Warrumbungle National Park

I've just woken up!

A kangaroo woken from its afternoon slumber as I trudge up the walk towards the Grand High Tops.

Breadknife pines

Dead cypress pines frame the profile of The Breadknife on my first walk to the top of the Grand High Tops walk.

Lone Pine

A lone pine tree sits atop the Breadknife, clinging precariously to the trachyte rock.

The Breadknife at sunset

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Fringe Lily detail

A macro shot of the delicate fringe lily which are common on the walks around the Warrumbungles in spring.

Indigo bokeh

Native indigo flowers in the morning light

Flower glow

Native indigo flowers illuminated in the morning sunlight.

Belougery Spire

Belougery Spire is one of the first of the monoliths you encounter on the ascent up to the Grand High Tops and towers many hundreds of metres over the walk like some primitive stone skyscraper.

The Breadknife

The Breadknife is a long, narrow and tall extrusion of volcanic rock that dissects the ascent like some massive fossilised spine. Technically known as a dyke, it was formed some 13 million years ago as molten magma was forced up through a narrow crack in the rocks below the volcano. Once this molten rock cooled and solidified it formed a cast of the fissure and with the erosion of the surrounding softer rock the igneous wall remains 100 metres above the surrounding ground.

Framed vista

The view to the west from Lugh's Throne to Crater Bluff and Tonduron Spire.

Top of the world ma! Sunset in the Warrumbungles National Park. A long, hard climb to the top but worth it for this view!

The long view

Spring flowers and the stunning view to the west of Crater Bluff and Tonduron Spire.

Sunset at Lugh's Throne