CARNARVON GORGEOUS

 

We left Injune and travelled north 100km and then turned left for the 45km to Carnarvon Gorge. The “talking man” had said that it was a 2 1/2hr trip – obviously because the road in to the Gorge would be slow. It was a lovely trip north – the road was undulating and there was a lot of bush/trees. As we drew closer to the turn off we could see ranges in the distance. After the turnoff the road was good bitumen and there were fields where wheat had been harvested and cattle were grazing, often loose on our side of the boundary fences. The sandstone cliffs got closer but the road remained fine, so we took 1 1/2hrs to reach our destination – Takarakka Bush Resort. It is 4km before the park entrance and Visitor Centre. There is another “resort” – they use the term, but it’s another place with some ok cabins, shop and café. We didn’t choose to stay there as you had to eat all your meals at their café. They prohibited any meal preparation in cabins. We stopped there yesterday to see if Paul could get a cup of coffee and he could only get a drip filter brew. He said he was glad he wasn’t eating all his meals there. Takarakka is very big but in a beautiful setting. There are camp sites set around 3 areas, all with grass and tall trees. We have one of 6 little cabins – quite new, with a lovely deck with chairs and table looking out to bush – very private. The sound of the birds is continuous and varied. It is not big and we have to store a lot of our things out in the car. Here you have to make your own meals. The 6 studios have their own outside camp kitchen – a microwave, bbq, gas hotplates, stainless steel work bench and sinks. There are utensils, pans, saucepans. You do wonder where they expect you to keep all your food – apart from in the bar fridge. The couple in the cabin next to us are here for 6 days and so have crates on their verandah. Paul and I laugh that we are getting very good at managing quite well in small spaces – our motel room at Injune was very small (Paul’s bag had to o/n in the boot).
We arrived Monday and as it was early, we decided to check out a couple of the shorter walks outside the park. We walked to Mickey Creek (3km) – a pretty walk along a mostly dry creek with some lovely vegetation. Then we walked to Baloon Cave (correct spelling) (1km) – to see some aboriginal rock art. You could see it, mostly hand stencils – it was ok. Monday night was our first experience of here – 4pm was Happy Hour on the deck – cheap drinks and free cheese and biscuits. We had wandered up a little earlier to try and access wifi (only available on the deck) with mixed success. Lots of people turned up and it was a very social place. At 5pm one of the staff gave a 40min talk on the Gorge and the various walks you could do, their degree of difficulty etc. He was very good. It was then time to organise our dinner in the camp kitchen. We had brought a beef in red wine casserole from home, frozen and so only needed to heat it. Paul cooked his great mashed potato and we cooked carrots and peas to go with it, and a bottle of red – easy beginning. Another couple came to cook, followed by a 3rd and of course we all got talking and had dinner together – lovely people and a great night was had by all. They were all from Qld – John and Deb from Maleny and Paul and Anise from Beaudesert.
Tuesday was our big day (or at least my big day). We drove the 4km to the Visitor Centre and then set off – our objective being to walk out as far as was comfortable and then turn back, exploring the side gorges as I felt capable of doing. I had been told it was a flat walk, very few steps – yes and no. Depends how tired you are. Returning, there seemed quite a lot of steps. We had also been told that there were 16 creek crossings in total – more of that later. I had said that I would like to get as far as the Art Gallery – 10.8km return, so that was our plan. It was a lovely walk, at first the gorge was very wide, we could hear water trickling over rocks but often it was obscured by vegetation or we would be quite high above it. The first creek crossing was a wide one but the stones were big and flat – and I did what I know you should do – I tried to stride across at a pace. I had decided to give Paul my phone, rather than leave it in my pocket (in case I fell and landed on my pocket, in the water – wet phone and smashed phone). I felt good with my rock hopping. We crossed a bit later and again my technique was great. The third one, the stones were a bit slippery and I heard a noise to my left whilst halfway across which distracted me (kangaroos by the creek) and I lost my balance and ended up with not one but both feet in the water! Paul was there laughing. I too had to laugh. Oh well, I found out my boots were waterproof. Crossing number 4 I was a bit more hesitant and of course went in again! 5 and 6 I regained my composure and dignity and succeeded. We later heard of a man who dropped his very expensive camera in the water on one crossing.
We had made it to the Art Gallery. It was a 300m climb up the side of the Gorge to a 62m wall of sandstone with Aboriginal engravings, ochre stencils and freehand drawings. It was impressive. We met one of the park rangers whilst climbing up to the Gallery. She was doing some “gardening” – clearing overhanging bushes. She said it was a great job working here, although much of their real maintenance work is done in the summer months, when few tourists come as the temperature is around 44 degrees! She said Ward’s Canyon was her favourite, and the fellow at the briefing the night before had said the same thing.
