Carnarvon Gorge has been on my 'to do list' for over
twenty years and as some of you will know I finally made
it in June this year (2011). It was great! The landscape,
scenery, colours, aboriginal art and walks were
absolutely awesome – wow, it was breathtaking. It
was heaps of fun visiting the rural towns of the Burnett
along the way and I was
also given fantastic weather which just helped to top of
an amazing trip.
So as always - this got me thinking of how I could share
this with others and organise a fun trip away. And what
developed? A Bushranger Bikes ‘Short Break’ with a
difference – a Tag
Along Outback Road Trip -
Bushies
Burnett Bash
- a multi day adventure tour of the South
Burnett and Burnett Regions of Central Queensland with
caravans, camper trailers, motor homes or your car and
tent!
The plan is to put together a fantastic trip for Winter
- Spring 2012 (June through to September) when the rains
are gone, the weather is usually great, temperatures are
pleasant and the wild flowers are thinking about coming
out - brilliant! Off course we will be avoiding school holidays (not an ideal
time for a relaxing adults adventure trip away) and
other peak times to ensure the parks aren't crowded and
the trip is relaxing and enjoyable.
Sunrise at Lower Wonga
The Trip
Plan.......
There’s big fun to be had in small numbers….
Bushranger has organised a great itinerary that provides an overarching
guide for this trip. Individuals can set their own pace
and opt in and out of activities and meet up when and
where they wish along the way. Even though we are calling it a
‘Tag Along Tour’ we don’t have to (and shouldn’t) travel
in close convoy and everyone can plan and run to their
own travel pace, sightseeing preferences, tourist and rest stops -
the plan is we can meet up for coffee and food, share
some bushwalks and all end up at the same accommodation each
night for some socialising.
The trip focuses on the South Burnett and Burnett Regions of
Central Queensland with accommodation booked at three
fantastic locations:
-
Cania Gorge just north of Monto – awesome scenery
and big red cliffs and escarpments.
-
Carnarvon Gorge – awesome scenery and landscape, big
white limestone cliffs and gorges, aboriginal art
and history, wildlife, and a number of bushwalk
options depending on what you feel like doing, fitness levels and the time
available.
-
Moffatdale/Bjelke-Petersen
Dam – wine & produce region and great scenery, very
relaxing.
Towns along the way
include Kilkivan, Goomeri, Gayndah, Eidsvold, Monto,
Biloela, Moura, and Rolleston - plenty of attractions
and things to see, visit, do and buy!
Bushranger will provide a travel kit that will highlight daily driving
distances, provide some information on things to see
along the way, suggested rest stops and tips on supply
stops (the best country butcher, great coffee stops,
gourmet ice cream, roadside produce, a country IGA that
has it all), caravan/rig friendly bottle shops, cheap
fuel locations, and maybe some short distance hand held
radios for close communication.
There
is some bushwalking planned at both Cania and Carnarvon
Gorges and people can either tackle these as a group or
information will be provided so you can organise your
own walks.
Additionally a first nights ‘Welcome Camp Dinner’ will be provided
by Bushranger, as will the first nights camp location at
our property at Lower Wonga on the Bunya Highway just
north of Gympie, and a sunset wine. There will be another free/cheap
roadside camp on the return leg, the remaining nights
will be at tourist parks where there will be powered
sites, tent sites, en-suited sites and a range of cabins
available. Bushranger will book all the accommodation and some
indicative costs are outlined below.
The Moss Garden –
Carnarvon Gorge
What’s It Going To Cost?
Bushranger is charging $145 per person to organise the tour -
provide an itinerary, book accommodation, provide a
detailed trip plan and travel info,
suggest
tourist options, put some activities together, plus the few extras
outlined above. Individuals will need to
cover the cost of their fuel, food, accommodation, and
everything/anything else, plus plan and cook their meals
etc.
Some
details of the additional costs (as at Spring 2011):
2 nights at Cania Gorge – Powered site - $28 - $32 per night per
couple. Extra adult* - $10.
2 nights at Carnarvon Gorge – Powered site - $41 per night per
couple. Extra adult* - $17.
1 night at Bjelke-Petersen
Dam/Moffatdale - Powered site - $25 - $28
per night per couple. Extra adult* $8.50.
There
are un-powered sites (cheaper) and a range of villas, cabins and
safari tents (more expensive) available and I can provide prices on request.
If you would like to join this trip but don't have a home on wheels
or a tent then Bushranger has two small easy pitch tents
and air mattresses available for $25 each for the trip.
These are spacious for one person.
* This
could be a tent sharing a site with a caravan.
E-mail
info@bushrangerbikes.com.au
for information and booking details.
