Canarvon Great Walk Queensland anybody?

[Earthling]

Wondering if anybody has completed the Canarvon Great Walk in Queensland.
Looking at doing it next couple of weeks.
Thoughts?

[tasadam]

My last visit there was (about) 21 years and two weeks ago.
Sorry, can't remember, and I dare say they've probably changed things a bit.
I remember lots of nice gorges.

[Earthling]

My last visit there was (about) 21 years and two weeks ago.
Sorry, can't remember, and I dare say they've probably changed things a bit.
I remember lots of nice gorges.

Yep...I reckon its changed

http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/parks_and_for ... .html#gen0

Its a new walk only been open since 28 July 2009....thought maybe someone had walked it on here but alas no.
Im off on it Monday...only walker on it this late in the season and the last till next season.
Cool change coming too so should be joy weather.
Spoke to a Ranger I occasionally meet and he gave it the thumbs up so should be interesting.
Biggest sad point for me is the MAJOR use of 1080 to kill most of the feral pigs in the Park. Its also killed most of the raptors, snakes, monitors and even crows. Saw 3 crows, one Brown tree snake and a few geckos the last two trips up to the park...sad. Just wish there was another way to get rid of the feral pigs without killing every other meat eater in the park...

[tasadam]

One of the nicest meals I have had was wild boar, in Tusany (Italy).
Perhaps Queensland should get on it rather than killing them and everything else.
Those raptors are huge, scared the you know what out of me... Casually strolling past the tent...

[Earthling]

One of the nicest meals I have had was wild boar, in Tusany (Italy).
Perhaps Queensland should get on it rather than killing them and everything else.
Those raptors are huge, scared the you know what out of me... Casually strolling past the tent...

Yes it would be another way of getting rid of the pest, but cost is the problem. They did kill all the wild horses by helicopter the last couple of years up there....of course its left to rot and feed all the pigs .
And they cant let recreational hunters shoot as its a national park...so instead they kill everything when 1080...go figure.
Raptors used to be my favourite animal. Wedge tailed eagles No 1. Now its williewag tails....

[tasadam]

Yeah, I grew up with Willie Wagtails. The fantail here in Tassie is similar. Wrens are good value too.

[ccarney]

Earthling how was your walk i would be interested to know how it went as i am interested in doing it myself some time this year.

[Earthling]

Earthling how was your walk i would be interested to know how it went as i am interested in doing it myself some time this year.

It went well. Worth doing for sure. I wouldnt rate it as a must do before you die, but definetly worth doing. I started MT Moffat end. I camped near the river at the visitor info centre on the third night rather than walk/hitch the 10ks to a camp site...Shhhhhhhhh....dont tell anyone though....
Good water points, a fair bit of wildlife, feral horses a few too many with the friggin stallions making ginormous *&%$#! piles in the middle of the track every 100m for a day or two...that sucked.
Not too many people doing it either which is gooooood.
Any particulars you want to know fire away.

[turtle]

We were up in Canarvon a few weeks ago. Bit touristy bit very pretty.
If you have plenty of time also try Expedition National Park which is east of Canarvon. There are two camping sites and the one coming in from Taroom to the south is the better by a long shot.
The road coming in from Bauhinia from the North leaves a great deal to be desired.
Rough enough that I got a scratch on the Navara from a fallen tree!!!!
This track is definite 4wd material with large drop offs down into creek beds etc.
The track from Taroom was still really only 4wd material but only that a 2wd would face problems from slippery mud.
The gorge in Expedition does not have tracks but it would be very difficult to get lost as your in a gorge - cliffs to the left and cliffs to the right.
We didn't go down as it was just the two of us and we weren't exactly set up to do a big walk which to get full benefit it would be.

Turtle

[jetjackson]

Earthling, what time of the year did you do this? We were looking at doing it on the Australia day holiday and turning it into a 5 day long weekend in January. However apparently the track is closed from December-February. Probably due to the heat or something... Do you have any photos you could post up also?

[Earthling]

Earthling, what time of the year did you do this? We were looking at doing it on the Australia day holiday and turning it into a 5 day long weekend in January. However apparently the track is closed from December-February. Probably due to the heat or something... Do you have any photos you could post up also?

I did it .....um...October I think? Was damn hot, a few 38-40 days.
Heres a video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QREs5QoFpVE

Last edited by Earthling on Sun 19 Dec, 2010 10:13 am, edited 1 time in total.

[tomh]

June is a good time to visit, temps just about right. Was there in 2002 so no Great Walk then but we covered some of the territory; map attached of the walk north of the gorge with dots showing route we took. No tracks other than up the Gorge floor and Boolimba Bluff but plenty of animal (mostly horse) pads.
Four nights shown as Xs on map - 1 at Big Bend, 2 at Cabbage Tree Spring (day walk to Black Alley Peak) and 1 at Arch Creek. The map is from an excellent, detailed and much used book well worth trying to find: 'Exploring Queensland's Central Highlands : an introduction to the national parks of the Sandstone Belt for experienced bushwalkers' Charles Warner 1920- ,Yanderra, N.S.W. : C. Warner 1987. Available from Mr C. Warner, Glenellen, Hume Highway, Yanderra, N.S.W. 2574. (that state library note might be dated and optimistic!) Note the little red arrows on the map which show the few cliff breaks - very useful. The book also shows most likely places for water (springs and 'w.h.') where most of the creeks shown are usually dry.

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The final few meters of Black Alley Peak is a small rock koppie and there is a steep gully on the southern side (the photo is from the NW) to access the top - not the way Scott is attempting.

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Binangala Ridge

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Overnight at the Arch Creek Hilton.

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The view from Ogres Thumb towards the gorge. We are heading to Boolimba Bluff, centre foreground left and then down into the gorge

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Thanks to John and Mark for the photos.

Tom