The Rockface Walk and the Little Bald Rock Walk, Bald Rock National Park, NSW.

The Rockface Walk:

The Rockface Walk

When we were here a few weeks ago we decided not to climb Bald Rock via The Rockface Walk due to wet conditions. We came back for a short stay in the campground and the first thing we did after putting up the tent was head up the rock face. It is a simple matter of walking up the granite rock by following the white dots. This route is a much shorter trip to the top than the alternative Bungoona Walk and is not overly difficult, other than requiring some fitness and a head for heights.

At the top of The Rockface Walk

Little Bald Rock Walk: Grade 3, 7.6 km return.
The next morning we set of from the Bald Rock Picnic Area to Little Bald Rock. I often see this walk listed as 6.5 km return but the sign in the picnic area states it is 3.8 km one way and it did feel like an eight kilometer walk to us. Much of the walk is part of the Carroll's Creek Walk and the Border Walk. The walking track is quite pleasant and easy although a bit of scrambling up granite rocks is required to reach the top of Little Bald Rock.

There were flannel flowers and a few different types of fungi alongside the track. 

There were tiny skinks everywhere in the leaf litter.

On our previous trip we saw a lot of male Common Brown Butterflies and on this walk we saw lots of female butterflies including Bank's Brown and Black Jezebel as well as Common Browns.

Common Brown Butterfly, female.

Bank's Brown Butterfly, female.

At first we walked right past Little Bald Rock and continued on Carroll's Creek Walk before we realised our mistake and back tracked. 

Approaching Little Bald Rock. It's hidden behind the trees.

The entry to climbing Little Bald Rock is not very obvious but we managed to find a way and clambered to the top where we were met with beautiful views of Bald Rock in one direction and vast views over Girraween National Park in Queensland in the other direction.

Standing on Little Bald Rock looking at Bald Rock.

Back at the campsite, a Red-necked Wallaby came for a visit and White-faced Scrubwrens foraged in the gravel. Thankfully, the Kookaburras kept their distance this time but we were very careful to cover our food at all times.

Red-necked Wallaby in the campground.

White-browed Scrubwren.

Wildlife List: Red-necked Wallaby, Swamp Wallaby. Botany Bay Weevil. Black Jezebel Butterfly. Bank's Brown Butterfly, Lots of Common Brown Butterflies. Very small brown skinks. Birds: Satin Bowerbird, Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, Pied Currawong, Grey Fantail, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Laughing Kookaburra, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Common Bronzewing, Eastern Yellow Robin, Crimson Rosella, White-browed Scrubwren, Brown Thornbill, Striated Thornbill, White-throated Treecreeper, Weebill, Golden Whistler, Rufous Whistler, Willie Wagtail. Heard: Southern Boobook, Tawny Frogmouth.

Wildlife at Bald Rock National Park, NSW.

Family of Cunningham's Skinks

We were delighted to see a family of Cunningham's Skinks sunning themselves. These skinks vary a lot in their colouration and the ones on Bald Rock have a very colourful palette.

There were quite a few Common Brown butterflies about. We did mange to get a photo of a slightly different brown butterfly that I wasn't familiar with and I was able to get it identified as a Ringed Xenica by a member of The Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club (BOIC).

Ringed Xenica  Geitoneura acantha

We often encounter wildlife around campgrounds that have become accustomed to people feeding them. Unfortunately, feeding wildlife can lead to undesirable behaviors developing in that wildlife. Aggression is just one of the reasons that national parks often display signs asking people not to feed wildlife. At Blackdown Tablelands National Park, QLD, we encountered unusually large numbers of thieving Pied Currawongs, at Mulligans Campground in the Gibraltar Range National Park, NSW, we even encountered a very aggressive Satin Bowerbird. At Bald Rock Campground there are problems with very pushy Kookaburras. A young man camping there had told us that Kookaburras were "getting in his face", we didn't realize how literal he was being until I was eating a sandwich and a Kookaburra flew right into my face and stole the sandwich while I was biting it. The beak of the Kookaburra, which believe me is very large at close range, actually hit my hand on the way through and left a red swelling and a blood blister on my thumb.

The culprit with the evidence.