Back to the main track and I said that I would like to try Ward’s Canyon. It was a 240m climb up to a waterfall, then the track went further up into a magnificent fern filled, very narrow canyon. The sides were high, only a small amount of light at the top as they came so close together, and the “King Fern” dominated a lot of the ground here. It is the same fern growing at Central Station on Fraser Island – prehistoric and metres in diameter. We stopped here and had our lunch just enjoying the cool and beauty. We had been told of a rock pool near the top of the waterfall which the aboriginal women used as their birthing pool. Interesting – it had the right shape and the water was flowing through it.
Down on the main track and I decided that I would not go to the other 2 side tracks. It was still a long walk back – more than 4km. The Moss Garden was a 1.3km return side track and I was happy to leave this out and head home. I had acquired a walking pole (stick) which I found useful on the creek crossings going back – I didn’t need it but it was a comfort in case I got the wobbles. A lot of people were carrying sticks. It was interesting – you passed people, people passed you, you saw the same people at different stops – it was very friendly. We walked back to the Visitor Centre – there were 7 or 8 who had finished and were sitting on big stones at the end of the track, obviously waiting for friends. As we walked through they all cheered – fun. People behind got a cheer. They were the cheer squad for the finishers, until their friends finished.
It was then a well earned rest till happy hour, although we had ours on our verandah. We had booked for the roast dinner that the place does Tues, Thurs and Sundays. Interesting – it’s bring your own plates, bowls, cutlery, glasses and they provide the dinner. Then you take your stuff away and wash it yourself. We met up with our other 2 couples on the deck at reception and once again it was a good night. There were 62 for dinner, they gave each table a number and then she used a bingo container to pull out a number and that table came up to be served. She had explained the system and told us what was on the menu. As she was telling us the menu was everyone was going “Yeah” out loud to each item mentioned – sounded like no one had eaten for a long time, but it was fun. There was roast pork, lamb on the spit, baked vegetables, cauliflower au gratin, gravies, sauces, bread rolls and apple crumble and custard. It was outside, but the overhead sails and a couple of heaters and my long johns kept me comfortably warm. We did our dishes at our camp kitchen with one of the couples – the other took theirs to their cabin to do in the morning. They did have an excuse, they had gotten up at 4am to climb Boolimba Bluff and see sunrise. It is 900+ steps up and 900+ steps down. They got there an hour too early and had a cold wait for sunrise. We passed them later at the Art Gallery, so they had then done the walk that we did.
We awoke to another beautiful day and I have no aches or issues from yesterday’s walk – fantastic. Today Paul has gone off on his own, with his lunch and a little gas stove to make a cup of tea. That will make everyone envious. People were impressed with our lunch of Ryvitas, cheese and ham yesterday – most seem to just eat muesli bars or some similar snack. He has gone to do Boolimba Bluff (not for sunrise), and then will go to the Amphitheatre and Moss Garden. I am only too happy to remain back at our cabin and potter. That is possibly why this post is so long – I have the time. It is also helpful to us when we make our photo book and journal, to have the details. You forget things so quickly, especially if there are lots of interesting things you see and do.
No sooner had he gone off in the car than I realised our pegs were in the crate in the boot, and I was going off to hang out the washing we did yesterday! Oh well, the little shop at reception sold pegs. I thought that whilst I was up there I would try and hook into the wifi and get the mail and SMH on my Ipad. Well, it told me I was locked out and would need to reactivate the whole thing! The wifi is dodgy anyway. I can’t get it working but I do have the washing on the line.
Paul did walk to Boolimba Bluff and spent about 30 minutes at the top boiling the billy, admiring the expansive views of the gorge and well beyond, and chatting to a couple of couples. From the main track the climb was about 40 minutes and not too hard. After returning to the main track he headed to the Amphitheatre and enjoyed the quiet and spendour until the school group arrived! While there, someone said “that’s Paul **” Amazingly they were acquaintances from our suburb , Mick and Sue, who we have known for about 30 years.
Then it was on to the Moss Garden – carpeted by moss with water dripping from everywhere. I decided to have my lunch there. It was a beautiful, quiet and contemplative place and a few of us sat there in silence for many minutes – until the school group arrived!
Then it was back to the camp at about 2:30pm. Happy Hour and then off the check for platypus in the creek – they say they are around at dawn and dusk. People watching but no sightings.

Dinner back at camp kitchen and an interesting collection cooking – the Victorian vegetarians and the South African new Australians with their 3 children.  He had been shot, bashed, had rocks thrown at him in South Africa and they had made the decision to emigrate.  The wife was so happy to be living on the Atherton Tablelands.  They took their meal back to their accommodation and we had our dinner with our friends from the cabin next door.  Once again a lovely night and a good one pot chicken, bacon, spinach and pasta followed by tiramisu – not bad for the outback.