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Coffs Harbour GOLD

Gold is a funny thing. We all have the inclination that where you find the white quartz is where you’ll find gold. Now while this is true, gold can be found in other forms, just like on the Coffs Coast when the pioneers settled across our area. Now depending on what you read or how the story has been passed down by old timers there’s a possible two places where gold was first found. One story I have read is that alluvial gold ( small specks and flakes ) was found in the upper reaches of Pine Creek just near Bonville at the highway overpass; and the other story I have read is that gold was found near Taylors Creek at the base of our highest mountain - Mount Coramba. It was said that two brothers stopped for smoko and one of them found little gold nuggets scattered across the ground like chicken feed. 

From that moment on the rush was on here on the Coffs Coast, may it only lived for a short time, but our town grew with miners, their families, shops emerged and market farmers saw the potential for growing crops in the area like in the Orara Valley. Gold was found in many different locations from high in the hinterland, in the deep valleys, in clay and in the hard rock where no water was found, on headlands in the rock plus in the sand and believe it or not, gold was found on a couple of the Solitary Islands. But it was short lived and bloody hard work. Some of the statistics from certain mines are mind blowing where the miners might have moved 70 ton of rock for only a few grams of gold, it was hard work. Not only were there the miners, but people to clear timber to feed the boilers for the stampers to crush the quartz to extract the gold. It was a huge team effort. Gold was hard in Coffs. The rock was intensely hard and often had to be transported to where the stampers were, and often bullock teams refused to go to different mine areas as there was rarely enough food for the bullocks to graze on. The clay was thick and heavy and there gold was very difficult to extract. Often for a days work teams might only find small amounts of alluvial gold, nuggets were rarely found in Coffs, and if they were they were only very small. Gold was hard work in Coffs. 

When you read ( if you can find them ) the old history books on specific areas around Coffs or even the amazing book by Mr George Robb, they talk of the mining wars and woes that these hard working families endured year after year. Just imagine things like, finding gold then having to trek or ride a horse all the way to Grafton to lodge a claim, then on the way back you forget what valley your claim is in, or enduring droughts, no gold, severe sickness, no food or even a snake bite, they were hard times. Today we complain about the rough road that we take our 4wd on to find these old mine sites, but back then they had to walk for days to get into our hinterland through our ruggered terrain sometimes pushing a barrow or just carrying their possessions. 

Coffs is like many other towns all around Australia where gold was nearly always found nearby and had some sort of gold rush and with that the history started to develop in that area. Only a small fraction of places actually made it into the gold record books such as the Victorian Goldfields and the huge mines in WA that are still producing today. When the miners finally left Coffs some of the mining companies actually moved everything to the new location, from heavy and awkward stampers, boilers right down to some of their buildings. Today if you know where to look some of the old gear is still in the bush just rusting and rotting away, but its beautiful in its own way. It’s solid and very heavy and makes us wonder why they left it. Mines can be found in the gullies and high on the mountains right down to several on local beaches where the timbers that held the sand back can be seen. It's a shame when the new freeway went north past Moonee that a couple of pristine mines and equipment were filled in and the gear disappeared, all in the name of progress. 

We have a host of street names around coffs remembering some of the pioneers and they can be found on the council history boards in Pioneer Park beside the old Museum. We complain about the steep windy tar road to the top of the mountain, we complain if its too hot or to wet and we complain if the water is crappy coming out of the tap, but just imagine having to go from the coast to the hinterland on foot, maybe along a narrow track in any weather type, having no water along the way and no water if the streams stop flowing for weeks on end. They had to endure all conditions and keep working for their minimus if any wage. 

These were the true pioneers. 

Have people lost their sense of ADVENTURE

Have people lost their sense of adventure ?… 

well its been on my mind now for a few weeks. More and more I see online people asking where to go, can they do a certain trip in a stupid time frame and so much more. You know years ago it was all about getting out there and exploring. We either went down to the local 4wd shop and bought a map or two, used google maps and google earth and then went exploring. If it meant getting lost or going down a track-road that went no where, well so be it , it was all about the adventure. We never made stupid time limits ( like - trying to go from Sydney to Perth and back again in 14 days ), we made and had realist expectations. If you have holiday time limits, is it really worth all that push and shove to bust your guts ?…. 

