Cania Gorge National Park
Encyclopedia
Cania Gorge is a national park in Queensland
, Australia
, 373 km northwest of Brisbane
. The nearest town is Monto
. Three Moon Creek is the name of the waterway that runs along the length of the gorge.
The park's most dominant features are the 70 m sandstone cliffs. Wildlife native to the park include rock wallabys
, bettong
, platypus
, geckos and over 90 bird species.
Aboriginal rock art
on the cliff walls is an indication of indigenous settlement of at least 19,000 years.
A picnic area is located alongside the main road into the park, 8 km from the Burnett Highway
. Facilities here include covered picnic tables, toilets and gas-powered barbecues. The majority of the park's walking tracks lead from this picnic area, including the 1.1 km trail to Dripping Rock, 1.6 km trail to The Overhang, and the 1.3 km trail to Bloodwood Cave. The longest track in the park leads from a small car park 500 metres south of the picnic area. This 5.6 km circuit takes in Giants Chair Lookout, with views across the gorge; and Fern Tree Pool, a permanent waterhole. Only walkers with moderate levels of fitness should attempt this track. Another walk leads visitors to a former mine site.
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, 373 km northwest of Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. The nearest town is Monto
Monto, Queensland
Monto is a town in Queensland, Australia, located on the Burnett Highway north-west of Brisbane and south of Rockhampton. The town was the administrative centre of Monto Shire. At the 2006 census, Monto had a population of 1,159.-History:...
. Three Moon Creek is the name of the waterway that runs along the length of the gorge.
The park's most dominant features are the 70 m sandstone cliffs. Wildlife native to the park include rock wallabys
Wallaby
A wallaby is any of about thirty species of macropod . It is an informal designation generally used for any macropod that is smaller than a kangaroo or wallaroo that has not been given some other name.-Overview:...
, bettong
Bettong
The bettongs are species of the genus Bettongia, sometimes referred to as rat-kangaroos. Five species are recognised:* Eastern Bettong, Bettongia gaimardi* Boodie, Bettongia lesueur...
, platypus
Platypus
The platypus is a semi-aquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young...
, geckos and over 90 bird species.
Aboriginal rock art
Rock art
Rock art is a term used in archaeology for any human-made markings made on natural stone. They can be divided into:*Petroglyphs - carvings into stone surfaces*Pictographs - rock and cave paintings...
on the cliff walls is an indication of indigenous settlement of at least 19,000 years.
A picnic area is located alongside the main road into the park, 8 km from the Burnett Highway
Burnett Highway
The Burnett Highway is an inland rural highway located in Queensland, Australia. The highway runs generally north - south, from its junction with the Bruce Highway, just south of Rockhampton, to Nanango. Length is approximately 550 kilometres...
. Facilities here include covered picnic tables, toilets and gas-powered barbecues. The majority of the park's walking tracks lead from this picnic area, including the 1.1 km trail to Dripping Rock, 1.6 km trail to The Overhang, and the 1.3 km trail to Bloodwood Cave. The longest track in the park leads from a small car park 500 metres south of the picnic area. This 5.6 km circuit takes in Giants Chair Lookout, with views across the gorge; and Fern Tree Pool, a permanent waterhole. Only walkers with moderate levels of fitness should attempt this track. Another walk leads visitors to a former mine site.
See also
- Cania DamCania DamCania Dam is a dam in central Queensland, Australia, north west of Monto. The dam is situated on Three Moon Creek, a tributary of the Burnett River. It has a surface area is , an average depth of and a capacity of 89,000 ML.-Fishing:*...
- Protected areas of QueenslandProtected areas of QueenslandQueensland is the second largest state in Australia. It contains 470 separate Protected Areas with a total land area of 69,388 km² . 223 of these are National parks, which is the highest number of any Australian state or territory, totalling 65,871 km²...
- The Boyne Valley