Girraween National Park

Girraween, meaning place of flowers, sits at around a thousand metres on the Granite Belt where Queensland meets New South Wales, in country of weathered granite: smooth domes, tors and boulders left balancing on one another as the softer rock around them eroded away. The Pyramid, a bare granite dome climbed on a steep slab, is the signature walk, along with Castle Rock, Bald Rock Creek and the Granite Arch. In spring the heath and woodland flower heavily with wattles, boronias and orchids, which gave the park its name. Winters are cold enough for frost and occasional snow, unusual for Queensland, and the granite holds pools that make good swimming in summer.

What you actually see

• The Pyramid - a bare granite dome climbed up a steep open slab.
• The balancing boulders - granite tors perched on one another across the park.
• The spring wildflowers - heavy flowering from August through November.
• The granite pools - creek pools among the rock for summer swimming.

When to go

August to November for wildflowers and comfortable walking; winter brings frost and rare snow, and summer is warm with storms. The Pyramid climb is best early before the slab heats. Camping books out in school holidays.

Honest expectations

The Pyramid slab is steep and exposed, and wet or windy conditions make it dangerous. There is no water on the walks. Nights at altitude are much colder than visitors expect in Queensland, dropping below zero in winter.

Nearby

Stanthorpe and the Granite Belt wineries lie north; Bald Rock is across the border.