 

Why do 10,000km in three weeks to look at something on the other side of the country when you come back absolutely trashed and then buggered for the next week, why not explore your own back yard. Except if you live in the city where you might get stabbed !!!…  have some bloody expectations people. We just did a 9 month stint in QLD, exploring midwest to the coast and I can tell you we def didn’t see it all, just now here on the south coast of NSW its taken 3 weeks to go 100 km !!. It's all about exploring. I know I know- we are all different, I could ask online where is somewhere to camp or what ever and get offered a shit hole of a place, but its your favourite and that’s fine. I could send you to Hell Hole Gorge in QLD and if you're not prepared it may turn to shit. 

With the amount of apps, detailed books and maps out there and even great blogs, it still makes me laugh at the stupid questions people ask. So why aren’t people getting out there to explore ?… is it they are too lazy, is it a security thing, or have we just lost our sense of adventure ?… I think it is all of the above. 

I would guarantee that if we all drew a 100 > 200 km circle around our home I bet most of us would not of discovered our own back yard. Yes I know that there are bigger and better things across the horizons but make realist plans. Know your limits. I personally have spent nearly 30 years exploring the Coffs Coast and can honestly say that I haven’t explored it all but I have given it a fair shakeup. When people ask me for advise ill help them a bit finding stuff ( remember this was before GPS ) and we only had paper tops maps, but I won’t say exactly where things are as you need to have a bit of adventure within you and if you don’t like it - tough shit. 

So why not grab a map and haver a look around closer to home what you’ve passing by time after time, you might be pleasantly surprised, if you see another track shoot down there and have a look, maybe a walking track, what about that NP or SF that you always see. It won’t hurt to have a look. 

Map reading is a dyeing art, teach your kids about it before all the paper maps are gone - its fun, its fun to get lost too. I know places like FB are great to get info but make it your own adventure and make some personal memories as I reckon people are too reliant on others expectations. Stop being so fridge lazy. Even with the horrific fires, road closures and now the floods, how many time do people ask about this and that week after week after week - do not people know or bloody see so many posts, articles, newspaper reports and on TV to down load the appropriate apps to actually follow what’s going on !!.. That’s our society these days I suppose. 

So people pull your friggen finger out, spend some $$ on a good road atlas, do your own homework and get back out there - you’ll probably be amazed just how smart you really are.

CURRENT FIRES

Our whole area seems to be alight with fires for the past month with no end in sight and unfortunately some of our native trees need fires to burst their seed pods open for a new life,  BUT it also knocks around our history. You see back in the day before steel and alloy, timber was the main source of material for infrastructure and buildings right down to solid timber foundations. The old timers knew what timber to use and exactly how to use it. Even out west on our travels there are still heritage listed timber stake fences as they used the tough timber so that white ants would leave it alone. Around here a lot of iron bark was used for its tough qualities and surplus amounts around the hills. Used for bridge spans, tough building foundations and much more and if you know where to look some of these old bridges are still standing today. Mind you the tops are wearing away from constant traffic and other where other timber was used, but the main supporting and structural beams are still there. Just on a side note, we checked out an old suspension bridge west of Wauchope a little time ago which is all timber and the 4 main poles must be 100 foot high that give strength to the bridge. Today it's the oldest single lane suspension bridge still in use in Australia and you can drive a car across. 

Because of the limited re-sources back 100 years ago and timber was used it comes with a use by date, throw in high rainfall, termites and weathering and the life span soon deteriorates. Today as we speak fires are raging around the area where we have irreplaceable heritage and history. Along with the old bridges, buildings and even sections of forest with stands of massive trees, there are huts. These huts were once homes too many families, storekeepers, workers and even drovers around our coast, they were our pioneers and we should be proud.  Our fire fighters do a bloody awesome job and protecting these structures are not on their priority list and nor should they be. 

Fires are part of our natural history but unfortunately with the lack of c lean ups in our forests we will lose more of what we have. I have come across a plethora of goods in the bush but due to regulations we cannot remove items. From timber wheels, timber frames and structures, thin signs and much more it will most probably be lost by the time the forests are open again. It’s a shame that these items can’t be removed, tagged and the be taken to our local museum for display purposes and even some of the machinery that has been left behind needs to be removed. 

Now I know thick steel doesn’t burn but during and after a fire, and even at times of drought - branches, ash and other matter falls on the forgotten history and it gets harder to find and discover. Currently there is no policy for relics in the bush as I was told its a grey area so it gets avoided, but just think about how good it would be to have these large items in the yard of our museum or a centre piece inside with old photos and a write up on its origin. We have some amazing history in the hills around the Coffs Coast and it soon will be gone as its now only accessible to those who have a 4wd and the knowledge where to find it, sometimes it takes a super human walk  along old creek beds or through thick forest areas. 

