Day 9 Saturday 15th July
An outback drive to Carnarvon Gorge today, continuing our Australian East Coast road trip and what a fun roady it is. It’s a longish one no doubt. The map says you can do it in four and a half to five hours from Rockhampton but we took six – just because it’s fun to stop and get a pie, get the drone out on the red dirt roads with no one on them but us. It’s fun to let Jarvis have a drive for a couple of kilometers because there’s literally no one else around anywhere. And it just makes sense to stop as regularly as you can to get fuel. There were plenty enough fuel options on the way, but the last fuel stop before you get to Carnarvon Gorge is over 100 kms away at Rollerston and you know you’ll have to do at least the same on the way out.
Our accommodation for the next three days is the Carnarvon Wilderness Lodge and it is amazing. Everything we’d hoped for. Well, when you come this far out, it just is what it is right, so there’s not much you can do if it’s a bit average, but luckily it was way more than average. The accommodation is the four of us in the one large safari tent style cabin with an ensuite bathroom, heating and aircon, coffee making facilities, a fridge and plenty of wallabies and kangaroos bouncing around the grounds. There’s not a restaurant or supermarket anywhere nearby, and we knew this up front, but some awesome bbq and kitchen facilities on-site for cooking your own dinner and chatting with the other friendly travelers while spotting the odd kangaroo boxing match. You only meet people here who are prepared to make a big trip out to the middle of nowhere so you’ll be in good company.
https://wildernesslodge.com.au
Day 10 Sunday 16th July
Today was a big walk in the gorge along the Main track to The Art Gallery. It works out at about 21km if you do a few of the awesome side trips. Do not miss the Amphitheatre. About 20 steps take you up and through a short high sided gap in the rocks into a small but incredible high walled cavern. If you could stick a drum kit in here you have When The Levee Breaks acoustics for sure.
The Moss Gardens are also incredible. The water that constantly drips through around the bottom of the rocks where it meets the impenetrable layer is around 2000 years old apparently. Simply beautiful and inspiring. Also a side trip to Ward’s Canyon was with a look, where some local hunters used to store their possum hides. And the Art Gallery itself is worth the walk no doubt at all. Art that is thousands of years old and communicates the hunting stories of an ancient past.
It was a big day, with tired legs at the end but with plenty of snack and photo stops, took about 6 hours in total. It was so totally worth it and a real highlight of our trip. For the more adventurous, there’s further that you can head through the gorge to an overnight camp spot but this was enough for us four and we felt we’d seen the big highlights.
Day 11 Monday 17th July
Just the adults hit the trail today to climb up the 1000 steps to the top of the Boolimba Gorge lookout. We headed about a kilometer along the Main track again and then off on the side track up, up, up. Peace, tranquility and views of how the world should look. It’s around 8 km return but it takes a while because you keep stopping to admire the endless changing views. Then it was time to relax back at our awesome cabin and a big feed.
Carnarvon Gorge overall was a massive highlight for us on our Australian East Coast road trip. Certainly off the beaten track, and away from the main attractions along the coast but so worth the effort to get there to truly be in the middle of nowhere. Being amongst all that nature was a great antidote to our normal lives in the city…and the stars at night were incredible. Hopefully one day we can be back again.
https://www.queensland.com/nz/en/places-to-see/experiences/nature-and-wildlife/national-parks/how-to-do-carnarvon-national-park
Check out the next blog from our Australian Road Trip here.
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