Warrumbungles National Park

After a night at a forgettable campground at Narrabri we made an early start and sped along the 120 kilometres to Coonabarabran where, leaving the Newell Highway, we took the road to the Warrumbungle National Park.  

We had previously been in the Park some years ago so wanted to have just the day there doing a couple of the easy walks to enjoy the wildlife and scenery. This time of year the Park is very dry and the colours of the mountains quite harsh, compared to those of our previous wet season visit.

Gum Tree walk, Warrumbungle National Park

 As you enter the park proper from Coonabarabran you soon come to a sign indicating the start of the White Gum Lookout so, having parked Sam under a gum tree with the ipad, I was soon strolling along the 500 metres bitumen wheelchair and baby pusher friendly path through gum trees. Very soon the  spectacular view of the Warrumbungle Mountains was spread out before me.

The one in the centre looking like a chimney is called the Breadknife . . .just intriguing and lovely! There are six identified as easy walks around this Park and one of them in particular, the Spirey View Walk, gives you an even better and closer view of the Breadknife. Unfortunately it is a 6.5km return walk, a bit of it uphill and I had neither the time nor walking companion for such a walk today. It would be marvellous though!

The Breadknife, Warrumbungle National Park

The Warrumbungles stand tall in hundreds of square kilometers of rather flat land, some of which can be seen through the gap in the mountains.

From White Gum Walk, Warrumbungle National Park

Gum trees smell Australia to me! There are about 700 species of these with most of them being native to Australia. 

Gum tree, Warrumbungle National Park

 The last time I was here the rocks around the trees were almost completely covered with snakes sunning themselves in the Spring sun. Too hot for them today though! 

After my walk and morning tea under the gum trees we visited the Park's information office to pay our Park visitor's fees. Here you can also book in to one of the camping grounds in the park and the only people we saw in the park were two other plus aged couples who were staying for a couple of days. I had abandoned the half idea of doing this earlier when I noted how very dry and combustible the area was. It would have been lovely though.

After getting a map of the Park we followed directions to an easy Walk along the Wambelong Nature Trail. This is a one kilometer walk along the Wambelong Creek.

Wambelong Creek, Warrumbungle National Park

The walk starts at the Canyon Picnic area. It was very quiet and still there.

Although we tried very hard not to, we disturbed a couple of black cormorants which flew a short distance ahead of us, stopping to see if we had gone away until they decided to leave us completely.[ Not my photo - they were always just of of range for my zoom.]

Little Black Cormorant

As we walked quietly along the track enjoying the peaceful atmosphere there was a sudden splashing noise as a kangaroo which had been drinking from the creek hopped across the creek to hide in the dry grass on the other side. He was there still when we returned about twenty minutes later.

Kangaroo, Wambelong Creek

The Creek flows through a narrow canyon and as I took the photo below from high on the rocks opposite  the height of the canyon is not easily seen.

Wambelong Creek Canyon, Warrumbungle National Park

Looking up, I noticed these cactii near the top of the mountain rocks.

Cactii, Wambelong Creek, Warrumbungle National Park

Wambelong Creek, Warrumbungle National Park

Wambelong Creek

At 32 degrees Celsius and not a breeze around the kangaroos were mostly resting in the shade . . .

. . .except this family blending in with the river sand. We stood watching them for just too long for their human tolerance level and they decided to give us a message to move on. The biggest one stood tall and began to thump his/her chest. Time for us to leave them in peace!

Kangaroos, Warrumbungle National Park

As we ate our lunch at one of the several covered picnic tables we watched the kookaburras and other birds, feeling that we were happily alone in this beautiful environment.

The small fees that visitors are asked to pay are put to good use with barbecues and the most spotless compost toilets I have ever seen. [ Just so you know facilites are available!]

Laughing Kookaburra, Warrumbungle National Park

One of the riveting events we witnessed was the prolonged and determined attack of this large lizard by a pair of kookaburras. The poor thing moved heavily and slowly about 50 metres across the road to the safety of the undergrowth with me moving with as much speed as I thought enough to scare off the birds while not causing it even more stress, camera clicking too.

Lizard, Warrumbungle National Park

After this we drove through the rest of the park and out the other side eventually rejoining the Newell Highway and heading for our night stop at Forbes, almost 300 kilometres away.

Warrumbungles in the distance

I couldn't resist stopping to look back at these beautiful mountains.