Day 113 - Carnarvon Gorge is bloody amazing!

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Exploring Carnarvon Gorge NP, 14km riding, 24k hiking

Wow!  Even though I spent a fair portion of the night awake, the wind howling, pitch dark, the tent bending perilously and slowly filling every crevasse with red sand.  The day started beautifully, I was up to watch the sun rise over the range, and SuperK and I jumped on the bikes and endured a few more hills before entered the sacred ground that is Carnarvon Gorge NP.


We could only carry enough food for three days, one day to ride down, one to explore and one to ride back.  So we wanted to spend the whole day in the park.  We commenced what is called "the great walk" at 0830, it's a 20km round trip, with lots of optional extras along the way.  If you are able, it is not to be missed!  Put it on your bucket list people!  

The Gorge is carved into deep sandstone cliffs which rise over you on each side, and the Carnarvon River continues to shape the gorge wending and burbling its way between the cliffs, a cool oasis.  And the most western known habitat of the platypus in Queensland.


You can feel the ancient history and importance of this place in your bones, it's as if a piece of Gondwanaland got preserved here, while the outside world moved on.  There are a number of Indigenous art galleries that you can visit, with archaeological evidence suggesting at least 3,500 years of use.  That's 140 generations, or 1500BC.  There are a number of women's business sites here as well, including the Moss Garden, which was used as a cool and calm place to birth.

In the quiet cool of the Moss Garden 


We eked out every moment of daylight, leaving ourselves just enough light to cycle back and eat before falling into bed exhausted.  The wind had disappeared and I slept like a stone.

Words can't describe it nearly so well as pictures, so here's a photo album of the best of the hundreds we took!  Carnarvon Gorge photo album



Location: Carnarvon National Park, Nandowrie QLD 4722, Australia

Comments

  1. FrancieJune 4, 2022 at 11:39 AM

    The photos are also amazing. A combination of Kings Canyon and Standley Chasm and Kakadu

    ReplyDelete

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