Post in Bushwalking in wonderful Mackay & Surrounding Areas

This post is meant to provide some information for anyone considering the Carnarvon Great Walk near Springsure and Rolleston QLD. This walk takes you to the “roof of Queensland” so even though it's not recommended for the middle of Summer I think it should have cooler temperatures than the Mackay region for most of the year.

Attractions in central Queensland are often bypassed by travellers who seem to stick to the coast but there is certainly a lot on offer further away from the coast. Carnarvon Gorge is spectacular and it does attract a fair few gray nomads and some residents of Brisbane but still doesn't seem to be overcrowded, especially if you venture deep enough for an overnight hike.

The main attraction of Carnarvon is a walk about 10km each way which hosts many interesting sites such as rock art, interesting geology, waterfalls, etc. This main track is very level and clear so it can be completed out and back in a day as long as you start reasonably early. The walk is beautiful with many cycads and fairly tropical vegetation due to the ample moisture. Areas surrounding Carnarvon are dry like most of central QLD but Carnarvon has many springs which make it oasis-like.

If you want a longer walk then you can walk the entire Carnarvon Great walk (80+km loop back to the visitors centre) or walk part of it; however, there isn't much of an option for exiting the trail at any location other than the visitors centre since many campsites are not accessible. The only campsite which is readily accessible is Westbranch which is about halfway through the walk in the Mt. Moffat section of the park and is a 3 hour drive from the visitors centre.

The most spectacular sections of the walk are the beginning and end. Of the 6 days only the first day, part of the 2nd, and last day are really spectacular while the middle three and a half days are pleasant but not very specky.

Weekend Trip 3 day or Keen 2 day

A good weekend trip would be to walk the 10km to the Big Bend campsite which is near the end of the popular section of the park, camp there, then hike up to Battleship Spur the next day. The second day would be a strenuous day and unless you're used to walking it might be best for a three day weekend.

You'd want to start early on the first day so you have time to stop at the main sites along the first 10km such as the Moss Gardens, Ampitheatre, rock art, etc. I had already seen these spots so it only took me 3 or 4 hours to get to Big Bend, but it's worth spending most of the day if you have time. The walk to Battleship spur takes you back along the main track from the campsite for maybe a km or two then along a gorge (Bowimba gorge I think). This gorge is fantastic, eventually you see trail markers on the right hand side after you have walked a long way along the rocky gorge. You should see multiple trail markers and a stone about 2m wide by 4m tall with foot holds carved into it. I ran into one person who couldn't find any markers out of the gorge so pay attention to your right side.

The climb is very steep at first but it's not scary, it's just strenuous. Sometime after climbing the ladder, you come to a fork in the trail with a sign indicating the lookout's direction at a distance of about 200m. Overall it's a steep and physically demanding trail but it is well marked and the view is impressive at Battleship spur.

Entire Great Walk

The entire great walk is 84km from memory and it's recommended that walkers allow 6 days to complete. A couple of days are 5 hours or less in duration but it's not easy to push on to the next campsite in the required time. There is a shortcut which could be taken near the end by following a 4 wheel drive track out. a map with distances, estimated walking times, campsites, and a height profile can be downloaded from the QLD national parks website. This same map should be bought from the visitors centre prior to starting the walk.

In my experience, the times shown on the map were conservative unless you loose the trail. There were a couple of sections which were not well marked and it did take some time to find the trail. The last section (after cabbagetree) was particularly difficult with high grass everywhere, sparsely spaced trail markers, and multiple beaten paths to choose from.

Camping Nearby

Nuga Nuga national park near a lake of the same name is a good place to stay the Friday before the walk if Carnarvon is full or if you like birding.

Gear

I'm assuming people who read this may not have been on many long walks. Obviously, when walking long distance or climbing significant elevations it is important to travel light.

Water Every campsite has rain water tanks with hand pumps installed on the surface above the tanks so carrying 2-3L of water each day was enough for me. The rangers can let you know if there's running water in between camp sites.

Food Your food is likely to weigh more than your water for a 5 day supply but if you go with cheap dehydrated food available from any supermarket then you will have a light and tasty food bag.

Instant mashed potatoes, dehydrated peas, pasta, GOSP (good old sultanas and peanuts), peanut butter, jam, Parmesan cheese, hard salami, other hard cheeses (even cheddar will keep for 4 or 5 days) with cool nights, dehydrated humus, couscous, powdered milk, muesli.

You can buy a hiking stove from ebay for less than 10 dollars or for a five day hike you could just select food which doesn't need heating but most people prefer a warm dinner and occasional tea/coffee.

Clothes A great hat obviously. Take two pairs of clothes, one pair to sleep in and one pair for walking, also be ready for rain.

I won't go over the other stuff like first aid, navigational tools, hygeine, sleeping setup, etc but I would recommend a persoanl locator beacon for this trail since a strong rescue signal would be advisable for the tree covered areas.