Carvarvon Gorge

I'm in Emerald and it's raining and very wet!  The dog's wet.  I'm wet.  The van is wet.  Even the air feels wet.  So what better time to bring the blog up to date and to tell you all about my lovely stay at Carnarvon Gorge.   Despite the fact that it is the Queensland school holidays, I'd managed to get a booking at Sandstone park, a rough camping ground just outside the national park, which provides portaloos (more about them later) and kennels for your dog to stay in during the day.  

Right on, Rolleston Primary School!

Just one of the paddocks on the way to the gorge filled with rows of Leucaena, used to feed cattle

When I arrived at the campground, I was stunned at the location.  My site (No.26 for those who get inspired and want to go there) was huge and had uninterrupted views of the sandstone cliffs of the gorge.  I had three firepits, two trees and amazing views of the sunsets and, in particular, the sun rises.  Apart from the rather severe prickles and grass seeds, Maggie was is heaven since she didn't have to be tied up!  And the portaloos ... I have never been in such clean, sweet-smelling loos EVER!

My plan was to do all the possible walks in and around the gorge and I had booked in for four nights so that I could achieve this.  Maggie was booked into the prison for each of the days ... now don't go feeling sorry for her.  Afterall, I left her with a juicy, big bone every morning and (of course) the people running the campground had fallen in love with her (more of that later) so she was going to get lots of love and attention.  

One of my first jobs when I get home is to find my diary from the 1971 family trip and see what I wrote about the gorge.  I remembered being amazed by the aboriginal art although in my childish memories, the art was much higher up the cliff.  I distinctly recall the numerous creek crossings, sighting a platypus and being told that the cycad palm trees, which have only the common name of Macrozamia (I could have sworn that mum said "macadamia palms"), were over 2000 years old.  Well, the creek crossings are still there and the cycads are definitely over 2000 years old.  I saw another platypus and also realised that many of the carvings are of vulva, something that might have been skimmed over when I was eleven!

Walking along the tracks, I was surrounded by birdsong, although the birds were elusive on the whole.  However, the bush was a delightful mix of carnarvon fan palms, cycads, tall gums and native hibiscus and the walking was relatively easy, with well defined tracks, formed steps and those well placed stones to form the creek crossings.  None of the overkill of the Warrumbungles here!

The Art Gallery was superb.  There are over 2000 stencil art, engravings and paintings, and I found the stencilled hands quite mysterious and powerful - these are imprints from peoples long gone.  Amongst the carvings is the faint outline of a giant serpent, the Rainbow Serpent of the Dreamtime, that is said to have created the gorge.  Carved along a section of the gallery is a repeated motif of female sexuality, the vulva, that made the place feel particularly powerful in a feminine way.  Signs at the entrance explain that the painted net images indicate that burials also occurred in the area, although unfortunately the bones were exhumed and removed ... they are trying to have them returned.

In Wards Canyon, a spring fed a small creek that had carved a narrow cleft in the rocks.  Here, the king tree fern existed (there are 13 of them) - the only place in central Queensland that they grow.

On my second day of walking, I had a lot more luck with the birds ... actually there's just one that I'm REALLY chuffed to have seen since they are quite uncommon, if not rare!  I was walking along when all of a sudden all the birds in the canopies started making a racket.  "Ah huh", said Anthea.  "I bet that's a raptor."  Looking up all I could see was a grey bird dismembering something.  A man walking past said he thought it was just a galah.  Not trusting my feeble eyesight, I took a series of photos and ... it's a Pacific Baza!  

Pheasant coucal

Rock wallaby

Buff-rumped thornbill

Whip-tailed wallaby

The Pacific Baza

Did I mention it was school holidays?  Much as I admire parents bringing their delightful children to national parks, I seemed to spend a bit of time sitting on rocks so that the noisy hordes of brats (usually yelling and screaming) could go on ahead of me.  I only turned into a teacher once ... when some nasty little hooligan was destroying some beautiful orange fungi ... mildly saying to him that it was important not to ruin things since others might like to see them.  The parents glared at me but I smiled back at them ... one to Anthea!  So maybe the word got around but I was able to enjoy the tranquility of the Ampitheatre and the Moss Gardens in peace.

So some more walks and a gorgeous sunrise later, it was time to leave.  When I went to say goodbye to Gail in the office, she showed me the picture she had done of Maggie ... well I had to buy it, didn't I!  I have really enjoyed camping here but I am SO looking forward to a shower.  Apart from coming to Emerald, my plans are now quite fluid since NSW is about to start school holidays too so it's getting quite tricky to find a place to camp.  

Hmmm ... not sure about the lower jaw ... and she does seem rather dirty!  Time for the carwash!