Australia: The Land Where Time Began

A biography of the Australian continent 

About 600 km northwest of Brisbane, Carnarvon Creek cuts Carnarvon Range, a spur of the Great Dividing Range, to form Carnarvon Gorge, the main gorge, is entered from the east. Carnarvon Range is part of a large belt of soft sandstone called the Consuelo Tableland. The range was formed about 200-230 million years ago. Since then it was uplifted and later still was covered by basalt during a period of volcanic activity and further uplifted about 25 million years ago. Since then, a number of streams, including Carnarvon Creek, have cut down along vertical cracks in the sandstone. The result is the many  deep gorges between sheer cliffs. The porous sandstone of the gorges is an important aquifer for the Great Artesian Basin. This underground water filters, over thousands of years, through the rocks to spread beneath a vast area of arid and desert regions of central Australia. The movement of this water is made possible by an impervious layer of shale that underlies the porous rock.

The Aboriginal People who originally lived though in the area have left a number of examples of their of their art on the walls of caves and rock overhangs in the gorge complex.. One of the largest rock art sites  is Cathedral Cave. The "Art Gallery" is another site. It has been dated to over 4000 years ago. It is 500 m off the main track.

The Consuelo Tableland, of which Carnarvon Gorge is a part, also contains other places of interest such as Buckland Tableland, Ka Ka Mundi, Goodliffe, Salvator Rosa, Mt Moffat and Moolayember.

Some of the tributary gorges of Carnarvon Gorge are Violet Gorge, Boowinda Creek Gorge. 

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