As mentioned in part 1, we ended up in Gladstone with a broken car and we ended up being there for a week. Even though we were on foot for the week we still managed to see a few things as well as do some planning on places we want to see as we continue our travels.
The show grounds in Gladstone are a nice place to camp, cheaper than the caravan parks with all the facilities. From there it was an easy walk to the shops for supplies and a few restaurants. A bit further away was the waterfront area which has a great park area with a playground and water park for the kids. Further along the park is the HMAS Gladstone, an outdoor cinema and maritime museum.
Another spot nearby the showgrounds was a park with a small lake. The kids loved the lake which had heaps of turtles and ducks.
Finally getting our car back on Friday 7 October we hooked up the camper and headed to the small town of Bluff where we stayed for 4 nights. From there we spent 2 days exploring Blackdown Tablelands and a day checking out the coal centre and museum in Blackwater.
The pub in Bluff is a great place to camp. $10 a night with toilets and showers, great meals and even free use of a washing machine.
Blackdown Tablelands is breathtaking, waterfalls, rockpools and lookouts galore.
On the 1st day there we had a quick look through the campground which looked pretty empty even though it showed as booked out on the parks website and then on to Gudda Gumoo gorge where we did a 4km return hike to the rock pools above the falls. Cool refreshing water and a couple of small but deep rock pools to have a dip in. The water is crystal clear and a bit of a shock when you first get in but so refreshing. There is even a very short tunnel between two of the holes you can swim through. We relaxed there for a while and the boys played them headed back to the car to make lunch.
After lunch we did the 4wd track around the western side of the plateau which was a nice easy drive but definitely for 4wd only as there are a few rougher climbs. On the drive around we saw lots of different sandstone formations and one of the spectacular lookouts.
Returning to the main Rd heading out, we stopped at yaddamen dhina lookout for some more photos before heading back to camp.
The next morning we headed back to Blackdown Tablelands early and back to Gudda Gumoo gorge. This time to go down the 240 stairs to the base of the falls. We did not do this the day before as our 3 year-old was at his hiking limit already.
The falls, just like the rock pools the day before were beautiful and cool. A lovely big pool at the base of the falls to swim in. As we got there early we even had it to ourselves for a while anyway.
After a swim we made our way back to the car for lunch then back to camp for the afternoon and for me to to watch the end of the Bathurst 1000 on tv ( priorities!!!).
Our 3rd day staying in bluff we went to the coal centre and museum in Blackwater. A great facility with a nice cafe.
The museum was good with lots of great information and visual displays. We spent half the day there and grabbed lunch at the cafe before heading back to camp for a relaxing afternoon.
Tuesday morning it was time to pack up and head to the much anticipated Carnarvon gorge for 4 nights. Its about a 3 hour drive from Bluff to the gorge and we arrived at the caravan Park at about 1pm.
It is a great park although a bit pricey at $48a night for an unpowered site but there isn’t any other options close by so it’s a captive market for them. The facilities are nice and they have a video in the bar area each after about the walks and the gorge which is great for the new arrivals. During our stay we had echidnas wander past our camp and also saw a platypus in the creek bordering the caravan Park.
That 1st afternoon after setting up we headed to the national parks info centre and did the short nature trail which is about 1.5km and follows the creek down and back.
One unwelcome seasonal inhabitant of the area are the fruit bars by the millions. Thankfully they slept on the other side of the caravan Park to us but at dusk they all departed and at dawn returned. This did make for an awesome sight but the droppings on the car and camper not so welcome.
On Wednesday we all went off to do the Mickey creek gorge walk which also included warrumbah gorge. From the carpark we headed up to the intersection of the track where it forks to either gorge. We headed to warrumbah gorge 1st. Once you get to the sign saying end of formed track, keep going into the gorge. Warrumbah gorge is a beautiful, narrow gorge that leads up about 700m or so until the going got a bit to tricky for us to continue.
We then headed back to the intersection and took the other fork up to Mickey creek gorge. This one as far as we got is wider and involved more rock scrambling to get through.
After a rest and some snacks we slowly made our way back to the carpark. The kids did really well and in total we walked about 4-5km.
