West Branch Camp to Foley's Spring Camp, Carnarvon Great Walk, Carnarvon Gorge National Park - April 2014

Early morning at West Branch Walkers Camp.

I knew that I'd have a big day today as I was climbing up onto the Consuelo Tablelands so I was up a bit earlier than yesterday, although the sacrifice for the early start being that I'd have to carry a wet tent. The Consuelo Tablelands are up at around the 1200 metre level which for central Queensland is more or less as high as it gets, so I had a reasonable climb ahead of me. So after breakfast I packed up and was on the track before 9:00am, fairly early for me (back in the day), however I wanted the main climbing out of the way in the cool of the morning.

Time to start walking I suppose.

Climbing east I walked through an area that had been burnt recently.

Me and my mate...

The track this morning started heading back to the east, with last nights camp being as far west as I'd go. Heading east this morning meant that I had the dubious pleasure of the sun in my eyes for a while - well at least until it got a bit higher in the sky. The morning was spent walking through more beautiful valleys with a sparse coverage of eucalyptus and plenty of long green grass. I had to climb a couple of reasonable jump ups, however the rest of the mornings climb was very evenly graded.

Enjoying an early morning break in the sparse shade.

I was climbing for the first few hours today.

Walking through these lush green valley was one of the highlights of the walk.

The last walker to come through...

Crossing one small creek I spied a small spring with some crystal clear water in it, a little later I passed a couple more wet spots that looked like they may be springs, however the pigs had been wallowing in them and they were now a muddy mess. There are a series of springs through the country that the indigenous people and then the stockmen use to to rely on. Right on lunch time I met up with the management track that crosses the park. I'd now finished most of my climbing and was in a beautiful spot called the Mahogany Forest, a very lush place with tall silvertop stringybark and Sydney blue gum, with a groundcover of cycads and ferns.

I found a small spring just off the track.

I was starting to get a few views now.

Climbing another spur.

After lunch I left my pack and wandered down the road to check out Peawaddy Gorge lookout and it was along here that I bumped into a ranger who was out checking out the park after Easter. I don't know who was more surprised, him to bump into a slightly dishevelled walker in the middle of nowhere, or me to bump into a 4wd on a closed track in the middle of nowhere. Anyway he was a good bloke (I don't think I've ever met a ranger in the bush who wasn't a good bloke or a top chick!) and he put me onto an alternative camp for tonight. So now instead of camping at the water point for Consuelo Camping Zone I'd head down to Foley's Spring.

Carnarvon Gorge National Park.

I'm still climbing.

The feral pigs had made a mess of this spring.

Having just added a few kilometres to the day I set off with a bit more urgency down to Peawaddy Gorge lookout. The walk along the road was beautiful with the trees towering above and it was a pleasure to be able to meander along without my heavy pack hanging of my back for awhile. Peawaddy Gorge and lookout are actually on private land however the owners allow access to the lookout. The gorge itself was a bit obscured by trees from the lookout, however the small knoll just north of the lookout provided a good view. After pencilling into my mind another place I'd like to explore I headed off back up the road to my pack.

Looking down into Peawaddy Gorge from near the lookout.

I've pencilled in Peawaddy Gorge for some future exploration.

The afternoons walk across the Consuelo Tablelands was very nice as it looked like the country hadn't been burn't for quite a few years and it had a bit of a Jurassic park feel to it. It was late afternoon when I arrived at the un-signpotsed turnoff to Foley's Spring and with the kangaroo's out grazing on the green grass and the low sun that was bathing everything in a golden light it made for a very pleasant scene. Passing through an old dilapidated gate I knew I was getting close as I presumed the stockmen fenced off the spring to keep the cattle out.

Heading back through the Mahogany Forest to pick up the great walk again.

Crossing tthe Consuelo Tableland.

There was a bit of suface water about up here... it didn't look to appealing though!

Once at the spring I had a bit of a walk around to find a suitable place to pitch my tent, I didn't want to be too close to the spring as I didn't want the animals to be scared away, and at the same time there was some salt on the ground for the wild horses so I didn't want to be to close to that either. Having found a suitable campsite I spent the remaining daylight checking out the beautiful spring and the remains of the old stockmens camp.

Dropping down towards Foley's Spring in the late afternoon.

Just on dark three wild brumbies came down the hill opposite and headed straight for the salt lick (my understanding is that the salt encourages the horses to drink in the colder weather so they don't lose condition). I was about 100 metres away and they didn't notice me for a while, however when they did they certainly let me know that they were there - I'd be serenaded by their snorting for most of the night. Once again just after dark I was into the tent ready for a relaxing twelve hours off my feet and on my back.

Foley's Spring had been fenced at one stage.

Foley's Spring.

I camped a little away from the spring.

The Dirt.
I walked around 26 kilometres and climbed about 648 metres on what I'd call a medium grade days walking. The walking today was pretty well as high as the walking gets in central Queensland so the climate is a little cooler up here. The official great walk camp is at the Consuelo Camping Zone however after talking to the ranger I dropped down an un-signposted old track to camp at Foley's Spring - this spot had no facilities with water available from the spring. I used the Qld Parks Carnarvon Great Walk topo map along with my GPS on this walk.


Relevant Posts.

Day 3 of this walk, 2014.

The horses appeared at dusk.