One for the nature-lovers. August is our favourite time to visit Central Queensland’s remotely romantic Carnarvon Gorge and surrounding national park — a jaw-dropping landscape of soaring sandstone cliffs and vibrant side gorges, abundant wildlife, prehistoric plants, and ancient Aboriginal rock art.
Winter is dry season here which means short but sunny days for exploring and chilly nights perfect for snuggling under a sleeping bag. Carnarvon is a bushwalker’s dream with a range of trails and graded tracks leading you through the towering eucalypts and hidden rainforests and (look out for echidnas, kangaroos, and platypus along the way) to magical highlights including the Rock Pool, Moss Garden, and Middle Earth-style Amphitheatre.
A must-see is the Art Gallery (a 10.8 km return trail) a soul-stirring Aboriginal site home to over 2,000 engravings, ochre stencils, and paintings, immortalised on the sandstone walls.
Around 700 kilometres north-west of Brisbane, Carnarvon’s local accommodation ranges from camping and caravanning sites to basic cabins to safari-style tents. Try Takarakka Bush Retreat or Wallaroo Outback Retreat a 72,000-acre cattle farm about an hour from the main park.
Couples will love: Standing in awe with your sweetheart and getting back to nature with the one you love.
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