Carnarvon Gorge Great Walk - departs 5th May 2012 through to 6th Oct 2012

Tour Details

Operator

Adventure Seekers

Destination

Carnarvon Gorge

Departs From

Brisbane

Tour Description

This 8 day tour departs Brisbane on a sunday and returns to Brisbane the following sunday once a month from April through to October.

The Carnarvon Great Walk is a 6 day trek with daily distances averaging about 13km. A good level of fitness is required to do this walk and full size back packs will be carried.

The Carnarvon Great Walk offers a diverse and spectacular landscape, ranging from cool side gorges and towering cliffs, Australia's best aboriginal stencil rock art, amazing tablelands of the Great Dividing Range and pristine creeks and rock pools.

The Itinerary

Day 1

We depart Brisbane at 0700 and drive to Carnarvon Gorge via the towns of Toowoomba, Roma and Injune. We will be staying in safari cabins on our 1st night at Takarakka Bush Resort.

Day 2

Our destination today is Big Bend (9.6km) We will be camping tonight at a remote campsite beside Carnarvon Creek. On the way we take time to visit the Amphitheatre and Cathedral Cave (the gorge's major aboriginal artwork site).

Day 3

Big Bend to Gadd's Walkers Camp. 14.7km. After breakfast it's a short walk to Boowinda Gorge where you will be awestruck as we take time to explore this fascinating water sculptured gorge. Boowinda Gorge gives us access to the climb up to Battleship Spur. Here you are standing on top of the Great Dividing Range and you will be looking at one of the best views to be had in Southern Qld. From the lookout the track passes stands of silver-leafed ironbarks and ancient macrozamias. We follow a creekline into the Mount Moffat section of Carnarvon National Park then through a sandstone outcrop which drops us down to Gadd's Walkers' camp.

Day 4

Gadd's Walkers Camp to West Branch Camp 15.8km. The area around Gadd's walkers camp has evidence of human occupancy of both european explorers and indigenous aboriginals. The landscape here is more open and flatter as settlers worked the land as cattle stations. we follow a side branch of the Maranoa River, climbing back up to the top of the Great Dividing Range then we head south - west before descending into Boot Creek and its broader sandy valley and the west Branch Walkers Camp.

Day 5

West Branch walkers camp to Consuelo Camping Zone 17.3km. Today is the walks longest section. We climb up to the Consuelo Tableland "the roof of Queensland" and its fertil basalt soils. Plant and animal life is abundant here with many plant species being the best examples you will find in the area.

Day 6

Consuelo Camp to Cabbage Tree Camp 13.8km. The Consuelo Tableland hides many springs which have been a valuable source of water to the aboriginals and cattle farmers. Plant life in this section is varied and spectacular as we slowly descend through the tableland to Cabbage Tree Camping zone.

Day 7

Cabbage Tree Camp to the Visitor Centre 15.3km. From our campsite at the eastern end of the Consuelo Tableland we descend down to Jimmy's Shelf. The path we follow was once used by stockmen to get down to the lower country. The trail soon winds past th eOgre's Thumb and the Devil's Signpost and on towards the turnoff to Boolimba Bluff. Time permitting we will ascend the short climb to the lookout for views over the visitors area section of the gorge.

Day 8

Takarakka to Brisbane. From the Takarakka Bush resort we retrace our journey back to Brisbane with arrival around 6pm.