Limestone Gorge - Carnarvon
An Overview of the Itinerary:
Day 1 -
Meet at our property at Lower Wonga on the Bunya Highway
north of Gympie at middayish and set up camp. Afternoon
activities/options: a backroads bus tour to an amazing
historic road/rail bridge, a beer at a real country pub,
a quiet wine on an awesome bluff, breathtaking sunset
and a ‘welcome along’ tour dinner around the fire.
Day 2 –
Depart Lower Wonga after breakfast and travel up the
road to our favourite butcher - perfect for
organising the meat supplies for the rest of this trip.
There is also a great coffee shop in town for that early
travellers hit plus they sell fantastic gourmet ice
cream - just the treat for after dinner tonight.
Roadside stalls are a feature on this part of the trip
where pumpkins and citrus fruit are in plentiful supply
so some more produce shopping could be fun.
There are a few
tourist attractions in the towns along the way so you
may want to check these out or make a note of which ones
you want to see on the return journey in a few days
time.
At Monto, 24kms
before Cania Gorge, there is the opportunity for a look
around town and purchasing some final provisions before
rolling into our camp at Cania Gorge - today's
destination. The plan is to be there mid afternoon, set
up camp and head out on a 5.5km (2.5 - 3hr) walk at
3:00PM to take in the gorge views and setting sun.
There are shorter walk options starting at 20 minutes
duration.
Day 3 - This
is a day of exploration around Cania Gorge. There
are some great short walks to amazing natural
attractions and lookouts as well as Cania Dam to visit.
A picnic lunch at the Dam is a great way to relax in the
middle of the day and to get into the 'relaxing' pace of
this trip.
The bird life at
Cania is fantastic and you will be entertained by the
antics of the Apostle Birds during the day and drift off
to sleep with the haunting calls of owls!
Misty Morning -
Bjelke-Petersen
Dam
Day 4 –
Depart Cania Gorge early morning and head for Carnarvon
Gorge. Big open country vistas are a feature of
this section of the road as are the paddocks full of
Bottle Trees along the way.
Bushranger will provide information on fuel stops and
maybe a bottle shop or two in case you need to top up on
some supplies to ease the tired walking muscles in the
evenings.
The
mines at Moura are an interesting sight along the way.
Once
again my aim is to arrive at Carnarvon mid afternoon and
head out on a 6.5km (3 hr) walk at 3:00PM to a lookout
for some spectacular evening views. There are
closer walks and a lookout above the Tourist Park for
something less strenuous.
The
last 10 - 15kms into Carnarvon are gravel road in good
condition however there are 2 or 3 creek crossings where
you will need to take some care. Ordinary 2WD
vehicles and caravans won't be a problem unless there
has been recent rain.
Day 5 – This is a day of
exploration at Carnarvon Gorge. The walking
options range from an hour or two right up to a full day
and 22kms distance up to
Big Bend. For those not so keen on this kind of distance there are a couple of
prominent landscape features part way up the gorge that
are a more achievable distance and not to be missed.
Plans
can be discussed and explored over the previous nights
dinner.
At the
end of the day dropping in for a cool beer at the
Wilderness Lodge is a must!
Day 6 –
Depart Carnarvon Gorge early morning and start on
our return journey south east.
You
will have the opportunity to drop in and check out some of
those places that you noted but by-passed on the way up
as well as check out the towns, grab a coffee or two and
replenish any supplies.
The
destination today is a free or cheap roadside camp or
Show Ground at roughly midway between Carnarvon and
Moffatdale to spread the driving distance and take the
time pressure off. There are a couple of different
options and we can set the final plans over dinner and a
drink the previous night.
Day 7 –
Depart our camp and head for Goomeri and then out
to our accommodation destination -
Bjelke-Petersen
Dam at Moffatdale in South Burnett.
Once again I'm aiming to
be at the Tourist Park early to mid afternoon and after
setting up camp head out to check out one or two
vineyards. This area has many wineries plus local
produce so a fun and relaxing afternoon is on the
agenda.
The Tourist Park overlooks
the Dam with water views so a nice spot to do some
shorts strolls or relax in the sun with a book or the
paper. The Park store also has a good range of
supplies.
This being our final night
(although those without time constraints may wish to
spend an additional night here so they can fit in some
more wineries or check out some of the close towns) I'm
sure we will have a fun dinner and evening.
Day 8 - For those departing today there are a few different
route options for the trip home including through
Nanango, or back through Goomeri, Lower Wonga and
Gympie, or maybe Murgon, Wondai and Kingaroy.
Plenty to think about and I'm sure plenty of fun
memories to reflect upon.
For us it will be Lower
Wonga and a check on the farm before we head back to
Brisbane.
Sunset – Lower Wonga
E-mail
info@bushrangerbikes.com.au
for information and booking details.
