White Rock Conservation Park facts for kids
White Rock Conservation Park is home to a big, light-colored rock called White Rock. This park is about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) southwest of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. White Rock is a famous landmark in the area.
White Rock is made of white sandstone and is one of many rocks sticking out of the ground on this ridge. From the top of the rock, you can see amazing views in all directions, even with some small trees around. The rock is quite soft, and you can see old drawings and names carved into it, some from as far back as 1919!
During the late 1930s and 1940s, American soldiers used this area for training. This actually helped protect the trees! Old training ammunition stuck in the trees made it too risky for people to cut them down for wood.
Contents
Exploring White Rock Conservation Park
The park has many paths for walking and exploring. Some paths near the parking lot are well-kept, while others are more natural and less maintained.
White Rock Walking Track
This path starts at the Paperbark Flats Picnic Area parking lot and leads straight to White Rock. It follows a gully for most of the way. It's mostly a gentle, easy walk about 6.5 kilometers (4 miles) long. Much of the path is wide enough for vehicles.
When it's dry, the path can be covered in fine, powdery dirt. If it's been raining, you might need to cross puddles or small streams. Near the end, there's a steep and rugged climb to get to the bottom of White Rock itself.
There isn't a clear path to the very top of White Rock. The local Aboriginal people would prefer visitors not to climb it, out of respect for the land. However, it is possible to climb up a tricky path near the north side of the rock.
You might spot some cool animals here, like echidnas, wallabies, kangaroos, and even dingoes! The park also has lots of different birds, including special ones like the Glossy Black Cockatoo, which is an endangered species.
The Ridge Track
If you want a different way to get to White Rock from the parking lot, you can take The Ridge Track. This path follows the top of the ridge instead of the vehicle track. It's considered a Class 5 walk in Australia, which means it's a challenging path for experienced walkers.
The end of this track near White Rock is easy to find. The start of the track, however, used to be hard to spot. But since April 2008, the local council has improved it, so it's now much clearer. The Ridge Track starts about 50 meters (164 feet) further along the main vehicle track.
Little White Rock Track
The Little White Rock Track is a short detour, only about 250 meters (820 feet) long, from the main White Rock Track. This is a Class 3 walk, which means it's a moderate path. It goes up a hill to another sandstone rock sticking out of the ground.
Boardwalk
The Six Mile Creek Boardwalk is another detour from the main White Rock Track. It's about 375 meters (1,230 feet) long and goes in a loop through a forest of paperbark trees. This is a Class 2 walk, which means it's an easy path. Depending on the time of year, you can see many different birds here. There's also a lot of a plant called lantana, which can be a problem for the park.
