Carnarvon Gorge

Carnarvon Gorge cuts thirty kilometres into the sandstone of the Consuelo Tableland, its white cliffs up to two hundred metres high enclosing a creek lined with cabbage palms, river oaks and ferns, and side gorges holding relict species left over from wetter times: king ferns, cycads and mosses that survive in permanently shaded slots. The main track follows the creek, crossing it repeatedly on stepping stones, with side trips to the Amphitheatre, a chamber reached by a ladder through a crack, the Moss Garden, Ward's Canyon and Aljon Falls. The gorge holds some of Australia's most significant rock art, with stencils, engravings and ochre paintings at the Art Gallery and Cathedral Cave sites.

History

Some researchers think Aboriginal people did not live in the gorge permanently, for defence or for lack of food, others that it was too sacred to live in, and Dreaming stories tell of the Rainbow Serpent that made the gorges and still lives in their waterholes. Ludwig Leichhardt passed nearby in 1844 on his way to Port Essington, and Thomas Mitchell, passing to the west two years later, named the Carnarvon Range; reports of good grass and water brought settlers and a period of bloody conflict with the Aboriginal people (Wikipedia, Carnarvon Gorge).

What's there

• The rock art - extensive stencils and engravings at the Art Gallery and Cathedral Cave.
• The Amphitheatre - a hidden chamber entered by ladder through a cleft.
• The Moss Garden - a permanently damp side gorge of ferns and moss.
• The palm-lined creek - cabbage palms and cycads along the main track.

When to go

April to September for cool walking; summer is very hot and the access road can be cut by rain. The full main track plus side trips is around twenty kilometres in a day. Winter nights are cold, occasionally near freezing.

Before you go

The last stretch of road is unsealed and crosses creeks that flood, sometimes closing access for days. Accommodation is limited to a campground and two lodges, booked well ahead, especially in school holidays. There is no fuel or shop at the gorge itself.

Nearby

Rolleston and Injune are the nearest towns; the Gemfields lie north.

Key facts