There’s only one walking track in the Carnarvon Gorge. It follows the Carnarvon Creek 9.6 km upstream to the Big Bend. Off the Main Track, there are diversions to the Moss Garden, the Amphitheatre, the Art Gallery, the Cathedral Cave and Boowinda Gorge. So it’s about 22 km round trip, 6 hours 30 mins for us.
Animals of Carnarvon Gorge – Swamp Wallaby, Platypus, Echidna, EmuAt the start of the Carnarvon Gorge hike, crossing the Carnarvon Creek When you first enter the Gorge, there are many CycadsThe Gorge is so different to the semi-arid land outside with its tree frens, cycads and palmsWalking into the Gorge The Strangler Fig has a good grip on this rockBeneath the Fern Tree a small waterfall spills into the pool at the Moss GardenPath to the AmphitheatreYou climb this ladder to enter the Amphitheatre …… a 60m deep chamber in the rockBird, flower and butterfly Creek crossing number 4Looking up at the cliffs deeper into the GorgeAnother Creek crossing Bidjara and Karingbal people made sophisticated stencils in the Art Gallery from at least 3500 years agoArt Gallery stencils tell the stories of the local peopleEntrance to Boowinda Gorge which runs off the main Carnarvon GorgeBoowinda is an indigenous word meaning “thunder”; the gorge has been sculptured by waterThe Cathedral Cave – for centuries people gathered here in large numbers In the center is a stencilled image of a rifle, a record contact with the settlersThe turn around point at Big Bend, 9.6 km from the Visitors Center There are 17 Creek crossings using stepping stones on the walk
Thursday 13 August 2020: Carnarvon Gorge
Boolimba Bluff is 6.8 km return with 300 (some reports say 900) steps and a few ladders to climb so it’s best done as a separate walk. It took us 2 hours.
Today’s wallaby photoThere’s 300 rugged steps and a few ladders to climb to reach Boolimba BluffBoolimba Bluff, 200m above Carnarvon CreekPuddle hollows on the Bluff, about 180 million years old formed by slow moving water on fine sandThe descent took almost as long as the climbA sandstone cave on the climb/descent
The Rock Pool is a short, 600m return walk from the road to the Visitors Center, before Carnarvon Gorge.
The Rock Pool, carved from the bed of Carnarvon Creek by past floods
Another short walk (3.5 km return) from the main road takes you to Mickey’s Creek and Warrumbah Gorge. The micro climate inside to cool and damp encouraging ferns, mosses and orchids.
Brilliant-green ferns adorn the walls and floors of this picturesque gorge Sunlight only penetrates for a short time so the gorge is cool even on the hottest daysWarrumbah Gorge where you can stretch your arms to touch both walls of the GorgeAnimals can smell the damper cooking at the campsite