I know of some relics that have been found and dated back to the turn of the century like plates and coins in some of the old shanty gold towns that were scattered in the hills, old belt buckles and the steel caps from boots nailed to the outside with hand made nails - it may only be little but its all important. We have been to abandoned gold mines and found old boots and tools, broken steel casings, nuts and bolts off stampers and boilers, right down to bottles dating back to the 40’s but left them there as a mark of respect and hope others do the same. 

It’s a shame that groups don’t have the permission ( and I have tried on this ) to go in and clear these sites just so they can be preserved a little longer but the legalities will alway rear its ugly head with safety regulations. Fires are hard to control as sparks can fly for miles in the air and before long another blaze will start. All we can do it hope the fires don’t affect our precious history that seems to be hanging on by a shoe string. 

RELICS IN THE BUSH

Our whole area seems to be alight with fires for the past month with no end in sight and unfortunately some of our native trees need fires to burst their seed pods open for a new life,  BUT it also knocks around our history. You see back in the day before steel and alloy, timber was the main source of material for infrastructure and buildings right down to solid timber foundations. 

The old timers knew what timber to use and exactly how to use it. Even out west on our travels there are still heritage listed timber stake fences as they used the tough timber so that white ants would leave it alone. Around here a lot of iron bark was used for its tough qualities and surplus amounts around the hills. Used for bridge spans, tough building foundations and much more and if you know where to look some of these old bridges are still standing today. Mind you the tops are wearing away from constant traffic and other where other timber was used, but the main supporting and structural beams are still there. Just on a side note, we checked out an old suspension bridge west of Wauchope a little time ago which is all timber and the 4 main poles must be 100 foot high that give strength to the bridge. Today it's the oldest single lane suspension bridge still in use in Australia and you can drive a car across. 

Because of the limited re-sources back 100 years ago and timber was used it comes with a use by date, throw in high rainfall, termites and weathering and the life span soon deteriorates. Today as we speak fires are raging around the area where we have irreplaceable heritage and history. Along with the old bridges, buildings and even sections of forest with stands of massive trees, there are huts. These huts were once homes too many families, storekeepers, workers and even drovers around our coast, they were our pioneers and we should be proud.  Our fire fighters do a bloody awesome job and protecting these structures are not on their priority list and nor should they be. 

Fires are part of our natural history but unfortunately with the lack of c lean ups in our forests we will lose more of what we have. I have come across a plethora of goods in the bush but due to regulations we cannot remove items. From timber wheels, timber frames and structures, thin signs and much more it will most probably be lost by the time the forests are open again. It’s a shame that these items can’t be removed, tagged and the be taken to our local museum for display purposes and even some of the machinery that has been left behind needs to be removed. 

Now I know thick steel doesn’t burn but during and after a fire, and even at times of drought - branches, ash and other matter falls on the forgotten history and it gets harder to find and discover. Currently there is no policy for relics in the bush as I was told its a grey area so it gets avoided, but just think about how good it would be to have these large items in the yard of our museum or a centre piece inside with old photos and a write up on its origin. We have some amazing history in the hills around the Coffs Coast and it soon will be gone as its now only accessible to those who have a 4wd and the knowledge where to find it, sometimes it takes a super human walk  along old creek beds or through thick forest areas. 

I know of some relics that have been found and dated back to the turn of the century like plates and coins in some of the old shanty gold towns that were scattered in the hills, old belt buckles and the steel caps from boots nailed to the outside with hand made nails - it may only be little but its all important. We have been to abandoned gold mines and found old boots and tools, broken steel casings, nuts and bolts off stampers and boilers, right down to bottles dating back to the 40’s but left them there as a mark of respect and hope others do the same. 

It’s a shame that groups don’t have the permission ( and I have tried on this ) to go in and clear these sites just so they can be preserved a little longer but the legalities will alway rear its ugly head with safety regulations. Fires are hard to control as sparks can fly for miles in the air and before long another blaze will start. All we can do it hope the fires don’t affect our precious history that seems to be hanging on by a shoe string. 

CORAMBA

When Coffs was settled back in the mid 1800’s it wasn’t long before people looked further afield for other fortunes, the push was on into the hinterland where rich fertile lands were found in the now Orara Valley. Typically back in the day settlers always looked for gold either through prospecting or when trees were being logged gold was discovered in the ground that was turned over. It was about 1894 when gold was found in some large quartz reefs in the hills surrounding the town, namely the Coramba King & Queen mines. These were a big affair, where dozens of miners dug away in the hills following the seams inlaid with the precious metal. Nearby in Star Creek more gold was found and the push was in to the west of town to extract the gold. Today you can still find the old drives ( tunnels ), pits, shafts and other workings along the creek. There was another settlement at the base of the nearby Mount Coramba where Beacon was an active ‘town’ with the usual shops, blacksmith, doctor, school etc and in the nearby Orara Valley farms were being established to grow crops to feed the growing hordes that were settling in the area.

