Carnarvon Gorge

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Carnarvon Gorge is a large gorge of the Great Dividing Range in central Queensland. 30 km in length and protected within the Carnarvon Gorge Section of the Carnarvon National Park, the spectacular gorge consists of a mix of creeks, rugged gorges, canyons, cliffs and rocky valleys.

Stencil art at the Art Gallery, an excellent example of Aboriginal rock art.
Stencil art at the Art Gallery, an excellent example of Aboriginal rock art.

The main waterway through the gorge is called Carnarvon Creek, which forms a network that drains the sandstone plateau know the Consuelo Tableland. The closest towns are Injune and Rolleston.

There is a ten kilometre (10km) extensive system of walking and longer hiking tracks along the gorge, including to places such as the Art Gallery and the Big Bend a huge basalt dike, Wards Canyon, Cathedral Cave, the Amphitheatre and the beautiful Moss Garden.

Aboriginal people didn't live in the gorge, only nearby, as the gorge was considered sacred. The dreamtime stories tell a tale of the Rainbow Serpent which made the gorges.

Ludwig Leichhardt was the first European explorer to pass nearby and make note of the ranges.

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[edit] References

  • Whelan, Howard. (1996). Touching the Spirit. in Australian Geographic #41. pp. 34 - 57. Australian Geographic Society.