Ward's Canyon, Carnarvon Gorge If you haven’t already, put Carnarvon Gorge on your touring MUST DO LIST!
Well, as I am writing this, I realise just how long it’s been since our last getaway! Well 2 weeks ago, we did it.
We love our business and live it with a passion, our staff are also keen campers and love to get away under the stars! Having our own business though, as some of you may already know, can be difficult in pencilling in time to have a break. Being in the touring industry and dealing with customers every day who have been many places and travelled far and wide is great motivation to get that pencil out and mark a holiday break into the calendar.
In June we decided to do just that, booking a round trip in September to Bunya Mountains, Carnavon Gorge then Cania Gorge before heading home.
We returned back to work last week after that much needed break and wanted to share it with you in the hope that if you have not yet been to Carnavon Gorge, IT’S A MUST!
First stop though, Bunya Mountains!
Well, as I am writing this, I realise just how long it’s been since our last getaway! Well 2 weeks ago, we did it.
We love our business and live it with a passion, our staff are also keen campers and love to get away under the stars! Having our own business though, as some of you may already know, can be difficult in pencilling in time to have a break. Being in the touring industry and dealing with customers every day who have been many places and travelled far and wide is great motivation to get that pencil out and mark a holiday break into the calendar.
In June we decided to do just that, booking a round trip in September to Bunya Mountains, Carnavon Gorge then Cania Gorge before heading home.
We returned back to work last week after that much needed break and wanted to share it with you in the hope that if you have not yet been to Carnavon Gorge, IT’S A MUST!
First stop though, Bunya Mountains!
Dandabah Campground, Bunya Mountains
Bunya Mountains Approximately 2.5hrs from Brisbane or the Sunshine Coast, the Bunya Mountains is a mix of moist rainforest, dry rainforest, grasslands, open forests and woodlands cover the mountains with an abundance of wallabies and birdlife.
They do not recommend caravan or large vehicles to access the mountains due to the steep, narrow and windy roads.
We stayed at the Dandabah campground, the only campground which you can drive and park next to your site, a necessity for our set up. Our kitchen pantry and fridge is located on one side of our vehicle. We also use one of our freestanding tables under our custom awning that I totally love! Its size is double the length of other awnings and can remain on the car or be clipped off with ease.
There are plenty of bushwalks in Bunya and of varying degrees of difficulty. We managed to squeeze in a few short walks amongst bird feeding and rain.
Being located where it is, Bunya Mountain makes are good destination for long weekends or travelling through to inland destinations.
With heavy rainfall the last evening, the roads to our next confirmed destination was flooded so we made a stop off to Jondarryn Woolshed for an overnight stay.
Being here as a child myself, it brought back many fond childhood memories. The open paddock shared with sheep along a windy creek was a very picturesque way to spend an unplanned stop. And at only $22 for the family, we were stoked!
Next stop, the breathtaking Carnarvon Gorge.
Camping at Jondaryan Woolshed
| For our stay at Carnarvon, we stayed at Takkarakka Bush Resort & Caravan Park, located just a 5 minutes drive from the mouth of the gorge where the walking tracks begin. Please be sure to check in with the ranger at the visitor centre for the most current and up to date weather forecast before proceeding to do the bushwalks. We were lucky enough to see Carnarvon after some rain (and as you will see in a photo later, and during rainfall too). Being a gorge, the creek crossings can rise quickly, so stay safe! Broc, myself and our 2 children walked 13.5kms on our second day (we think our kids are legends for that). The many creek crossings made it fun for the kids and kept them excited along the way. We visited the Art Gallery, Ward’s Canyon and the Amphitheatre and thought we better cut it there so the kids had some energy to make it back before dark. We took our time, rock hopping and taking each site in. It took us a good 7.5hrs with the kids. Make sure to take a packed lunch, lots of water and snacks and be sure to take your rubbish with you! |  Rock hopping through Carnarvon Gorge |
The photos shown here just do not do the place justice. It is amazing! The feel of the place is so welcoming and pristine and I sure felt overwhelmed at times with feelings of such purity, you just have to go and feel it for yourself!
| The following day we awoke to the road in and out of Takkarakka to be flooded after receiving approx. 50ml of rain overnight. This made the national parks inaccessible. I believe though that everyone there understood, the area was really needing a good soaking. It brought about a sense of community within the caravan park and happy hour on the deck started early that day! With sadness, we left Carnarvon Gorge, we really could have stayed another week! Our holiday though still was not over, so we set off to Cania Gorge near Monto. |  Road in to Takkarakka Bush Resort & Caravan Park |
Overhang Rock, Cania Gorge Much to the kids delight, we opted to stay at the Big 4 caravan park for our last 2 nights of our holiday (note to new travelers; leave the water park caravan parks to the last of your road trip, some may call it bribery, I just like to call it lucky last)!
The caravan park is one of the best big 4’s we have seen. With large unpowered sites, spread out, I don’t even think they would run out of space even in peak holiday times (though don’t hold me to that). We could have a campfire and as it was the Queensland School Holidays, a movie played each night. They also have bird feeding each night at 5pm and the best water park ever (kids words) with a two storey water slide (built for the big kids too) a little kiddy play area and 3 pools!
The caravan park is one of the best big 4’s we have seen. With large unpowered sites, spread out, I don’t even think they would run out of space even in peak holiday times (though don’t hold me to that). We could have a campfire and as it was the Queensland School Holidays, a movie played each night. They also have bird feeding each night at 5pm and the best water park ever (kids words) with a two storey water slide (built for the big kids too) a little kiddy play area and 3 pools!
Even with the fun to be had at the caravan park, somehow we managed to convince the kids to go for more bushwalks around Cania Gorge to Overhang Rock and Dragon Cave, not to mention finishing off by more water park fun.
After 2 nights of Cania Gorge, although we could still be away even to this day, it was nice to go home to see our 2 furry babies waiting happily for us.
Until next time, we hope we have inspired you to pencil in your next holiday and we hope to see you on the road, or around a campfire sometime soon!
HAPPY CAMPING!
- Broc & Stace
After 2 nights of Cania Gorge, although we could still be away even to this day, it was nice to go home to see our 2 furry babies waiting happily for us.
Until next time, we hope we have inspired you to pencil in your next holiday and we hope to see you on the road, or around a campfire sometime soon!
HAPPY CAMPING!
- Broc & Stace
Overhang Rock, Cania Gorge
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