Desktop version
Trip reports, stories, track notes. Multiple/large photos are OK in this forum.

Forum rules

Posting large/multiple images in this forum is OK. Please start topic titles with the name of the location or track.

For topics focussed on photos rather than the trip, please consider posting in the 'Gallery' forum instead.

This forum is for posting information about trips you have done, not for requesting information about a track or area.
Post a reply

Carnarvon Great Walk.

Sat 10 May, 2014 4:48 pm

I recently returned from walking the Carnarvon Great Walk so I thought I'd post a quick report.
DSC_0104.JPG
Day 1, Carnarvon Gorge


I did the walk over six days and according to my GPS covered 112 kilometres, the same GPS told me that the total ascent for the trip was 2741 metres. The k's sound about right, but I think my ascent figure is a bit on the romantic side but anyway that's what it told me. The walk could be completed in less time but you would be walking a 30+ kilometre day somewhere, having travelled from Melbourne to do the walk I was in no hurry.
DSC_0151.JPG
Day 2, The view back to Carnarvon Gorge from Battleship Spur


The Carnarvon Gorge section is on a very well constructed track, once you leave the gorge to climb Battleship Spur, and for a lot of the trip around the tops the track is more of a bushwalking pad. There is one six kilometre section along a management track between Gadd's Camp and West Branch Camp, but as far as four wheel drive tracks go it was pretty painless. The route is well marked with arrows at the important spots.
DSC_0241.JPG
Day 4, Climbing up towards the Consuelo Tableland.


Once leaving Battleship Spur on day two I only encountered one walker until I started to meet day walkers at Boolimba Bluff on day Six at the end of the walk. All the designated camping sites had water (tanks) and I also found surface water every day as well, although sometimes I was poking around well off the track when I found it. There are a fair number of feral pigs in the park so it would probably pay to stick to the tanks unless your sure of the water. Talking to a ranger I met he suggested I camp at Foley's Spring and then on the edge of the Consuelo Tableland just before the track dropped down to Jimmy's Shelf, when I mentioned the official spots on the map, Consuelo Camping Zone and Cabbage Tree Camping Zone he said that as they were "zones" I was free to camp in the general vicinity and that they were primarily water supply points, sounded good to me.
DSC_0295.JPG
Foley's Spring, Camp Day 4


I used the Great Walk Topo map published in 2009. It was reasonably accurate except for the elevation profile, which shows day six as a nice descent with no climbing, in actual fact there's a fair climb up Demon's Ridge. I would assume that the error may have been fixed on newer editions (if there are newer editions). I had no mobile coverage until my camp on the edge of the Conuelo Tableland on the fifth night, where I got good coverage, once dropping off the tableland I didn't get coverage again until I got near Injune on the drive home.
DSC_0328.JPG
The view from my camp on day five, from the edge of the Consuelo Tableland.


The Carnarvon Great Walk is primarily a forest walk not a gorge walk, coming from down south the vegetation was different from what I get around home and I really enjoyed that part of the walk. However if you are a Queenslander it may be too much of what your used to. If you want to check out a more detailed report with heaps of photos here's the link to my journal http://hiking.topicwise.com/doc/Goinfer ... ngreatwalk

Re: Carnarvon Great Walk.

Sat 10 May, 2014 9:17 pm

Thanks for the trip report bigkev.......great pics of the gorge & the wide open country above. 8)
Liked your journal entry too.

Re: Carnarvon Great Walk.

Sun 11 May, 2014 8:15 pm

Thanks for looking at the journal ofuros, I reckon its hard to take a bad picture at Carnarvan, its all pretty spectacular to my eyes.

Re: Carnarvon Great Walk.

Fri 16 May, 2014 9:21 pm

Fantastic photos. Exploring Carnarvon NP outside the gorge has been on my wish list since visiting the gorge in primary school. That 3rd photo is magical. Thanks for sharing.

Re: Carnarvon Great Walk.

Sat 17 May, 2014 7:01 pm

Thanks aussiebushwalking,

The light up the top makes it very easy to take a good photo.
Post a reply