Platypus picnic area
Gibraltar Range National Park
Overview
Close to the Gwydir Highway, Platypus picnic area gives travellers a small glimpse of Gibraltar Range National Park, with birdwatching opportunities and a place to picnic with barbecues.
- Type
- Picnic areas
- Accessibility
- Medium
- Entry fees
- Park entry fees apply
- What to
bring - Drinking water, hat, sunscreen
- Please note
- Remember to take your binoculars if you want to birdwatch.
Not far from the popular Dandahra picnic area, Platypus picnic area is a quieter alternative for travellers on the Gwydir Highway who want to get a sense of Gibraltar Range National Park without driving too far off the road.
A good pit stop for a leisurely lunch, Platypus picnic area allows you to see wildflowers in spring like the famous Gibraltar waratah. Native birds roost in the trees overhead, making this a tidy spot for birdwatching too. Plus, it isn’t called Platypus for nothing: you might glimpse one of these elusive creatures swimming in Little Dandahra Creek.
Platypus picnic area has wood barbecues and plenty of table space – all the basics for an enjoyable afternoon. But if this small taste of the park has you intrigued, try the short hike to Anvil Rock, with superb scenic views over the surrounding area. Alternatively, pack the bicycle and hit the service trails.
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General enquiries
- National Parks Contact Centre
- 7am to 7pm daily
- 1300 072 757 (13000 PARKS) for the cost of a local call within Australia excluding mobiles
- parks.info@environment.nsw.gov.au
Operated by
- Glen Innes office
- Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.30pm.
- 02 6739 0700
- npws.ntab@environment.nsw.gov.au
- 68 Church Street, Glen Innes NSW 2370
Park info
- in Gibraltar Range National Park in the North Coast and Country NSW regions
Gibraltar Range National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather, road damage, or high fire danger.
-
Park entry fees:
$8 per vehicle per day. The park uses a self-registration fee collection system. Please bring the correct change and display your receipt.
Buy annual pass
What's nearby:
Things to do (28)
- Aboriginal culture (2)
- Birdwatching and wildlife encounters (6)
- Canoeing/paddling (2)
- Historic heritage (6)
- Horse riding (1)
- Photography (1)
- Picnics and barbecues (6)
- Road trips and car/bus tours (1)
- Sightseeing (19)
- Swimming (4)
- Walking (20)
- Waterfalls (11)
- Waterhole (1)
- Wildflowers (seasonal) (5)