Girraween National Park, QLD: Part 3: Underground Creek.

It's a short drive, on an unsealed road, to Dr Robert's Car Park from the Day Use Area or the camping areas in Girraween National Park.

The Underground Creek Trail

The Underground Creek Trail is a Class 2 and 3 walking track;2.8 km return.

We set off walking the pleasant trail to Underground Creek. Just at the turnoff to Dr Robert's Waterhole we saw a very healthy looking Swamp Wallaby.

Swamp Wallaby, ears twitching.

We continued on to Underground Creek, encountering plenty of Rufous Whistlers and Brown Thornbills along the way. 

Rufous Whistler

Brown Thornbill

There are so many fascinating geological features at Underground Creek. Girraween has outdone itself again. Millions of years ago Balk Rock Creek ran alongside this rock face but over time the rock face collapsed and now Bald Rock Creek runs under the collapsed boulders and is known as Underground Creek.

Underground Creek

Interesting geological feature.

Creek cutting into the granite.

We heard a number of different frogs calling but were only able to sneak up on one hiding in some sludge. Sundews were also thriving in the damp areas.

Two photos of the same frog.

Sundew Drosera

Lizards were out and about on the granite rocks. Surprisingly, until now we had never seen a juvenile Eastern Water Dragon and had no idea that they could look so dark but I was able to confirm the identity of this one by sending the photo into the excellent Facebook site:

Australian Marsupials, Reptiles, Amphibians,Invertebrates and Plants.

Eastern Water Dragon Physignathus lesueurii, juvenile.

Eastern Water Skink, Eulamprus quoyii

The She-oaks and Native Iris were flowering. 

Native Iris (Leafy Purple Flag) Patersonia glabrata, and a flowering Casuarina (Sheoak)

A couple of curiosities were a case moth and some red resin seeping from a tree.

On the walk back we noticed quite a few birds nesting.

Nesting pair of Grey Fantails

Nesting Black-faced Cuckoo-shike.

Other birds we saw on the walks were: Australian King Parrots, Yellow-faced Honeyeaters, White-naped Honeyeaters and New Holland Honeyeaters.

Australian King Parrot and New Holland Honeyeater.

Yellow-faced Honeyeaters and Whit-naped Honeyeaters migrate together to it was good to capture them in the same location.

Yellow-faced Honeyeater and White-naped Honeyeater.

We walked to Dr Robert's Waterhole on the way back to the car but because we had the most amazing wildlife encounter there we will cover that visit in the next blog.