8 things you must experience at Carnarvon Gorge
If you are looking for a place the literally feels out of this world, Carnarvon Gorge is it.
Carnarvon Gorge is truly a spectacular place, and you need more than a couple of days to truly take in all the beauty and appreciate the ancient landscapes.
In the gorge, the “bush” of Australia’s arid interior meets the lush jungle of the wet coastal tropics – a mind-blowing juxtaposition.
Aside from the timing exploring, it will take you some time to get there! Carnarvon National Park is about an 8-hour drive from Brisbane.
Treats at Goomeri Bakery
We drove up from the Sunshine Coast, taking the trip through Roma on the way there – making an essential stop for treats and coffee at Goomeri Bakery – and looped back via Rolleston to the north for a change of scenery. The journey was half the fun and we stopped for a hot lunch and a game of pool at the quirky Hotel Cracow on our way home.
The start of our 2-day hike
Here are our 8-must-see adventures on your visit to Carnarvon National Park:
1. The Moss Garden
Most of the highlights in the gorge are side-trails that generally require some up-hill or stairs. Given we had our packs to camp at Big Bend before walking back out the next day, we left them at the turn off to save some energy and appreciate as much as we could. The main walk is just shy of 20km if you don’t do any of the side trails – which would be a mistake in our opinion!
Entering the Moss Garden
The Moss Garden is the first side trail off to the left as you walk along the Canarvon Great Walk. You walk up a decent staircase to get there but about halfway up you can feel the temperature drop and the air becomes fresher.
When you get to the top, it is incredibly lush and green with loads of fern trees and a boardwalk right up to a small waterfall. You can see the moss on the rocks that gives this area its name.
2. The Amphitheatre
This was our second stop on day one, and it was probably my favourite. It is here, after heading through a deep gash in the gorge, that you will get the best views of the signature towering sandstone cliffs.
Stairs to the Amphitheatre
You will head up a steep but safe staircase but the climb is worth it, as you’ll be standing beneath 60-metre yellow sandstone walls, two million years in the making. There are some seats at the top where you can sit and really soak in the wonder.
Looking up in the Amphitheatre
3. The Art Gallery
A place steeped in history. There are more than 2000 engravings, ochre stencils and freehand paintings decorating the 62m-long sandstone walls of the Art Gallery. A site of deep cultural significance to Indigenous people, the local Bidjara and Karingal groups. You can learn about the meaning of the art as you walk along the boardwalk that runs along with it.
The Art Gallery
4. Camping overnight at Big Bend
Another highlight of this adventure. There are only 10 campsites at Big Bend so you will need to book in advance to make sure you get a spot. This also means there won’t be many people around when the sun sets! There were only six of the sites occupied when we stayed, and it was magical.
Our campsite at Big Bend
Big Bend is at the end of the main gorge walking track and most day-hikers turn around before they even make it there. We almost got lost after the main track ended on our way here – so you need to keep a keen eye out for the small orange markers on rocks highlighting the way to go.
There is a natural (very cold) waterhole with beautiful sandstone walls which was the perfect spot to wash off the day’s work and refresh our muscles.
A refreshing dip at Big Bend
There is a toilet at the campground and a picnic table which was nice as we hadn’t carried any chairs with us – the tent and water was heavy enough!
It’s actually the first camping area for those doing the 5-day Carnarvon Great Walk and we had a good chat with some through-hikers – maybe that will be another adventure!
5. Ward’s Canyon
Ward’s Canyon was our first detour on the walk out with fresh legs. A short flight of steps takes you 200m up into a little side gorge, where a small waterfall trickles down the rock wall.
Walking into Ward’s Canyon
Along with being one of the few places you can see the world’s largest fern, the king fern Angiopteris evecta, you’ll notice a rusty tinge in the water as you make your way into the cool gorge. This amazing hue is red algae.
6. Boolimba Bluff
This short hike is not for the faint of heart! We tackled this the day after our overnight camping trip, but the effort was worth the reward!
We had heard the best time to see the views from the top of the bluff was at sunrise so we got up at 4am, grabbed our head torches and headed back into the gorge in the dark and I am so glad we did.
Sunrise at Boolimba Bluff
The Boolimba Bluff just briefly starts on the main gorge track, but quickly detours into an extreme number of stairs which never seem to end – there is even a sign telling you there is a steep ascent ahead but don’t let that deter you. The views are amazing at 200 metres above the gorge floor, but we recommend you dress warmly as you wait for the sun to come up.
It was great to do this 7km return trip after our adventure in the gorge as it gives you an amazing perspective on where you hiked before.
7. Mickey Creek Gorge & Warrumbah Bluff
Well outside the gorge itself, there are still incredible sights to see. The day before heading on our overnight hike, we biked around and headed into Mickey Creek and Warrumbah Bluff.
It starts off as a level path leading through the bush, then it is not long before the track narrows and becomes steeper, at times climbing up the creek bank and then crossing to the other side.
There’s a well-worn path beyond it, following the creek further into the bush – we could only go so far without submerging our feet.
After heading up to Mickey Creek, do yourself a favour and take the fork in the road down the track to Warrumbah Creek Gorge.
Warrumbah Creek Gorge
You will find more of a scramble than a hike but walking over moss covered rocks and climbing makeshift log ladders just adds to the sense of adventure as you go deeper into a narrowing gorge. This was one of my favourite experiences of the trip.
8. A swim in the Rock Pools
There are only a couple of places you can swim in the National Park and the Rock Pools is one of them.
A short 400m walk (over rocks so wear shoes!) will take you to a deep pool that is the perfect spot to cool off in after biking and hiking.
Swimming at the Rocks Pools
You will need to be prepared for this water to be ICY.
Bonus tip: After hiking up Boolimba Bluff first thing in the morning, we decided to give our legs a rest but still wanted to see more. We managed to get a last-minute afternoon spot on a 20-minute scenic helicopter flight over the gorge and it was the best idea ever!
The helicopter doesn’t actually fly over Carnarvon Gorge itself (not allowed by Parks and Wildlife) but seeing the surrounding landscapes was incredible.
Our friendly pilot pointed out various rock formations including the Magnificent Three Sisters and deep narrow gorges filled with tropical plants before heading back to land in the blink of an eye.
Where to stay: We stayed at Takarakka Bush Resort (now known as BIG4 Breeze Holiday Parks Carnarvon Gorge), camping in a larger tent and leaving it all set up while we walked with our light-weight hiking tent into the gorge.
Our campsite at Takarakka
The resort is about 3km from the entry to the Great Walk and has all the amenities you could want. There are also plenty of kitchen and BBQ shelters available so you don’t need to travel with all your cooking gear and it is nice to meet up with people preparing meals and sitting around a campfire.
There is also a creek that runs behind the resort. Apparently you might be able to spot a platypus here but we weren’t that lucky but we did manage to get a refreshing dip at the ‘beach’ end far from where the elusive creatures call home.
Swimming in the creek behind Takarakka
The hot showers are welcome on tired legs after days in the gorge too.
There is also a short walk from the camp grounds up to a lookout that is great for sunset. Take a drink and soak in the serenity!
Sunset at Takarakka
On our last night, we even headed to the Bush Bar for a pre-booked communal roast dinner which capped of a great escape. Not sure if they still do this now it has converted to a BIG4.
Best time to visit: Summer would be a no-go! Aside from the heat, the Gorge itself floods during the wet season and can be closed. We went in mid-September and the daytime temperatures were in the 30s and the nights were cool.
