CARNARVON GORGE

MT MOFFAT SECTION

Easter 1997

Mt Moffat

Day 1

The Penfold family, Arnold and Pat S, Ben W, Danny and Beth Williams turned up bright and early at 6.00am for breakfast at Goodna McDonalds. We departed McDonalds at 6.45am. Morning tea was in Chinchilla. After morning tea Danny and Ben filled up with fuel and we departed Chinchilla. The convoy stopped for lunch in Roma at 12.40pm. We stopped for fuel in Injune. Ben's car started to overheat just before the National Park so we stopped and it was fixed in 30 minutes. When we were in the National Park we went to the Ranger's Office to pay. We arrived at the Dargonelly Rock Hole Camp Ground at about 6.00pm.

Convoy Cruising The Park

Day 2

We had breakfast and were on the road by 8.45am. We looked at the Marlong Arch. There were a lot of caves and what looked like goanna tracks. Arnold went back to his car and got a torch. We explored one of the larger caves. Arnold climbed up one of the walls in the cave and he discovered a bat hanging upside down. After lookinq at the Arch we then went to the Tombs. At the Tomb we saw where Aboriginals used to hide the bones of their ancestors. There were also a lot of Aboriginal paintings. There was a very rare painting of an adult's body. After that walk we had morning tea. We then went to the Chimneys - an amazing rock formation that looks like old cottage chimneys. Next stop was Cathedral Rock and Duchess. After all that walking it was 12.15pm so we headed back to camp for lunch. The waterhole looked inviting so Wade and I had a swim. After lunch we headed over to Mt Moffatt. Then we went back to camp and had a nice hot shower. After tea Wade made a great fire and we all sat around and toasted marshmallows.

Aboriginal Rock Paintings

Day 3

We left camp at 8.45am and went straight to the Ranger's Office to have a look at the information because we did not have enough time the first day. There we saw a picture of the bat Arnold saw the day before and it was called a Gould's Wattled Bat. We then headed towards a Rotary Shelter shed for morning tea. After morning tea we headed to Peawaddy Gorge where there was a great view. We had lunch at the Head of Carnarvon Creek. We then headed to Kenniff Caves (named after the Kenniff Brothers who were cattle duffers and horse thieves) and the Incineration site where the brothers burnt the Policeman and the Station Manager. We had afternoon tea at Marlong Plain. Lot's wife was next. On one of the sides of the sandstone feature we spotted a monkey's face. Kookaburra Caves were very hard to find because they were not sign posted. Just as we were about to give up we saw a sandy track. We all got out and walked along the track and sure enough the track lead to Kookaburra Caves.

Cathedral Rock                           Marlong Arch                      The Chimneys

Day 4

The convoy departed Dargonelly Rock Hole Camp ground at 7.50am. We stopped at a slab hut to have a look around inside. Morning tea was at the turn off to Injune. We stopped for fuel at Injune. At 12.00am we had lunch in Roma in the same park we had lunch in on the way to Mt Moffatt. Ron and Arnold also filled up with fuel. We departed Roma at 1.00pm. The convoy stopped for an ice cream in Chinchilla then we set off towards Brisbane. In Toowoomba we passed David and Donalda.. We then all split up and went our own ways home,

Kate Penfold (Junior Member)