Carnarvon Gorge National Park: a wealth of natural and cultural heritage

We headed off on the start of our grand tour around OZ on Friday 30th May, leaving from Rod's dad's place at Helensvale on the Gold Coast after a week of final preparation on the caravan, which saw the stone guard fitted and a Hayman Reese load levelling hitch installed.

We headed out via the Darling Downs, to Toowoomba and west up through Dalby, Chinchilla, Miles and Roma...camping the first night at a roadside repeater station about 25 km east of a place called Injune.The next morning as we travelled through Injune, a sign directing to "Mt Moffatt" caught our eye. We later found that this icon is within the Carnarvon Gorge National Park.

The Gorge

Thousands of years ago, the Gorge was the home of a number of indigenous groups called the Canarvons.

It features lots of interesting natural and cultural sites, lots of walking (love walking!) over hills, streams, gullies and rocks...but most of all, beautiful scenery and fascinating ancient Aboriginal rock art.

Camping is not allowed in the National Park and we were forced to stay at the Carnarvon GorgeTakkarakka Bush Resort, right on its fringe.

It proved to be something of a mecca for the grey nomads and was a happy, friendly place.

It had well catered communal cooking area set up with gas cookers, sinks, tables and chairs and proved to be a pivotal area for get togethers each night for those socially inclined.

Rod found it all a bit too social and claustrophobic though and yearned for a bush camp...away from the masses.

Within close walking distance of the resort were numerous nature trails and a platypus pond. I saw many varieties of birds and butterflies...and my first brown snake.

Approaching the Carnarvon Range National Park - sandstone cliffs in the distance.

Anita standing between ancients of the forest- Zamia Cycads

The Art Gallery - significant aboriginal rock art site with ochre stencils, engravings and freehand paintings