Peripatetic Shenanigans: CARNARVON GORGE, QUEENSLAND

What a lovely spot Carnarvon Gorge is. Though it's somewhat off the beaten track, it's well worth the effort of getting there. You also need to be quite fit to manage the full thirty kilometres length of the gorge, plus numerous side trips to view various formations, each one of which adds at least two to three kilometres to the trek. To see the gorge properly, the best thing would be to do as we saw one young couple doing and carry a pack and camping gear. They were planning to camp at Big Bend, 9.2 km from the Visitor Centre. It's also possible to get helicopter flights over the gorge for $99 per person, which would give an idea of the extent of the place but not the finer detail.

We only managed to get to the first scenic highlight inside the National Park, the Moss Garden, and that was seven kilometres in total, some of it quite steep.

A further 1.8 kms along the main track, then 600 metres in and finally up a ladder is the Ampitheatre, which we would have liked to get to, but Eric's legs just couldn't manage quite that much. Still further along is an aboriginal art gallery. Nevertheless, just walking along the track, seeing the stately white-trunked trees outlined againt the escarpment and listening to the birds was very enjoyable.

The start of the main track:

Large stepping stones make crossing Carnarvon Creek easy

From the middle of the creek

And looking the other way

Along the main track:

At the start of the main track is a short two kilometre 'nature trail' walk:

We camped at Takarakka Bush Resort which is about four kilometres from the National Park Visitor Centre. It's a pleasant spot and we picked a good time to visit. The weather was warm but mostly overcast, so good for walking, though we did have one day when it poured rain. The resort manager dismissed the downpour as "just a shower to settle the dust". A bit further down the road towards the park is another accommodation place and restaurant for non-campers (Carnarvon Gorge Wilderness Lodge).

Between the camp and the Visitor Centre, but still technically part of the Gorge (I think) are a number of places to visit which involve shorter walking distances.