Drive a few hours west of Rockhampton and you'll find yourself in sandstone country. Millions of years old, the landscapes here have been lifted, twisted, and eroded into enormous pockets of rock formations breaking up from the dry plains. And among them all, one stands out as both the most spectacular and the most ecologically significant - Carnarvon Gorge.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Hiking into the gorge, large sandstone cliffs look down on me from each side, hulking stone guardians protecting the ravine that stretches for about 30 kilometres. Initially about a kilometre wide, the sides of the gorge get closer the further I venture in, until they're less than 100 metres apart. Off to the sides of the main path are about half a dozen sites signposted with special names: the Amphitheatre, the Moss Garden, the Art Gallery.
I soon realise that these marked attractions are why Carnarvon Gorge has become one of Queensland's most popular natural destinations. Not just for their wonder - and each of them is wonderful, offering pockets of rainforest, slot canyons, Indigenous art, and more - but because of their variety. Or, as my guide for the day, Simon Ling puts it, their "disjunction".
Much like the road trip I have made out here from Rockhampton, I feel as though the highlights are on the detours. But when I suggest that to Simon, he puts me on the right path.
"Carnarvon Gorge is the 'big picture' stuff. Most of our wildlife encounters today are on the main track and you get some spectacular big cliff scenery from the creek crossings. I think of the other things as the icing on the cake."
Simon runs Carnarvon Gorge Eco Tours, highlighting the details you might miss on your own. As a trained ecologist, he spots the greenhood orchids that release animal pheromones to attract gnats, and gets a fairy-wren to poke its head out of the grass by playing the sound of the bird's call. We stop and discuss the microclimates as other walkers barrel past along the trail. Are they even noticing the cycads and the fan palms amongst the spotted gums that surround us?
"We're going into the cliff," Simon warns at one point. And, true to his word, we climb a metal ladder and walk through a narrow crack, emerging into a section called the Amphitheatre for both its appearance and (apparently) its excellent acoustics. Once a cave, the roof has fallen in to create a huge open-topped cavern, 60 metres high, right in the centre of one of the sandstone ridges, a definite highlight of the whole gorge.
The walk along the main track is relatively easy, well maintained, and with almost no inclines. The only tricky bits are the hops over the stepping stones to cross the river that slithers along like the Rainbow Serpent images carved into the Art Gallery, a bit further along.
The site known as the Art Gallery is another of the highlights of Carnarvon Gorge, where thousands of engravings, paintings, and ochre stencils cover the rock beneath an overhang, the natural blending with the cultural. There's evidence some of the images are from about 3700 years ago, although this area was likely a significant sacred site for the local Indigenous communities for much longer than that, with the engravings of female anatomy probably made as part of fertility ceremonies.
For the whole day - almost from sunrise to sunset - Simon leads our small group though the diversity of the gorge. We see waterfalls as we head into Ward's Canyon, where ancient King Ferns (the world's largest fern) are found just in this one isolated pocket. And we climb up to the Moss Garden where drops of water falling from green curtains look like fairy lights twinkling in the sunshine. Orange rocks contrast with the green of the rainforest, while fresh wallaby and dingo tracks show we're never far from the wildlife.
"Something about this joint grabbed me and never let go," explains Simon, who first came to Carnarvon Gorge on a school camp in 1977, and probably knows the land here better than anyone.
Something about it grabs me too, so the morning after my day with Carnarvon Gorge Eco Tours, I return to the main track by myself. Our tour had only gone about halfway along the trail, as do most visitors because it's where the most famous sights are found. But heading along the second half (an extra five kilometres each way) I get away from the crowds and find vistas that I think are even more dramatic, closer to the sandstone cliffs which have narrowed along the river. The sun reflects off the water onto an overhang to create dances of light on the stone, more Indigenous artwork at Cathedral Cave tells the stories of thousands of years, while the slot canyon at Boowinda Gorge leads me on a dark and curving journey through millions of years.
It's easy to find space and time to myself in this upper section of Carnarvon Gorge, even though the site's become extremely busy generally. The closest accommodation - the Carnarvon Gorge Wilderness Lodge - can be booked out well in advance, and the main carpark is almost full by mid-morning. As we continue to look for more Australian regions to explore, there's good reason why this natural wonder full of diversity is high on the list, but my advice? Give yourself time to prepare - and time to experience.
Michael Turtle was supported by Tourism and Events Queensland. You can see more details about visiting Carnarvon Gorge on his Travel Australia Today website
Michael Turtle
Michael Turtle is an Australian journalist who left his job in television to travel the world forever. He'll show you how to find the lesser-known places, get involved in the culture, learn the history, and meet locals along the way.
Michael Turtle is an Australian journalist who left his job in television to travel the world forever. He'll show you how to find the lesser-known places, get involved in the culture, learn the history, and meet locals along the way.