After lunch back at camp we made our way out again to do the short walk to the rock pool for a swim. The designated rock pool for swimming did not look inviting to us as it was surrounded with reeds and a bit stagnant. We followed the track a little further and came across a crossing with a deeper part next to it. We decided to dip our feet in there instead. On the way back we saw some turtles in the creek but no platypus yet.
Thursday we were up early as I was to do the main walk by myself while the rest of the family stayed behind and we would swap and she would do the walk on Friday as it is way to far for our young boys.
I started up the track at about 7.30am and quickly got into a comfortable rhythm plodding down the track in peace and quiet. As was recommended, I planned to head straight out as far as I planned to go and then do all the side walks into the individual gorges and sites on the way back. I wasn’t sure how far I would go as I hadn’t done much hiking in recent years and am very out of shape, however I arrived at the turn off to the art gallery by 9am feeling good apart from some slight soreness in my legs. This way 4.5km in and the choice was to stop here and to the 4 side areas on the way back or continue on another 4.5km to boowinda gorge and cathedral cave. It was still early and I was feeling good so off I went continuing on to the last two sites.
The further up the gorge you go the more frequent the creek crossings become. They were all fairly straightforward with solid stepping stones to cross them without getting wet feet.
I reached the entrance to boowinda gorge at around 1030am and headed into it before stopping for a nice break in the shade and something to eat.
After a rest and taking some photos, I started back down the track and headed to the 1st stop on the way back which is cathedral cave. It is not a deep cave but ore a large overhang that was used as a meeting place for the local indigenous people. There is some beautiful rock art there however unfortunately in the past people have, in places also seen the need to scrape their names into the sandstone. I just don’t get why people feel the need to do this sort of thing. It damages the sacred locations and ruins it for the rest of us.
From there it was 4km back to the next side track to the art gallery, but on the way there is an awesome rock pool with clear views of the escarpment walls looking down from above. I stopped there for a rest and some photos of course.
By the time I reached the turn off to the art gallery I was starting to get a bit tired and my legs were definitely feeling it, but I had come this far and wanted to make the most of the day and see as much as possible so up I went. Another great spot with indigenous art in a sheltered overhang.
From there I headed back to the main track and only a short distance to the turn off to wards canyon. After already doing 16km or so, the steps up to wards canyon are a bit of a killer……. But buy is it worth it. This is an amazingly beautiful spot with a small creek running through it and luscious green ferns growing on the side. The rock in part overhangs enough to almost make a bit of a tunnel into the canyon. I spent a bit of time there enjoying the atmosphere and taking pictures before it was time to get moving again if I wanted to get to the other 2 sites before it got to late.
The next stop was the amphitheatre. Created by water slowly running down through cracks in the sandstone and washing it away from thre bottom to form the amphitheatre.
The entrance is a narrow gap in the rock well above the outside ground level, thankfully stairs have been put in. Passing through the narrow section where the water also drains it, I exited into a huge open top cavern or Amphitheatre. I was lucky enough to be the only one in there at the time and it was so peaceful, almost silent.
I sat there for a bit but probably shouldn’t have as my joints and muscles complained immensely when I got up again and headed off, back to the main track and then to the last stop of the moss garden.
Another magic place with as the name suggests, moss, as well as lots of ferns and other plants. At the end of the track is a boardwalk area right in front of a small waterfall. I quickly took a few pics and headed off again as there was a lot of mossies there.
There is one more side track on this walk which takes you up to the bluff above the start of the gorge walk but there was no way I was doing that with its 900 stairs at this stage of the day. Instead I kept heading back towards the start and finally arrived at 3.45pm absolutely wrecked. I ached from head to toe but it was well and truly worth it. In total the track including all the side bits to each of the locations was 24km.
This is such an amazing hike, everyone who enjoys the outdoors at all should come and do it at least once.
I definitely slept well that night.
Next morning we were up early again and I dropped the wife off to do the main walk and I stayed behind with the kids. She also did an amazing job and did the full 24km seeing all the sights. Back at camp us boys had fun riding the 4 wheel bikes around the park and played before having a campfire in the afternoon to cook a nice roast chicken and veggies for dinner.
Saturday morning it was time to pack again and head off to our next stop which would be Emerald.
Thats the end of part 2. Look for part 3 soon when we continue west to Emerald, Longreach and Winton
A Love of Adventures 