Girraween - The Highlight of the Granite Belt

A Volcanic Landscape Alive with Flowers and Wildlife

Sep 17, 2008 Tiffany Jones

Girraween National Park, just outside of Brisbane, offers awe inspiring, natural granite rock formations, first created by molten magma over 200 million years ago.

Girraween, a two and a half hour drive southwest of Brisbane, Australia, is the flower of the Granite Belt. The Granite Belt is a small, central area of the great dividing range, stretching across two states, Queensland and New South Wales.

Girraween's Protected Status Began with Dr Spencer Roberts

The Traditional Landowners, Kambuwal, retired from the area soon after European settlement. There after, the land was used for logging and farming practices.

Girraween’s owes its current protected status as a National Park to Dr Spencer Roberts, a medical practitioner from Stanthorpe. Dr Roberts ceaselessly petitioned the state to declare the area a national park. He was a dedicated guardian of the wombat and lyrebird, and was convinced that authorities needed to protect the animal’s natural habitat in order for the species survival. 1930 marks the date of the first National Park declaration.

The Granite Belt was Initially Formed by Volcanic Eruptions

The Granite Belt, as we know it today, began its formation between 200 and 400 million years ago. The continent collided with an oceanic plate, causing molten magma to ooze through the earth’s crust. Slowly cooling, it solidified into granite. Nature’s gentle but persistent force continues to sculpt the arches, the boulders and outcrops that continue to fascinate visitors to the area.

Hiking, Flowers and Wildlife in Girraween

The word Girraween is an indigenous name for ‘place of flowers’. The flowers begin their display in September and carry on into the summer months. Typical flowers include ground orchids, tufted irises, flannel flowers, native bluebells, and rock roses.

Wildlife in Girraween is protected and shows a wide range of typical Australian animals including kangaroos, echidnas, koalas and wallaroos. There are over 150 species of birds, including the rare turquoise parrot and the diamond firetail.

There are over ten different walking tracks to choose from. They vary in time from 25 minutes to 8 hours return, they are fully sign posted and well taken care of.

Highlights of Girraween National Park

At Girraween you can get up close and personal with a wide range of fascinating shapes that seem both prehistoric and personal at the same time.
The reward for hiking to the top of the Pyramids is two fold. There is the sense of personal achievement (the way is steep and the drop is sheer), and there are the spectacular views to enjoy as you catch your breath before the walk down.
Girraween is a short drive to Bald Rock National Park. Bald Rock is the largest exposed granite rock in Australia (indeed, the Southern Hemisphere) and well worth the hair raising climb for the panoramic views.

Accommodation in the Granite Belt

There are two camping sites within the national park. Both require campers to bring their own drinking water and there are no powered sites. However, if you require a little more in comfort, there are quite a number of advertised accommodation options within the area. Many of these boast fast access to the rising fame of the granite belt wineries.

The copyright of the article Girraween - The Highlight of the Granite Belt in Aus/NZ/Oceania Travel is owned by Tiffany Jones. Permission to republish Girraween - The Highlight of the Granite Belt in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Awe inspiring granite rock sculpted by nature	Flowers are highlighted against the grey granite	A rival for Krishna's butterball, Mahabalipuram
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