Girraween is located near Stanthorpe, close to the QLD and NSW border and approximately three hours South-West of Brisbane. Girraween National Park is home to the famous granite boulders. It is the ultimate outdoor playground for children (and adults!) with an abundance of fun rocks and caves to explore, just walking distance from the campsites. Here’s what we got up to over our three-day adventure…
The Eastern Colour apple orchard in Applethorpe, QLD
Day 1: Apple Picking Pit-Stop!
We left Brisbane around 10:30am and took our time to reach the campsite, stopping every hour or so to allow the kids to stretch and play before continuing on. A nice place to pull up is the Cunninghams Gap Rest Area, where you can hike up to the top of Mount Cordeaux and Mount Mitchell if time allows. The rainforest there is beautiful and already varies in temperature to Brisbane, given the Cunninghams Gap is nearly 800 metres above sea level. If you don’t end up stopping at the Cunningham’s Gap (sometimes it can be a bit tricky due to limited parking), there is also the Gladfield Driver Reviver Rest Area with toilet facilities, located between the Cunninghams Gap and Warwick.
Our next stop was at an apple orchard in Applethorpe, QLD’s apple capital and home to over one million apple trees. The apple orchard we went to was called ‘Eastern Colour‘, where I ate the best Pink Lady apple I’ve ever had. It was so flavoursome, crisp, and juicy! As with most apple orchards in this area, you will need to head to their website to double-check when they are offering apple-picking to the public. Sometimes you may need to register.
As with most apple orchards in this area, head to their website to double-check when apple-picking is offered to the public.
If you have more time, there are many more places to explore in and around Stanthorpe. This place is also famous for its wineries (Balancing Heart Vineyard, near Girraween NP, is highly recommended), as well as cheeses, chocolate, and even truffles!
We arrived at Castle Rock campground at Girraween NP just after 2:00pm. A lot had changed since we last visited Girraween, as there was a huge bushfire that swept through the area and destroyed the camping areas. Now, there are three main areas: namely Castle Rock, Kambuwal, and Terrwambella. They are very popular so I suggest to book well in advance, especially if you plan to visit Girraween in the hips of Summer and Winter. This can be done through the QLD Government’s Parks and Forests website, found here.
There is an abundance of wildlife here!
After setting up our camp, we explored Bald Rock Creek (near the ‘day use’ area). From Castle Rock campground, it’s only a short walk to get there. You can also do the Wyberba Loop, which is a 280m walk both starting and ending at the ‘day use’ area. On our walk, we saw a beautiful sunset, lots of kangaroos, and even rabbits! If you are lucky enough, you may even see wombats, lyrebirds, and echidnas. There is an abundance of wildlife here!
In the evening, we created a fire (you must bring your own firepit and firewood) and cooked up a BBQ.
The beautiful sunset on our walk, exploring Bald Rock Creek.
Day 2: Hikes Tracks, Granite Rocks, and Crossing Creeks
Today, we set off for some hiking. In the morning, we explored the Northern Walking Tracks, first walking to the base of the Pyramid. We didn’t end up going up, as the rock was a little slippery from the early morning showers. If you do though, you will see the famous ‘Balancing Rock’ – a very Insta-worthy rock!
We then walked to the Granite Arch, before heading back to the campsite. If time allows, you can also explore ‘The Junction’; a 5.2km return walk along the granite rock, leading to an intersection where two creeks meet. From the Bald Rock Creek ‘day use’ area, the walk to the Pyramid is 3.6km return and can easily be combined with a visit to the Granite Arch.
In the afternoon, after our kids had a nap and the sun wasn’t in full force, we decided to explore the Southern Walking Tracks. We set off to walk to Castle Rock, which is a 5.2km return walk from the Main Road and approximately 200m shorter if you are starting from Castle Rock campground. It was lovely, and very well-maintained. For the more adventurous, continue walking to Turtle Rock, The Sphinx, and Mount Norman.
It was a long day of hiking for us, so in the evening we sat around the campfire and enjoyed another delicious BBQ with warm soup.
Our campsite, where we sat around the campfire after a long day of hiking.
Day 3: With More Time, There’s More to See
It was our last day at Girraween, so we spent the morning packing up. For those who are able to stay longer, there are two other walking tracks that start a very short drive from Bald Rock Creek ‘day use’ area at the Dr Roberts carpark: the Dr Roberts Waterhole (1.2km return) and Underground Creek (2.8km return).
Girraween is one of my favourite places to camp and explore. The scenery is beautiful and the tracks are very well-maintained.
Have you ever visited Girraween? What did you think? If not, would you visit? Let us know in the comments.