4 September 2012 - Takarakka Bush Resort, Gorge Section - Carnarvon National Park, Queensland

We were on the main gorge walking track before 7 am this morning, sometimes heading up high along the banks of the Carnarvon Creek and often crossing it on big stable rocks placed for just such purpose. The formal track winds up the gorge for 9.7 kilometres, however we turned off it after 5.2 kilometres and took the side track up into the Art Gallery, a 62 metre long sandstone wall adorned by 2,000 engravings, ochre stencils and free hand paintings. Needless to say this is a significant Aboriginal site and one of the very best of its kind. Unlike those near Laura on Cape York, there were no signs forbidding photography so I exercised my newly refreshed camera. Yesterday it had died on me however once plugged in to the power supply, I found it was just a matter of battery power. Thank goodness for that!

Exhibits in the Art Gallery

 We returned to the main track and set off back toward the car park from whence we had started, turning off yet again on the side track to Ward’s Canyon. This is a small but very beautiful side gorge, home to the world’s largest fern, the King Fern otherwise known as Angiopteris Evecta. Unlike the tree fern which stands tall on a straight trunk and then sprouts its fronds at the top, this has a very short almost non-existent trunk and fronds each measuring up to five metres long. The steep sides of the gorge are impressive enough even without this oasis of creek and natural garden.

Back on the main track again and on down to the next side track to the Ampitheatre, a sixty metre deep chamber gouged from the rock by running water and hidden inside the walls of a gorge. The towering stone walls create an awe inspiring atmosphere within and also offer brilliant acoustics which Chris proved by a short rendition of “God Save the Queen”. It was in this chamber, but before Chris’ performance, that we met a foursome of chaps setting out on The Great Walk that can be enjoyed here in the park. This is not for the fainthearted and probably not for these four who looked like they had taken a week from their office jobs. One told us that he had told his small son he was off into the desert for a week and no doubt it will feel like it.

Walking up through the Gorge

The next and last side trip was up into the Moss Garden, situated in a narrow gorge where water drips constantly from the sandstone walls. Here is another oasis but this time a carpet of mosses, ferns and liverworts. Beneath this sight, a small waterfall tumbles over a rock ledge into an icy pool.  It was all very pretty however of the four attractions we had elected to visit, this was the one I would have omitted had I had to make such a decision.

A track to the Boolimba Bluff leaves the main track close to the Moss Garden and I was keen to do this as well, however I also had to concede that an otherwise fabulous walk of fourteen kilometres would be spoilt with exhaustion if this were added to it. Instead we decided to leave that for tomorrow and extend our stay at this lovely camp for a further day; wise for our health and well-being although perhaps not so wise for the pocket.

Pretty Wards Canyon

Our packed lunch had been whittled away during the entire morning and there was little of it left to finish back at the Visitors Centre, seated at a picnic table surrounded by languid Eastern Grey Kangaroos and Pretty Faced Wallabies, and the myriad of birdlife. Back on the road to camp we popped into yet another short walk to the Rock Pool. Here we had to cross the Creek yet again, this time on some submerged rocks however practice had made perfect and I did not fall in despite my protests. I had intended to check out the rock pool for platypus that are currently enjoying their mating season and apparently so horny, they are oblivious to the fact they should only venture out in the late afternoon or early morning. I stood by the pool and watched the swifts darting about and into their nests in the rocks, and gazed into the attractive pool and thought about swimming, but totally forgot the real reason for having come to the pool until I was back in the landcruiser. Exhausted after all!

Back at camp, now nearly 3 pm, the temperature is somewhere up about 28 degrees, a far cry from the cold 10 degrees we set off in this morning. Many more campers have arrived, and many have decided like us to stay a little longer. The birds are noisy all about and we are enjoying a very relaxing end to what has been an excellent day.

Tonight at 7 pm there is to be a slide presentation outdoors where we enjoyed our lecture last night. We are looking forward to that