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
![Washpool Creek](/_media/ext/walks/washpool-gibraltar/creek-2x.jpg)
![Washpool Creek](/_media/ext/walks/washpool-gibraltar/creek2-2x.jpg)
A little further downstream on Washpool Creek
![Marron](/_media/ext/walks/washpool-gibraltar/marron-2x.jpg)
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.
![Waratah 1](/_media/ext/walks/washpool-gibraltar/waratah1-2x.jpg)
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](/_media/ext/walks/washpool-gibraltar/waratah2-2x.jpg)
Waratah 2
![Waratah 3](/_media/ext/walks/washpool-gibraltar/waratah3-2x.jpg)
Waratah 3
![Gibraltar Range](/_media/ext/walks/washpool-gibraltar/gibraltar1-2x.jpg)
Xanthoreas (grass trees) seem to grow really well here.
![Gibraltar Range](/_media/ext/walks/washpool-gibraltar/gibraltar2-2x.jpg)
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.
![Gibraltar Range](/_media/ext/walks/washpool-gibraltar/gibraltar4-2x.jpg)
View from Dandahra Crags.