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Mitsubishi 4WD Owners Club of Qld (Inc) |
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Carnarvon Gorge - Apr '08 |
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Carnarvon Gorge Easter 2008Fellow Gorgers:
There was one rule only declared by our trip leaders, “Have a great time!” and this we did. Some campers had arrived mid-week, so daily our settlement increased, to what maybe described as being “compact living”. Friday was the start of the serious stuff and most people were eager to explore the awesome Carnarvon Gorge. The Rusis family had the earliest start as they had planned to do the longest walk of 22km return. The other trekkers opted for the shorter walk of 14km return and this was led by our Aboriginal Interpretive Ranger, Fred Conway. At 65yrs young, he reckons that he was still not qualified to be called an “Elder”. However, his passion and knowledge of the bush was keenly shown to us, and he even had us in his trust to sample some of the edible plants. Carefully placed rocks across the river had us criss-crossing quite frequently and the damage from the floods, five months previously, was very much in evidence. Masses of fallen trees littered the banks and river-bed and the widespread affects means that The Amphitheatre will be closed for some time. The Moss Gardens were re-opened only one hour before our visit, so we were guinea-pigs testing out the newly constructed stairs. A magnificent achievement in a short time and it would have been disappointing to miss seeing such a beautiful area. So, the walking continued to such places as The Art Gallery, Ward’s Canyon, Baloon Cave, Rock Pool and more. Saturday evening was when the real fun began! Trivia Night, the dress code being “Doctors and Nurses” . Nurse Betty; some dubious looking doctors; many odd nurses and a couple of patients were amongst the crowd, along with the odd assortment of hospital equipment. Our aim was to raise money for The Royal Flying Doctor Service and it proved to be a great fun way in which to contribute to such a worthy cause. After spending all day taxing our brains for a brilliant team name, Eric didn’t intend us to use the names anyway, as he had colour-coded our lucky tickets, meaning a great deal of seating reshuffle, but it proved to be a good idea as we were able to mix with different people. Ten categories of quiz later, and other games of frivolity in between the rounds, the evening came to a close. Sunday turned out to be a drizzly day, but by “happy hour”, it was fine enough for the very touching performance of the “Happy Easter Play” given by Ella, Gemma, Renee and Jessica. These girls certainly entertained us well, the theme of the play showing us to care for our environment. Our communal dinner ended the day on a high note. Monday meant the return to reality of life outside of camping for many, so the departure home left only a few lucky campers. The Gilfoyles; Ken Winders; Glenn Cottrell, and Lyn Conroy and the Pettys continued on to spend a few days exploring Cania Gorge. I am sure that everyone will agree that the time at Carnarvon was well spent, and for those who have never been there, or those who have not visited the area for a long time, to consider this area for a visit. Eric, Kim and Anna put in a great deal of effort in organising a fantastic Easter break and we thank them for this wonderful experience. Ann Petty Back to Top
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