Coramba was booming in 1870. With all this activity it wasn’t long before a settlement was officially declared in 1880. With the rags and riches in the town a court house with adjoining lockups ( 2 gaol cells with yard ) was built to control the wild miners and store the gold before it was shipped away. The building was designed by WL Vernon in 1899 but today it’s the towns police station and residence with a heritage listing. Meanwhile down the street the local pub has had a chequered past from when it was originally built in 1910 with a Queenslander influence but sadly that building was burnt to the ground some 30 years later. Originally called the Coramba pub the name changed to the Hampton Hotel ( the name is still on the front of the pub ), but when it was rebuilt quickly in 1941 ( can’t have thirsty miners !! ) in an art deco style the name went back to the Coramba Hotel. Today inside the pub there is an array of memorabilia from the past highlighting the wonderful history in the area. 

Back in the 1980’s through to several years ago it was pretty easy to find some of the larger mines that kicked off Coramba’s settlement, tour guides used to take groups to the mines where large timber frames held back the earth at the mines entrance, then later on massive steel gates were put across the front to stop people entering. Unfortunately over time, the wood has rotted out, people have stolen the gates for the steel and weathering has collapsed the front of the mines. Lost to the environment. With the raging bushfires at the moment one of the positives for the history buffs, explorers and the gold hunters is that the low build up of dense scrub will of been burnt away hopefully exposing relics, new mines or even opened up tracks to the older mines for years to come. Over the years we have discovered mine relics that have been left behind from old shakers, sluices, 

tractors, mine whinze’s, steel wheels even a 5 head stamper, but overtime the bush has swallowed these pieces up.

These days Coramba is a boutique village that sits away from the coastal hustle and bustle, where the grass always seems green, the locals and businesses are proud of what they have and the Orara River flows freely north towards Grafton before heading out to sea. There’s a large population of descendants in Coramba where their roots are firmly planted from ancestors who settled in the valley. It’s one of our most beautiful towns in the area where relaxing Sunday drives and a casual stroll up the main street can be the thing to do followed by a pub feed & cool drink at Coramba’s local while looking out across their stunning vista. 

LINKS TO READ

https://www.whichcar.com.au/opinion/old-4x4s-are-better-at-going-off-road

https://www.whichcar.com.au/explore/nsw/lightning-ridge-nsw-4x4-travel-guide

https://www.whichcar.com.au/explore/nsw/wollemi-national-park-4x4-trip-guide

https://www.whichcar.com.au/explore/qld/eurimbula-national-park-queensland-4x4-travel-guide

OXLEY WILD NP...NSW

The New England plateau was created millions of years ago when there was a massive upheaval along the coast by mega volcanoes including the nearby Ebor Volcano thus creating fertile farmlands, steep ruggered valleys and seperate micro systems along the way. One area of particular interest is the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park that covers just over 145,000 hectares of some of most beautiful and in other parts some of the most inaccessible areas in the state. Situated 500 km north of Sydney its a great place to explore its history and natural beauty and get back to basics with simple camp options wether in a 4wd or 2wd. Today is a very protected National Park that was heritage listed back in 2007 due to its significance with its dry rainforest areas, rich bio-diversity and part of the Gondwana Rainforest area of Australia that links it to other parts of the world. 

Jump back to 1818 when explorer John Oxley passed through the area looking for pastoral land ( and hence the name was dedicated to him ) while he was trying to descend towards the coast but was constantly being stopped by huge deep gorges until he finally found a way down with his party. Due to the ruggedness its’ there’s a few different ways in with different special features for both 4wders and those just with a soft roader. For those with a AWD skirting around the outskirts of the park there’s a few waterfalls and easier camping areas to explore. Places like Apsley Falls, Wollomombi, Dangars Falls all are pretty easy to access to view the massive waterfall drops and the chance to set off on foot on one of the many walking trails, but if you like to explore the inner heart of the wild Oxley there’s a few days of exploring that can be had. In 1976 it was declared a true wilderness area due to the natural environment that hasn’t been touched by man through any means what so ever and this works in the favour of having a 4wd so we can explore the inner parts. While it’s one of the largest National parks in NSW there are no roads through the guts of the wild Oxley, only loop roads to camp sites and into the gorge areas. 

