The Cormanus Chronicles: Carnarvon Gorge

[Cormanus]

Day 4

[url=https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1YPdFl_mvKBKzDOjC1qPJKOqvhs6Fs--r&usp=sharing]Map here

As I struck my tent and set about packing my bags, the mystery of the chewed muesli bars was solved. I’d rolled the top of the bag and tucked it under the fly of my tent, but that hadn’t stopped some enterprising rodent eating its way through the bag. I was quite impressed. It’s quite thick and probably not all that tasty.





Heading out of the national park

I said my farewells to Valvoline, JoshKTM and CC who were making their way back to Brisbane and set out north in search of a road Valvoline promised had actual bends. I was a bit amazed. How had the Pterodactyl and I—who have twice ridden in this otherwise flat-ish neck of the woods—not discovered this gem?

The road north to Emerald via Rolleston (where I refuelled having emptied the 5 litre container into the tank at Takarakka) has many a flat aspect.


But there are some interesting hills and mountains to keep one interested. I particularly liked this range near Springsure.




At a place called Anakie, I had encounter with the Big Emerald, another of [url=https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia%27s_big_things]Australia’s Big Things.


At Cararvon I’d found a small, plastic child’s toy on the ground. Apparently it’s called an ooshie. It had a rubber suction cup on the base and I stuck it on the headlight of the bike. I thought no more about it. After something to eat and a tank of petrol at The Gemfields, I was surprised to notice it had survived cruising speed on the CB1100.


Valvoline had reported well. Just outside the Gemfields, there’s a right …


… then a left …


… then another left …


… then a right …



… then a left.


It’s hard to describe the joy experienced both by rider and the sides of tyres when they encounter corners in this part of the world. It’s not completely flat, but there aren’t many hills either and mostly the road travels straight or through corners so long as not to present a challenge of any sort.

Day 4 will return briefly later.