Carnarvon Gorge Visitor Area, Queensland, Australia
During our three night, two full day stay at the Takarakka Bush Resort at Carnarvon Gorge, we have done just as the title of this blog says...We've walked and climbed and walked and climbed.....and there definitely was some sore muscles at the end of it all!
It has been a really fantastic visit though and I can thoroughly recommend the experience. But you do have to be reasonably fit. To see the main gorges, you need to be able to walk over 14 kms, you need to be able to climb lots of steps and step across seven crossings over Carnarvon Creek. Did we think we would be able to walk 14kms? We weren't sure, but we certainly gave ourselves the 'thumbs up' at the end of our walk on Wednesday. I have to say the comments on Trip Adviser were quite discouraging. More people seem to use these sites for negative comments than encouraging ones!
We
left Emerald just before. 9.00am on Tuesday morning, travelling east across the bridge over the Nogoa
River, past all the campers down under the railway bridge, with the
highway ablaze with flowering bougainvillea. It was very pretty and the bridge
area looked a reasonable place to stop for the night. We turned south onto the Gregory Highway and there was a Cotton Gin on the left hand side of the road. It was interesting that a road came up on the Sat Nav running beside this highway, named the State Wheat Board Road. I can't find out any info about the road though and the road has obviously been replaced a very long time ago. No sign of the road anymore! The Gregory Highway is part of the 'Great Inland Way'.
We did come across a couple of wheat silos and my research makes me think it was probably at Gindie. We stopped at Springsure for morning tea. We had made our coffee before we left, but there was a nice looking cafe opposite named the 'House of Magnolias'. We could have had one there, but we've been caught out before and it just seems to be easier to make it beforehand and put it into our Thermos cup. We took a few photos and headed off, this time on the Dawson Highway to Rolleston.
We hadn't gone that far before we came across cattle on the road. The drought of Western Queensland is very much on the news and pastoralists are able to put their cattle out onto the road reserve. The reserve was extremely wide and there were a number of stockmen, well one of them that we clearly saw was a woman, keeping the cattle under control with the help of a couple of cattle dogs. They also had a truck with a large water tank on it for water.
We fueled up at the small town of Rolleston. All information says to fuel up before going into Carnarvon Gorge as there is no fuel there. The drive from the Carnarvon Highway into the Takarakka Bush Resort was very scenic. I was so pleased when Peter made the comment about "How enjoyable it was". He had not been keen to make 'Carnarvon Gorge' a part of our '2018 Trip Around Australia'! I had to do a lot of talking and it was somewhat difficult to convince him! Just because someone back in 2014 had told me how nice the Gorge was, is not enough for Pete! He was convinced he was going to be driving into those mountains again!
There was some crop to look at and the mountains in the distance made for a scenic drive. We lunched at the site of a C47B Dakota aircraft crash. Not that we knew at the time that this pull over area was the Memorial to the crash. On the 16th November 1943, due to a violent electrical storm, while en route from Darwin to Brisbane the Dakota had crashed at this site. There were no survivors. Fourteen Australians were killed and five American's. Pieces of the plane and the Memorial Cairn have been placed on the site by the Roma Boy Scouts.
What a magical site awaited us when we arrived at our Bush Resort. Just as attractive as it had looked in the photos. Our caravan sites were in Platypus Circle and there was a creek running behind our sites. We were told on check-in that it has been a good breeding season for the Platypus and there had been plenty of sightings in the creek. Other camping areas in the park were named Kookaburra Circle, Echidna and Wallaby. Wallaby Circle was more of a camping site and Kookaburra Circle had some caravan sites, as well as some upmarket type cabins near the creek. There were a number of canvas type huts scattered around the park as well. The sites we were on were large, so you weren't on top of your neighbour. Takarakka endeavours to provide campers with a real bush experience.
The Bush Resort does a roast three times a week, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday and the cost is $25.00 a head. We had booked dinner for our first night on Tuesday. Happy Hour is from four until five each day and staff members travel around the park in a tractor and cart. One of the staff members has a megaphone and reminds us all it will be 'Happy Hour' at 4.00pm. Both days it was a woman in the cart and she certainly made enough noise for you to take notice! We went down about 4.30pm and just as well, or we would have been struggling to get ourselves a table for dinner.
At 5.00pm there was an information session about the walks you could do in the Carnarvon National Park. Even before 5.00pm we had gone back to the vans for warmer clothing and by 6.00pm it was absolutely freezing. Each table was given a number and the decision on the order tables were served their dinner was decided by rolling the Bingo barrell. The process created a bit of atmosphere as we had to do the drum roll and call out when our number was called. The meal was huge and very nice. Just such a shame it was so cold! It didn't seem as cold the following nights. Maybe we had become a little more acclimatised!
Now to the walks. We packed ourselves a sandwich, a few snacks and had plenty of water and set off to do the main walks. We didn't put big expectations on ourselves and decided we would just see how we went. Well we really did surprise ourselves! We did the full 14 kilometres to see all the main gorges. We have to admit the last three and a half kilometres was a bit hard. We were really pushing one leg after the other. If you stayed for another few days there were other walks you could do, but we were more than happy with what we achieved. The muscles were stiffening up by the time we got back to the vans, but the fact we had 'Done It' was worth the pain!
Over the two days we walked to the Art Gallery, the Amphitheatre, Wards Canyon, Moss Garden, Baloon Cave, the Rockpool and the Nature Trail. The only one that we could have done on the second day was Mickey Creek Gorge, but it was a 3km return walk and there were a few rocks to climb over. We were all happy to give that one a miss. All the walks we did were Grade 3 walks. Some of the creek crossings were a bit tricky. The guys got themselves a walking stick and that helped.
