. If you plan to do any walking off this track system please notify the ranger of your programme. During holiday periods, special programmes of ranger-led walks, campfires and slide shows are offered to give you an opportunity to discover more about Girraween. Details of these activities are posted on park bulletin boards. History
Over 225 million years ago the eastern part of Australia was a series of freshwater lakes. During this time, the landscape of Girraween started to form. A large intrusion of molten rock cut through the surrounding volcanic and sedimentary rock in this area. Since that time the processes of erosion and weathering have exposed these discontinuous outcrops of the cooled magma. The cooled magma is a type of granite and the outcrops are large granitic monoliths often balancing precariously upon each other. The first known inhabitants of the Girraween area were the Kambuwal Aborigines. They probably would have only used this area during the spring-summer period as the sometimes near-freezing conditions would have made life here very difficult indeed. Anthropologists record that the Kambuwal were attracted here by three main foods —possum, sword grass seeds and heavy-bodied swift moths (Family Hepialidae).
The first white man to visit this area was the explorer Allan Cunningham who passed this way in 1828. His journal records his impression of the area — ‘Large detached masses of granite of every shape towering above each other and in many instances standing in almost tottering positions, constituted a barrier before us’. He was soon followed by prospectors and squatters who arrived in the early 1840s to take up selections. Stations like ‘Tenterfield’, ‘Folkestone’ and parts of ‘Ballandean’ covered much of the existing park.
Then in 1932 the first two areas of the park were declared. Since then, other areas have been added to bring the park to its present size.
Features
The word ‘Girraween’ comes from the Aboriginal word meaning ‘place of flowers’. During the spring months the wildflowers of Girraween burst into bloom. It’s not the gaudy display of the fields of daisies and other annuals that is usually associated with wildflower displays, but a more subtle affair. In early July the wildflower season begins with an explosion of wattle blooms. This forms a canopy of yellow. Underneath this, other flowers bloom adding pinks, yellows, reds, whites and violets to the display.
There are several different vegetation types to be found in the park including heath and open forest. Because of its geographical position, Girraween has many species that are only found here or in a restricted range. The Wallangarra white gum {Eucalyptus scoparia) is only found on the high ridges in the vicinity of Mt Norman, the highest point in Girraween. There is also the Barren Mountain mallee (E. approxrmans) which is found over a restricted area. Some other plants have yet to be named. As you explore
Girraween take particular note of these plants and the animals that use them.
These animals are many and varied but if you are to see them you will have to be prepared to sit quietly and observe. The most prominent animals are birds, primarily because the mammal fauna is largely nocturnal. The blooms of flowering plants attract many nectar-feeding birds. Two common species found are the eastern spinebill (Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris) and the yellow-tufted honeyeater (Meliphaga melanops). They can readily be seen feeding on flowers in the picnic and camping areas. The speckled warbler (Chthonicola sagittata) is another commonly seen bird. Very little is known about this bird. It can be seen as it hops and flits around the picnic area. During September through January it nests on the ground, constructing a nest of grass and bark. Girraween is also the only place where the superb lyrebird (Menura superba) can be found in Queensland. It lives in the cool gullies of the park in summer. It is a difficult bird to see but its beautiful calls will point to its presence.
The mammals of Girraween are similar to those found in open forest areas. In the late afternoon, wallaroos (Macropus robustus) can be seen in the fields near the picnic area. This is the most common kangaroo found in the park. The male wallaroo has a dark shaggy fur while the female is a light grey. Other members of the kangaroo family found in the park include the swamp wallaby [Wallabia bicolor) and the red-necked wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus). At night possums may be seen with the aid of torchlight. There are two types of possums found here, the common ringtailed possum (Pseudocheirusperegrinus) and the brush-tailed possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). The two distinguishing features between these possums are their tails and ears. The ringtailed possum has a tapering white-tipped tail and the brush-tailed possum has a long bushy tail. The ears of the brush-tailed possum are much larger than those of the ringtailed possum.
The reptiles and amphibians of Girraween are often not seen. During the summer, frogs join voices to create a symphony of sound. Lesueur’s frog (Litoria lesueurii) is found along the streams emitting its ‘gr-c-c-c-ch’ call while along the Circuit Track the banjo frog (Limnodynaste s dumerilii) and the meowing frog (Ncobatrachus pictus) emit their calls. During the day lizards bask in the sun. The more conspicuous ones are the eastern water dragon (Physignathus lesueurii) which is common along the banks of Bald Rock Creek and will jump into the water at the slightest noise, and the shiny scaled water skink (Sphcnomorphus quoyii) which uses the same method of escape.
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