From the southern end near Walcha head out along Moona Plains road and Buds Mare trail where if you can access a campground down on the mighty Apsley River via a locked gate where the key is available through the NPWS office at Walcha, but if you can’t get the key a free camp has been set up at the top of Buds mare just before the steep track down to the river. The camp at the top is a pretty good setup with all fresh facilities, views down into the craggy valley below and walking trails to a viewing deck and another 8 km return walk to the river below.  Down beside the river NPWS have setup the camp area with fire pits, eco-toilets, shelters and even a free gas bbq. 

Around on the western side of the park towards the town of Armidale, easy access to Dangars Gorge for those with a AWD and keen to tackle one of the many hikes in the area to the bottom of the valley and river areas. Some of the hikes are for experienced only and go for days popping out elsewhere in the park or just do the loop back. An advantage here is that you can setup base camp in the Dangars Waterfall camping area and then do the return loop. 

Getting down into the remote areas and away from the wandering crowds you’ll need to head 40 east of Armidale towards the historical town of Hillgrove. Before heading into the bush, check out the now rundown old area of Hillgrove with a drive around the town. Once a rich gold mining town it was established in 1884 when gold was discovered in nearby creeks. Over the years it produced a massive 15,000 kg of gold, 14,000 tons of Antimony and 2,000 tones of Scheelite ( ore like material ). The mining has all but stopped these days but lookout points around the area at Bakers and Metz Gorge lookouts give you views down to the old mine sites where old brick chimneys, buildings and mine entrance structures can still be seen. Tramways were built to haul the rock from the mines deep below up to the towns level for processing using steam driven engines back in the mid to late 1800’s and in 1895 it was the very first town in Australia creating its own power from a hydro plant in the nearby Gara gorge. Around town plaques and signs give you an invite what used to be there and even tho it makes the mind wander it's pretty disappointing that none of there buildings are there anymore.

Heading out along the Long point road to the end there is other remote camping and more walking tracks on the outer fringes of the park into the Chandler Valley but midway along swing down into the Styx river area for more remote and 4wd accessible areas. Down here there’s a maze of roads so you’ll need a good GPS to show you the low range range tracks in the area with some of the best free camping areas that you can enjoy and the water down here in the rivers can nearly be guaranteed due to the huge catchment areas in the park. Other spectacular areas to explore where you’ll need a key for access is down into the Halls Peak camping area which is low range territory with steep drop offs and sheer cliffs but the camping area at the bottom has plenty of space with tables, toilets, bbq’s and supplied milled wood. For a more civilised camping area head into West Kunderang Station where there’s a choice of sites or rustic cabins on the property which is a working cattle station. NPWS run East Kunderang Station where you can book online to camp in a stockman like hut.

When the cattlemen rode for days in this area they built what we know today as stockman huts. Throughout the Oxley NP there are huts in remote locations that NPWS have control over and manage their upkeep. The most popular being Youdales but others nearby along the Green Gully walking track where you camp beside these heritage listed restored huts. 

For the history buffs 12km southwest of Ebor, the Yooroonah Tank Trap Barrier is of significant importance. Strategically placed here back in 1942 in case the Japanese were to invade Australia, the barrier would have slowed progress to the tablelands. There was a reported 75 posts barrier ( we saw about 50 odd - others had been burnt, attacked by white ants or been knocked over. There are 8 triangle tetrahedra ( triangle blocks ) placed on the higher ground to force the tanks into the marsh areas ), we found several rock lookout platforms, funk holes ( where our troops would of laid if there was an attack ). But an amazing find was the tunnel under the old road that would have been loaded up with 1.5 ton of explosives in steel boxes and ignited if the enemy was on the road.

The digging of the tunnel initially involved two shifts of two men each (working 15 hours work per day, 6 days per week). It’s about 60 feet long with two arms branching off the end, reports say it was 10 feet high ( now about 5 ) and it seems to be about 4 feet wide. This enemy deterrent was one of many along the east coast and in fact the steepness of terrain from tableland to coast, combined with the prevalence of deep gorges, the absence of navigable rivers and the heavily-forested nature of the surrounding countryside, meant that the few easterly roads extant in 1942 were of critical strategic importance. Now it's listed by the National Trust. Lots of history and very cool. There are several walking tracks around these points of interest - easy for the kids to walk too. 

