Mulligans Campground, Gibraltar Range National Park, New South Wales, Part 1.

We moved the short distance from Washpool National Park to the southern section of Gibraltar Range National Park. From the Gwydir Highway there is about 10 km of unsealed road to Mulligans Campground. There is a narrow bridge just past Platypus Picnic Area.

The sites at Mulligans Campground are listed as suitable for caravans under 6 meters and it can be a bit tricky to maneuver into the sites. When we arrived there were no other campers so we had plenty of sites to choose from. A few other campers arrived during the afternoon. The facilities at Mulligans are excellent as there are flushing toilets and cold showers as well as laundry tubs and every site has a table and a water tap.

After being in the rainforest in Washpool National Park it was quite a shock to experience the very dry heat on this side of the range. We were also set upon by small black, biting, flies. After setting up we had intended exploring the campground and going for a walk but as it was about 36C we decide to wait a bit longer for it to cool down. Before long some ominous clouds appeared and our van got to experience its first hail storm. Fortunately the hail was small, and although it rained hard for a short while, there wasn't any strong wind so our solar panels and awnings survived intact.

Little Dandahra Creek Walk: 13 km return, easy/medium grade.
This walk covers part of the 45 km World Heritage Walk.

We headed off along the Little Dandahra Creek Walk a fair bit later than we had planned. We were pursued relentlessly by the small black flies we encountered in the campground.

We were delighted to see that there were still Christmas Bells flowering alongside the track and were amused to watch the antics of Eastern Spinebills feeding from the flowers.



There were lots of butterflies along the track. We saw Evening Browns, Meadow Argus and Orchard Swallowtails. 

We took the time to sit on the banks of Little Dandahra Creek as the late afternoon seemed like a promising time of day to observe platypus but we were out of luck and decided to return to camp before it got too dark.

White-browed Scrubwren, New England Honeyeater, Grey Fantail, Varied Sittella.

Bird List: Rainbow Lorikeet, Crimson Rosella, Varied Sittella, White-throated Treecreeper, Lewin's Honeyeater, Eastern Yellow Robin, Golden Whistler, Rufous Whistler, Grey Fantail, Fufous Fantail, Satin Bowerbird, Pied Currawong, Red-browed Finch, Bassian Thrush.

Amenities Block with cold showers.

Gibraltar Range National Park (Southern Section) Details:

Getting There:  The turn off to the southern section is 68 km east of Glenn Innes or 92 km west of Grafton along the Gwydir Highway. The access road to Mulligans Campground is a 10 km unsealed, 2WD, all weather road. Narrow bridge just past Platypus Picnic Area.

Mulligans Campground:
Number of Sites:  15
Types of Camping:  tents, motorhomes, small caravans and camping beside vehicles.
Camping Fees: $6 per night per adult (16 years+). $3.50 per night per child (5-15 years). Infants (0-4 years) free. (Note: this may rise to $10 per night per adult.)
Vehicle Fee: $8 per day, or buy a vehicle pass.
Bookings: No bookings. Self-register and place the correct money into provided envelopes.
Facilities:  Amenities Block with cold showers, flushing toilets and laundry tubs, disability showers and toilets, table and water tap in every campsite, firewood.
Contacts: Glen Innes 02 6739 0700 Contact Hours: 8.30am - 4.30pm Monday to Friday.
Website: http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/camping-and-accommodation/campgrounds/Mulligans-campground/Visitor-Info

http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/gibraltar-range-national-park 
Of Interest: Mulligans Hut. Christmas Bells in summer, Gibraltar Waratah in spring. Small black, biting, flies. 

Alert: Narrow bridge.