On Thursday morning we were lucky enough to have an Echidna walk under the car and caravan, whilst Peter just happened to be outside. So it was a quick dash for the camera. Then there was the Kookaburra that was sitting on the log looking at us. During our long walk on Wednesday we came across a National Parks guide. Peter talked to the guide about a bird that he calls a 'Squeaker' and found out the correct name is a "Currawong'.
The Currawong is a large, mostly black bird, with a bright yellow eye. Small patches of white are confined to the under tail, the tips and bases of the tail feathers and a small patch towards the tip of each wing which is visible in flight. They can be a bit of a nuisance bird and we were warned at the information session, not to leave any food or scraps around. We were also told not to feed any of the wildlife in the park. There were lots of wallabies and kangaroos. They were not worried about us at all.
On Thursday we did the Nature Walk in the hope of seeing a Platypus, as we had been told they had been spotted at the Rockpool. We hung around the Rockpool for a while, but when there was a couple in the water, squealing as they attempted to brave the cold and get wet, we decided the chances of seeing a Platypus here was pretty remote. The woman in the bikinis didn't seem to be covering too much and there was a bit to cover!
On the way back from Carnarvon Gorge,which was five kilometres from the Takarakka Bush Resort, we thought we should make some 'Taka Time' and build a 'Taka Tower' at the creek crossing. You are not allowed to build 'Taka Towers' at the Gorge but the Bush Resort is happy for people to build the stone towers at the crossing. They do look great and each year are washed away with the wet season. Dorothy and I got into building our 'Taka Tower' but the guys didn't like walking around on all those rocks. So we just built a little one and took some snaps. We did drive up to take in the view from the new park up on the rise. It provides 360 degree views that are very impressive. You must be self sufficient and the price is half what we paid at Takarakka. $23.00 compared to $46.00. They do have a dump point up there.
Just one more thing to report on. We took our chairs down to have a drink beside the creek on Thursday afternoon and to watch the sun set on the range on the other side of the creek. We were also hoping to see a Platypus on dusk. Early morning or dusk is the best time for viewing. As Dorothy and I said to each other "It would be the icing on the cake for our trip to Carnarvon National Park if we were to see a Platypus"! Well we did and Pete was the photographer. Here we were walking up and down the creek hoping he or she would come a little closer to us, snap, snap, snapping! The Platypus doesn't come up to the top of the water for very long. Peter went back to the caravan to get the zoom lens and when he came back, I suggested he be the 'Photographer'. Well he got the best photo. It's a Chapman Valley Show photo for next year! Well done Pete. It was not easy, particularly as it got that bit darker. He did really well and I am so glad that he did eventually agree to go to Carnarvon Gorge. I'm pretty sure my dear husband really did enjoy the experience and it definitely must be a 'PB' for all that walking for his left leg!
A little info about the gorges we visited.
- The 'Art Gallery' was 5.4 kilometres from the Visitor Centre and it was the gorge we walked to first and then worked our way back. Because the range is limestone, the aboriginal paintings have eroded away over the years. The stencil art is aid to be some of the best examples in Australia, but it didn't really tick my box! The gallery is 62metres long.
- 'Wards Canyon' was absolutely beautiful. Lots of steps to get up to the waterfall and then you climb some more to walk along the canyon.
- The 'Amphitheatre' is a 60 metre deep chamber gouged from the rock by running water. It is a place for quiet contemplation. Natural sunlight creates a different atmosphere all day.
- 'Moss Garden' was the final walk for us and a small waterfall tumbles over a rock ledge into an icy pool. Water drips constantly from the sandstone and sustains a lush, green carpet of mosses, ferns and liverworts.
- 'Baloon Cave' is a cave that has stenciled Aboriginal rock art. It is a 500 metre walk amongst fan palms and ancient cycads.
- The 'Rock Pool' has been carved from the bed of Carnarvon Creek by the turbulent water of past floods.
- There are 87 kilometres of 'Carnarvon Great Walks'.
Carnarvon National Park is definitely a very scenic and enjoyable place to enjoy some 'Taka Time' and the beauty of the Australian bush.
Jenny
2018-08-27
Good to see you keeping fit while on holiday. Not always easy when wine o'clock happens at 5pm every night... oh but wait, I see 4pm further into your blog. As for Trip Advisor and anything online, yep, always negative comments, brings out the worst in people. Ohhhh and you DID see a platypus. That would have been awesome to see as they are so sneaky and hide quickly. I've never seen one, but maybe I will at Carnarvon Gorge!!
Julie
2018-08-27
Congratulations on completing that very challenging walk - I think you could manage the summit at Mt Kosciuszko next time! That sounds like something for the bucket list and a great place to spend a few days. We have memories of your crossing the Nogoa River bridge at Emerald and that was where Ray's car had stopped dead after putting the wrong fuel in his tank! So we had to book into the CP there while he had his car towed to the nearest garage and drained the fuel out. Well it took him and his mechanic 6 hours, so not the most happiest of memories, but you never forget it.
Maureen
2018-08-27
Peter you did very well to walk that far with your foot I think that is out of our league those stones did not look very inviting. We had a great trip. On the Ghan except we didn’t get to see Coober Pedy as it had rained & the road was not good enough for 5 coaches to get through so we filled in the day at Manguri only red dirt & a few shrubs we played cards & crosswords some went walking but it was very cold threat food on board the Ghan bye for now