For Queensland self-drive inspiration , the coastal regions of the Southern Great Barrier Reef including Bundaberg, Gladstone and the Capricorn Coast take in the sandstone escarpment wilderness areas and national parks of Blackdown Tableland, Cania Gorge and Kroombit Tops.
In Blackdown clients will find the ancient rock art of the Ghungalu people who have visited the plateau for thousands of years, says the Southern Great Barrier Reef tourism office. Walking tracks lead to these heritage sites as well as to creeks, waterfalls and lookouts of the 47, 950ha park. A 4WD loop road takes visitors to a camping ground and to Yaddamen Dhina (Horseshoe lookout), a picnic and day-use area that offers barbecues. There is also Aboriginal drawings on the towering cliffs, caves and canyons Cania Gorge which are accessed by eight walking trails, along the creek, and for those visitors who are reasonable fit, notes the RTO, upwards to the Giant’s Chair Lookout, which offers stunning views , as does the Castle Mountain Lookout over the Cania dam and lake. A WWII Liberation bomber crashed at Kroombit Tops in 1945 and lay undiscovered for nearly 50 years but can now be seen on one of the many trails through the Gladstone park. There are bush walks (pictured) and 4WD options to explore the wood forest and scrublands and the creeks and waterfalls are a cool retreat says the RTO, which notes some tracks are not suitable for 4WDs in wet weather. Packages are available from Viva/Go Holidays, and the RTO is also building package itineraries with House of Travel.
See self-drive trade itineraries HERE and more resources HERE.