The cycle of the wild Oxley changes the landscape with every weather event with weathering winds wearing away at the sandstone outcrops, the torrential rain causing landslips into the valleys below making new pools or destroying thousand year old micro-systems or raging floods that create havoc along the banks where severe erosion takes place either at the base of some of the highest waterfalls in NSW or along the many creeks along the way. The wild Oxley is one area that can’t be explored in just visit. 

HELL HOLE GORGE.....remote western qld

Located near the centre of Queensland I thought I was up for the challenge to head into this very remote area nearly 1200km west of Brisbane. Hell Hole Gorge has only one road in and one out via Adavale where you need to register at the local pub and then de-register on your way out, for emergency reasons and your own safety. Just recently Queensland Parks opened the park to campers but you need to be totally self - sufficient with all food, water, communication and carry a comprehensive first aid kit and the last stop for any luxuries before heading offroad is Quilpie where limited supplies can be found about 120km away.The roads out here are generally that stunning red dirt type with Mulga, Red gums and Gidyea trees lining the road with low salt bush intermixing around the base. 

It’s pretty amazing the history out here in the remote regions and Adavale was no different. Dating back to early 1800 it’s hard to believe that Adavale was once a thriving town during a gold rush days that had an unbelievable 8 pubs in the area, a police station, doctors, school, shops and it was on the mail route out to Windorah. Originally the rail line was to come out to Adavale but a last minute decision had the line sent out to Quilpie, this hurt the town and it slowly died. But later on in 1963 huge floods swept through the area, and it was reported that the water was 10 miles wide at Adavale cutting the town off for weeks, washing away buildings and subsequently more locals left the area in dispear. Adavale was named after a bride when her veil flew off into a local creek and when somebody yelled out  “there goes Ada’s veil”, the name stuck. 

These days there are around 20 permanent residence living in this remote town but I found that it was a good little place to have a look as there is an outdoor museum, the old police cell has been restored and is jammed packed full of memorabilia including hand written letters and the local hall has been restored where if you walk around the verandahs there is a plethora of old photos, reports, old cattle and mine leases plus relics from the past. At the local pub your advised to register ( and then de-register ) when you come out of Hell Hole just for your safety as there is no phone signal anywhere in the park.

Heading out of Adavale towards the park you’ll pass through several large stations where cattle wander freely so just keep this in mind. The road out is not generally maintained so by dropping a stack of air out of your tyres is the right thing to do for comfort and it also protects the roads by not tearing it up. With only a 70 km drive to the park don’t expect hot to take any less than 2 hours due to the roads and quite often there are photo opportunities along the way. It’s a stunning drive with long stretches of sand, narrow single lane tracks and there are sections where the road will wind down and cross huge ancient dry creek beds. 

As you enter Hell Hole Gorge there’s a info board highlighting important information, flora and fauna features and general park information, you’ll also need to self register before heading here through Queensland parks online. The park has only been open to campers for a short time and after a long drive in you’ll find that the designated camping area is across the other side of the Powell river gorge. Parks QLD have placed blue markers across and then up 200 along the rocks to follow safely where there are plenty of informal camping options around through the trees and rocky outcrops. Hell Hole Gorge doesn’t have 4wd tracks, it’s a quiet place where bird watchers, hikers and those seeking a little solitude can spend time what they love. Camping is only 200 metres to the water holes where at any time of the day you’ll spot an array of different birds, fish, the rare Krefft river turtles and maybe spot the Yellow foot Wallaby. When the sun sets out here there is an eerie quietness across the area but it’s a typical outback sunset where stunning colours light up the sky and at night the stars seem to be brighter. 

Seasons are extreme out here with summer temperatures reaching the high 40’s yet the winters can get bitterly cold, so be prepared for what ever season you choose. 

The park was declared only 20 years ago to protect the Mulga eco-system out in western Queensland so by following the regulations that are in place it will be kept open for years to come. There are no facilities out here so all rubbish needs to be carried out, toilet waste needs to be dug into the ground and burn the paper if it is safe at the time. There are also no formal walking tracks in the park so take care where you venture, as I found out if you don’t keep a track where you are it could be easy to get a little orientated. The Gorge has been formed over millions of years with water running high and fast through Powell Creek and with the erosion process that takes place over sedimentary rocks it had formed what we have today including some areas where there are 40 metre high cliffs. 

Hell Hole Gorge needs to be respected to enter and to spend time here as if anything goes wrong with your preparation or an accident occurs - help is a long time coming. It may be a long drive in to explore but it’s well worth the time for an outback remote adventure.