Girraween National Park, QLD: Part 6.

Bald Rock Creek.

The morning before we left Girraween National Park, I set out to try to get some better photos of the birds that frequent sections of the Bald Rock Creek Track and The Junction Track. Splendid Fairy Wrens frequent the Information Centre Carpark and Eastern Rosellas are a bright flash of colour in the trees. When I saw the Chestnut-rumped Heathwren, on our first day, I didn't get a chance to take a photo so I was hoping to get one this time but unfortunately I didn't see any Heathwren again. I'm still not entirely satisfied that I've captured the glamorous Yellow-tufted Honeyeater or the forever moving Dusky Woodswallow clearly enough.

Superb Fairy-wren and Eastern Rosella

Dusky Woodswallow

Yellow-tufted Honeyeater

We were sad to say goodbye to Girraween National Park but we know we will return. It is an ideal location for quick overnight stops, only 9 km off the New England Highway and we'll no doubt come back for another longer trip. After all we haven't done the walk to Mount Norman via Castle Rock nor the Sphinx or Turtle Rock Tracks.

It didn't take long to pack up the new van and we were heading north. We called into Lancuba's Fruit Mart at Applethorpe for a box of delicious fresh and crunchy Pink Lady Apples. There is ample room to pull up on the side of the highway for caravans.

After a quick stop outside Victoria Park in Warwick for an amenities break we were off to the bakery in Aratula. The bakery was doing a brisk trade as usual and we had to drive past it before we found a spot to pull up. I ran back for takeaway baked goodies and coffee and we continued on to the small town of Warrill View. We tend to pull in here when going north and at Fassifern Reserve when going south. The rest area in Warrill View does not allow camping and has two areas. Take the southern entrance if you are towing as there is plenty of room to pull up and a loop to re-enter the Cunningham Highway. There are covered picnic tables and a walk bridge across a small creek to the toilets, playground and more picnic tables. If you are not towing you might prefer to pull up in front of the toilets and playground on Rosewood-Warrill View Road. When I crossed the foot bridge I was attacked by a Magpie so on the way back I carried an old dead branch over my head and it left me alone.

Warrill View Rest Area