Here are a few other bird photos that I liked:

Eastern Spinebill

Fan-tailed Cuckoo

Scarlet Honeyeater

Superb Fairy-wren

Wildlife: Red-necked Wallaby, Swamp Wallaby, Cunningham's Skink, Squirrel Glider.
Bird List: Satin Bowerbird, Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Pied Currawong, Superb Fairy-wren, Grey Fantail, Noisy Friarbird, Tawny Frogmouth, Scarlet Honeyeater, Laughing Kookaburra, Musk Lorikeet, Rainbow Lorikeet, Australian Magpie, Eastern Yellow Robin, Eastern Rosella, Crimson Rosella, White-browed Scrubwren, Eastern Spinebill, Brown Thornbill, Striated Thornbill, Red-browed Treecreeper, White-throated Treecreeper.

Bald Rock National Park, NSW: Climbing Bald Rock and Camping at Bald Rock Campground.

Bald Rock

Bald Rock Walking Track:
There are two ways to get to the top of Bald Rock. Rockface Walk: Follow the white dots, straight up the granite face of Bald Rock. This is a popular option for those who are fit and aren't afraid of heights. Bungoona Walk: a longer option but comfortably achievable for most people. 

Granite Arch, Bungoona Walk.

A good option is to go up the rock face and come down via the Bungoona Walk; roughly 3.2 km total. This is what we planned to do but when we got going early in the morning there was heavy cloud and mist with light rain. We learnt many years ago not to walk on wet granite after a scary experience with slick granite on The Pyramid in Girraween National Park so we made the decision to go up and down the long way; about 5 km in total. The Bungoona Walk is worth doing anyway as it has many interesting granite rock formations and interesting flora.

Rock Lily Orchid Dendrobium speciosum

When we reached the summit the cloud looked like it might lift so we decided to have a snack and wait to see if the weather cleared up. Fortunately the weather did clear for a short while and we finally got some blue sky. (See photo at the top of this blog).

Bald Rock in the clouds.

Balancing Rocks, Bald Rock.

We decided to do the Rockface Walk in the afternoon. unfortunately, it looked like an afternoon storm was coming and as we arrived at the base we could hear thunder and lightning. We didn't like the idea of being exposed on the top of a granite dome in a thunder storm, so once again, we made the decision to call off walking the rock face. 

Afternoon thunderstorm coming over the Rockface Walk.

That evening, we checked the weather forecast and heavy rain was predicted over the coming days so we decided to relocate to Girraween National Park to wait out the wet weather. We plan on coming back to conquer the Rockface Walk sometime soon. Our blog on the wildlife we encountered at Bald Rock National Park can be found here.

Bald Rock Picnic Area:

Bald Rock Picnic Area

There is an excellent picnic area next to the campground. $8 per vehicle per day entry fee. Facilities include: tables, gas BBQ's, non-potable water taps, non-flush toilets, information, walk trail-heads, car park.

Details for Bald Rock Campground:

Bald Rock Campground. Self-registration

Site at Bald Rock Campground: table ,fire ring with plates, nearby water tap.

Where: Bald Rock National Park. 34 km north of Tenterfield. Turn off Mount Lindsey Road onto Bald Rock Access Road and follow signs to campground. ( Or 43 km south-east of Stanthorpe , road has unsealed sections.)
Access: Sealed roads if coming from Tenterfield. 2WD, all weather access.
Bookings and Fees: $12 per adult, $6 per child, plus $8 vehicle entry fee per day. No bookings. Self-register and pay on site.
Sites: 14 defined sites, crushed granite surface, designated for tents, camping beside vehicle, camper trailers, caravans.
Facilities: Non-flush toilets, tables in each site, fire rings with cooking plates, wood provided, several non-drinking water taps, information board, walks, camp kitchen shelter with gas BBQ hot plate and table. We had 1 - 2 bar Telstra phone reception. No bins. No showers.
Prohibitions: No pets, no smoking, no generators. 
Caution: Overly pushy Kookaburras steal food.

Wildlife: Red-necked Wallaby, Swamp Wallaby, Cunningham's Skink, Squirrel Glider.
Bird List: Satin Bowerbird, Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Pied Currawong, Superb Fairy-wren, Grey Fantail, Noisy Friarbird, Tawny Frogmouth, Scarlet Honeyeater, Laughing Kookaburra, Musk Lorikeet, Rainbow Lorikeet, Australian Magpie, Eastern Yellow Robin, Eastern Rosella, Crimson Rosella, White-browed Scrubwren, Eastern Spinebill, Brown Thornbill, Striated Thornbill, Red-browed Treecreeper, White-throated Treecreeper.