Carnarvon Gorge

Day 1

Our tour begins as we travel north on a very scenic drive. The countryside changes dramatically as you pass through the gold town of Gympie, the citrus capital of Gayndah and the rich grazing region through Eidsvold and Cracow. Enjoy a picnic lunch en route before arriving in Theodore, staying overnight at the Hotel Theodore (Ph 07 4993 1244). Please note that accommodation is limited in this small town and some rooms are not ensuited and have shared facilities.

Day 2

As our journey heads towards Rolleston, you will continue to see the scenery constantly changing as we pass through thousands of acres of grain and grazing country. The surrounding countryside gives little clue of the wonder and unexpected contrast Carnarvon Gorge will offer. Arrive at Carnarvon Gorge Wilderness Lodge (Ph 07 4984 4503) for lunch before settling in for the next 2 nights. Surrounded by green lawns and shaded by ancient macrozamias and tall gums, each unique timber and canvas safari cabin (serviced daily) has a carpeted floor and ensuite. Cabins are spacious and airy, with screened windows, fridge, solid pine furniture, heaters, tea and coffee facilities and a shaded timber deck with easy chairs. The main building contains the guest lounge, dining room, library, store and souvenir shop. Choose from a variety of guided walks, self-guided walks and activities to suit all levels of fitness. At night, star gaze with an unimpeded view of the southern skies and sleep in the silence of the bush.

Day 3

Wake to a dawn chorus from the melodic birdlife and watch grey and pretty-faced wallabies graze. To enjoy the sheer wonder of Carnarvon Gorge's National Park, you are welcome to join an informative short walk led by a guide, or for the ambitious, a day long trek can be taken with a track map and packed lunch. The main gorge is enclosed by 200m walls of sandstone, weathered black over centuries and stark white where recent rock falls have exposed new faces. Carnarvon Creek carves its torturous route through the spectacular sandstone gorge, its permanent water nurturing stands of cabbage palms and pockets of remnant rainforest with rare king ferns. The gorge has Aboriginal sites and the Art Gallery is renowned for its Aboriginal rock art. To view their paintings, stencils and rock carvings, is to glimpse a silent history - a sacred area - a place for important ceremonies. Marvel at a way of life well before our time. In Angiopteris Ravine, rare King Ferns grow luxuriantly, illustrative of many fragile, independent ecosystems that have survived for over 300 million years. There is also an opportunity to see Aljon Falls near here. After all that walking, it is nice to know comfort awaits you back at the Wilderness Lodge. Nearby is a large natural swimming pool and the National Park is a paradise for birdwatchers. If you prefer not to walk too far, a natural display of ferns feeding on water seeping from the mossy cliffs, can be seen in the Moss Garden.

Option: Enjoy an optional 20 minute helicopter flight over Carnarvon Gorge. Heli-Central invites you to take a flight in one of their modern, comfortable helicopters and see the hidden wonders that cannot be seen any other way. Taking off from the 'Bandana' airstrip, you can sit back and watch as the Carnarvon Gorge opens up into vast bushland. Climb up to 1500ft, and then turn to track along the white cliff-faces and escarpments separated by narrow gorges and streams in the Moolayember National Park.

(Prices on optional activities will be finalised and advised in writing prior to final payment due date. All option bookings will be taken at this time. We recommend that all options are booked and paid for as soon as possible. After this time they will be subject to availability and minimum numbers being met.)

Day 4

Enjoy your breakfast in the serene surroundings, before departing south on the Carnarvon Developmental Road to Injune. Continue onto Roma where avenues of bottle trees have been planted in memory of the men and women who fought for our Nation. A visit this afternoon to the Big Rig brings alive the enormity of what this complex represents in terms of the oil flow in the area. Check into the Roma Explorers Inn (Ph 07 4620 1400) and after dinner, return for the night show at the Big Rig where the sound and lighting is very dramatic and spectacular.

Day 5

Today we head east along the Warrego Highway where you will see glimpses of the resurgence of coal mining between Chinchilla and Warra; making good use of the railway line in the area. Enjoy lunch at Club Glenvale in Toowoomba, before returning to Brisbane where your transfers will be arranged. Thank you for travelling with us on this tour to Carnarvon Gorge; we look forward to seeing you again soon.

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner