The Adventure Seekers Experience - Discover a whole new world of outback adventure with Adventure Seekers.
No other tour gives you more value for money or introduces you better to the outback way of life, and the beauty and remoteness of Carnarvon National Park. Carnarvon Gorge is a spectacular gorge system of cool rainforest, mosses, ferns and creeks and is situated on the dividing range 720km west of Brisbane. The gorge boasts some of Australia’s best Aboriginal rock art and there are over 20 km of walking tracks that gives us access to these amazing rock art sites as well as water falls, rock pools, amphitheatres, caves and majestic lookouts.
This 5 day outback explorer tour starts on a Monday at 0700am from Brisbane and returns on Friday afternoon 6pm. Each day varies and we walk about 6km to 10km each day. The tracks are graded easy to medium with many creek crossings. We explore the parks many sights including the Moss Garden, the Art Gallery and Cathedral Cave to name a few. The wildlife is plentiful and varied and there are over 170 species of birdlife.
Joining Instruction
At the booking stage of the tour we will provide you with the how, when and where of the tour. This will include booking information, personal equipment list, our environmental policy for the National Park, travel and accommodation information.
Important Information
In winter months the region is exposed to warm days and cool nights, therefore please bring appropriate clothing. Our journey will take 9 – 10 hours each way.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Departing Brisbane at 07:00am our first stop is Picnic Point at Toowoomba at approx 0900am. An appropriate place to have a cuppa, Picnic Point has magnificent lookouts over the city and the Lockyer Valley. At 10:00am we pull in to Jondaryan Woolshed for a guided tour. Jondaryan Woolshed was built in 1859 and it is even older than the state of Queensland itself. The site also features historic buildings, machinery and equipment collections.
From Jondaryan we pass through the country town of Dalby and on to Chinchilla. Chinchilla is 300km from Brisbane and is a small thriving community reliant on coal and gas exploration as well as cotton and broad – acre farming. We stop here for lunch. The next town on our journey is Roma. It was in Roma that Australia’s very first oil and gas site was discovered. Roma is also famous for its weekly cattle sales, the largest in Australia. Also we take note of the numerous bottle trees growing in the town, each a memorial to the soldiers of the town who lost their lives in the great war of 1914 – 1918.
After stopping at Roma briefly; we depart for Arcadia Valley Escape via the town of Injune. Injune is a small rural town, its population is of about 450 and its main industry is beef cattle production, timber milling and more recently oil and gas production. A ˝ hour up the road we turn off into Lonesome National Park to a lookout where we are rewarded by views over the Arcadia Valley and Expedition National Park.
Continuing through Lonesome National Park we shortly arrive at the homestead of Arcadia Valley Retreat (a working cattle property), for night 1 of a 2 night farm stay. On arrival our host Rowan will whip up a magnificent camp oven dinner for us.
Day 2: It begins with a 4WD property tour of Sunnyholt Ranch. Sunnyholt is a working beef cattle station. We explore the farms fabulous landscape and learn about farming methods and sustainable agriculture. The afternoon can be spent swimming, fishing, bird watching or maybe just relaxing and reading a book.
Day 3: On day 3 we drive to the visitor centre at Carnarvon Gorge where the main track starts. Our destination today is Big Bend, situated 10km deep into the canyon. We will be camping tonight at a remote campsite beside Carnarvon Creek below the towering cliffs of the gorge. Our first major site at the 4km mark tucked away inside the walls of the gorge is the Amphitheatre. The Amphitheatre is 55 to 60 metres deep and has been created over millions of years by swift running water.
Following lunch we walk to today’s furthest site, Cathedral Cave. Cathedral Cave is an enormous overhanging wall, used as a natural shelter by aboriginal people for thousands of years. Aboriginal engravings, stencil art and freehand paintings are abundant here. From Cathedral Cave we cross the creek and set up our remote camp at Big Bend.
Day 4: After breakfast a short walk to Boowinda Gorge where you will be awestruck as we take time to explore this fascinating water sculptured gorge. We then visit the gorge’s most significant site of Aboriginal rock imagery, the Art Gallery. The Art Gallery has over two thousand engravings, paintings and stencil artworks.
Ward’s Canyon is our next site and it is here in a beautiful side gorge where a tiny community of rare King Ferns flourish. From Ward’s Canyon we walk to the Moss Garden where a lush carpet of mosses and ferns grow. Water constantly escapes from the gorges sandstone walls creating a cooler and idyllic environment for these plants to thrive. From the visitor centre it is a short 4km drive to our last night’s campsite at Takarakka Resort.
Day 5: This morning we strike camp and pack the vehicle for our return journey to Brisbane. We retrace our journey in and arrive in Brisbane at about 6pm, Friday night.
Your tour costs are based on joining from Brisbane and include the following:
- Complimentary Adventure Seekers T/Shirt.
- Free pick up from Brisbane CBD.
- 4WD travel to Carnarvon Gorge and return back to Brisbane.
- Jondaryan Woolshed tour.
- 2 night homestead farm stay at Arcadia Valley Escape.
- Property tour of a working cattle farm.
- Camp oven dinners.
- All food and snacks from day 1 lunch to day 5 lunch.
- Emergency first aid kits – emergency use.
- Satellite Telephone & UHF radios – emergency use.
- Experienced Guides & interpretation.
- All cooking and eating equipment.
- Tent accommodation, sleeping bags & bedding.
- Max 7 clients.
- National Park Passes.
- Fun.
- Beautiful scenery.
Price Excludes:
- Your travel to and from Brisbane to join the tour
- Personal travel insurance
- Accommodation, food or beverages before and after your tour
- Personal equipment list.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Tours depart on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each Month from April to the end of October.
Also see tour packages in:
Australia and Oceania
Australia
Outdoor: Land Rambler
Hiking & Trekking
Cultural Journey
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