Washpool and Gibraltar Range National Parks are located just inland from Grafton in northern New South Wales. The parks encompass a wide range of habitats, from rainforest gullies like the one Washpool Creek runs through, to heathland.
Washpool and Gibraltar Range
A little further downstream on Washpool Creek
Yes, they really are that blue. Marron are fresh water crayfish, and fairly rare. These ones live in a pool in the headwaters of Washpool Creek.
Just south west of Washpool is Gibraltar Range National Park, and a completely different habitat. These waratahs grow in amongst the granite boulders, and as luck would have it, were in flower when I was there in October 2006. It looked like a fire had been through the area a few seasons before, which may have had something to do with the profusion of wildflowers. See the official Dandahra Crags walking track page.
Waratah 2
Waratah 3
Xanthoreas (grass trees) seem to grow really well here.
A Xanthorea (grass tree) in flower in amongst the trees. I'm guessing it's flowering due to the recent fire. Xanthoreass only produce the long central spike when they're flowering.
View from Dandahra Crags.