Carnarvon Gorge revisited.

 Carnarvon National Park

The prime focus of this trip was to get to Carnarvon National Park & show Cheryl the Carnarvon Gorge. It had been 27-28 years since I have been here & a lot has changed

Excitement began to build after we turned off the highway & drove across plains towards cliffs rising above the distant tree line. Carnarvon Gorge is remote with mixed road conditions so you need to be properly prepared. Carnarvon Creek rises rapidly after rain & cuts the access road. Fortunately, the weather was good for our stay.

Since I was last here (late 80’s) camping has not been permitted in this part of the National Park except for school holidays. A new campground run by private enterprise has been established outside the park & that is where we are staying. The campground is alive with birds that wake you up very early & will steal your toast if you are not careful.

You can only explore Carnarvon Gorge on foot & we took the time to take in the dazzling waters reflected in the sparkling waters of Carnarvon Creek as we strolled along its shady banks.

Towering cliffs & cool narrow sided gorges are also a feature.

Mickey Creek Gorge

This 3 km walk of 1.5 hours wanders along Mickey Creek into narrow side gorges where walking changes to an off track adventure & rocky sections of the track are slippery. We stayed with the formed track!

Baloon Cave

Baloon Cave is located within a gap in Clematis Ridge, used by Aboriginal people as an entry point to the gorge for thousands of years. It was a 1 km trek from the road & took 30 minutes. The walk took us amongst Carnarvon Fan Palms & Cycads to a very good example of stencilled Aboriginal rock art.

The Rock Pool

This pool is only 600 metres off the road & is the only place in Carnarvon Gorge where you can swim. It is shaded by fig & casuarina trees & inhabited by the odd turtle & fish.

The main Gorge track is reasonably flat with many side tracks with quite a few ladders & steps. There are numerous creek crossings.

Moss Garden

The Moss Garden is 7km return track & takes 2-3 hours. A small waterfall tumbles over a rock ledge into an icy cold pool & provides a perfect refuge from the heat. The water constantly dripping from the sandstone sustains a lush, green carpet of mosses, ferns & liverworts.

The Art Gallery

The Art Gallery is the furthest we went into the gorge at 10.8 km return & 3-4 hours but it took us six hours! It is a significant Aboriginal site on a 62 metre sandstone cliff & contains over 2.000 engravings, ochre stencils & free hand-painting. The Art Gallery is said to be one of the best examples of stencil art in Australia.

The Amphitheatre

This walk was 8.6 km & is rated for 3-4 hours. I managed it in 3 hours as Cheryl did not accompany me as she was feeling the effects of her previous mighty walking efforts. Her legs had come up in a rash around the sock area & her hip & leg muscles were sore.

The Amphitheatre is a place for quiet contemplation – the towering stone walls & natural skylight create an awe-inspiring atmosphere within. Hidden inside the gorge walls is a deep chamber gouged from the rock by running water. You have to access the chamber by stairs & ladders but it is worth it!

 

We met many great people whilst camped here – Hi Bill & Maxine & enjoyed a great spit roast & an apple crumble. The Happy Hours are a really good here & you meet lots of people. Apparently, I got very noisy one night after I consumed 3 cans of mid strength beer!!!!!!!!!!!