Days 303-305 – Cania Gorge, Qld (13-15 July)

Set of to do a 216km trip north west but we had to go quite a way south (almost back to Hervey Bay John kept harping) to get to Cania Gorge.  We also had to increase our trip by about 50kms to avoid a 36km dirt road.  So it ended up being a long drive and not helped that we had no choice but to drive over a dead carcass in the middle of the road which had rotted sufficiently to cause a nasty mess on the side and underneath of our van and it stank when we stopped.  Anyway we eventually made it and the campground is lovely.  Fairly busy with other campers.  The caravan park borders the edge of the national park which is handy and they are happy for dogs to stay behind while owners explore the park.  And no fee to get into the national park a bonus.  Our first job was to get the carcass off the van – nasty work.  There is short walk for dogs which John lengthened by some rock climbing so we could overlook the caravan park.  The next day we went to check out the lake which is stocked with bass and silver perch but nothing biting although there were heaps of dead fish on the edge which had died a few weeks ago due to the water being too cold!  After lunch we dusted off the bikes and rode the 1km to start one of the many walks.  Our first walk was to the Dragon Cave, Gorge Lookout and Bloodwood cave.  Very pleasant walk but the caves nor lookout were entirely spectacular.  On the way back we saw a whip tailed wallaby (we think – it had a very long tail) and a king parrot.  That evening we sat outside with two other couples (the southerners from Victoria) we have met in the park and had dinner together and that was very enjoyable.  Both couples live in the area that was burnt last year and some of the tales they told of the fires and the terror was incredible.  Can’t imagine how difficult it would have been to have experienced that.  Today John went back to try to hook a fish, no luck and I went on a 5.2km circuit walk which again very pleasant but not spectacular.  In the afternoon we rode again to do another walk to Dripping Rock and the Overhang.  Now this was a spectacular walk, we walked through a rainforest and came to dripping rock which would be something to see in the wet season when there is more water running down the wall.  We continued on past ochre rocks and small overhangs, some beautiful colours, yellows and browns.  Eventually we come to the highlight the overhang which is quite speccy.  It has a permanent waterhole with ferns around it and ochre rock.  Well worth the climb to get to it.  In the evening we had dinner with the two Victorian couples, Kaye and Hugh and Heather and Athel.  They had invited us to have a roast dinner with them they were cooking pork which John enjoyed and lots of roast veges and greens for me.  It was so cold though that we pretty well ate and ran back to our vans to get warm.  It is so cold here but the night sky is absolutely fantastic – the stars and milky way are so vivid!  Cania Gorge is a great place to relax with some nice walks it is very quiet and the park is well maintained.  However we have been told it is nothing compared to Carnarvon Gorge in the central highlands of Qld.