For the majority of people visiting Carnarvon Gorge, camping is their preferred choice of accommodation. Luckily, for you and me, Carnarvon Gorge is open all year round, but the only place open for camping all year is Takarakka Bush Resort.

While there are other types of accommodation offered by Takarakka Bush Resort, this article will focus on the camping and caravan sites.

This article will also highlight some of the other activities and services that guests of the resort can access during their stay.

TAKARAKKA BUSH RESORT ACCOMMODATION

CARAVAN AND CAMPING

On both of our camping trips to Carnarvon Gorge, we have rolled our swag out at Takarakka Bush Resort. We stayed for two nights on our first visit, and I stayed for three nights on my last visit.

During my last visit, I was a guest of Takarakka while working for Southern Great Barrier Reef Tourism promoting the region. However, all of the opinions expressed are my own.

With the road now sealed all the way, all types of conventional motor vehicles can access the resort. This means that 2WDs, 4WDs, buses, motorhomes, caravans and camper trailers of all sizes and descriptions can enjoy a camping holiday at Carnarvon Gorge.

Set amongst the trees, the large and grassed campsites are offered in both powered and non-powered variants. For the larger rigs, some of the sites offered have the convenience of being drive-through.

All sites have communal camp kitchens which feature gas cooktops, BBQs, sinks and plenty of undercover seating. If you prefer to cook over an open fire, fire pits with supplied firewood are provided.

After a big day of walking, make use of the hot showers located in the amenity blocks located close by. to the camping areas. There’s also on-site laundry facilities if required.

For those with chemical toilets, Takarakka also provides a dump point to use if required.

If camping isn’t your thing, Takarakka Bush Resort also offers several other levels of accommodation.

TAKA SAFARI TENTS

If you’d like to give glamping a go after a day on the walking trails, Taka Safari Tents might be an option. They can be hired with or without an ensuite.

EXPLORER CABINS / THE COTTAGE / KOOKABURRA STUDIOS

Maybe camping or glamping isn’t for you? If so, Takarakka also offers cabins, cottages and studio accommodation for a little bit of luxury in the bush.

WHAT ELSE DOES TAKARAKKA BUSH RESORT OFFER?

VISITOR INFORMATION SESSIONS

Nightly from 5pm, the team from the resort run free information sessions. These sessions provide the latest information and insights into the best walks and places to visit during your stay. I’d highly recommend to do this on your first night so you can make the most out of your visit.

THE TAKA TWO-COURSE ROAST DINNER

If you’re staying for a couple of nights, allow for dinner on one of those nights to be provided by the Taka Kitchen Staff.

They do a great two-course roast and the communal seating allows you to make new friends, have a chat about the walks you’ve done or get some tips about others you are yet to complete.

THE BUSH BAR

Every afternoon at 4pm, the Bush Bar kicks off with drinks and nibblies on the deck. Time it right and hang around for the roast dinner to finish off a great day.

GENERAL STORE

If you didn’t stock up your supplies before arriving, the General Store located at Reception can help out with most basic items.

Milk, eggs and bread can be purchased as well as many other grocery items. You can also grab a bottle of wine and ice for the esky!

GUIDED TOURS

WALKING TOURS

If you’ve come to tackle the Carnavon Gorge walking tracks, you might be interested to learn that Takarakka run guided walking tours.

These local guides will provide you with much more information than the interpretive signage can offer. Learn about the local and indigenous history, as well as the flora and fauna that call Carnarvon Gorge home.

GUIDE TO THE GALAXY

Thanks to its remote location, far from the bright lights of the city, the skies above Carnarvon Gorge offer up beautiful views of the Milky Way.

If you want to learn a bit more about our galaxy and the stars above, make sure you book yourself into the nightly ‘Guide to the Galaxy’ tour.

TAKARAKKA BEACH

Takarakka Beach, also known as ‘Taka Beach’ can be found on a quiet bend on Carnarvon Creek.

Due to the presence of platypus in Carnarvon Creek, swimming is only allowed at Taka Beach.

WILDLIFE SPOTTING

If you were paying attention above, you would have noticed that I mentioned the word platypus.

Yep, Carnarvon Creek is home to the very shy and elusive platypus. Your best chance of spotting one of these unique creatures is by being very quiet and still and heading down to the creek at either dusk or dawn.

On my visit, I was lucky enough to see one for three afternoons in a row!

Also found around the resort are wallabies, kangaroos and echidnas. For something a little different, head out at night with a powerful torch for a bit of spotlighting. Gliders are commonly seen after dark.

CARNARVON GORGE WEATHER

Takarakka Bush Resort is open year round, so you can choose what time of the year best suits your needs.

Summer can be hot. Temperatures regularly approach and exceed 40˚C. Summer is also storm season, so flash flooding of Carnarvon Creek may also occur. On the plus side, visitation numbers are a lot lower during summer.

Visitor numbers to Carnarvon Gorge gradually increase during the cooler months of April through to September. Peak season runs from the 1st of April through to the 31st of October.

The prime months to visit Carnarvon Garge are the winter months of June through to August. Weather at this time of year is typified by cold nights, cool days and brilliant blue skies. Just perfect for hiking.

With the onset of spring in September, the plants of Carnarvon Gorge start to flower. The days are starting to warm up, but the nights remain cool and September is one of the busiest months.

MDLB RATING

Takarakka Bush Resort gets 4.5 out of 5 Battered Akubras!

RESOURCES

Whenever we plan our trips, we use Hema Maps as well as the Hema HX-1 GPS unit. For this particular adventure, the Central Queensland and South East Queensland maps came in very handy.

To keep up to date with all the latest on the park itself, head to the Carnarvon National Park website.

About the Author:

Hi, I’m Matt. I camp, four-wheel drive, explore the outdoors and get paid to take photos.
I’m happiest when I’m doing all four at once.
Occasionally, I’ll even tap out a couple of words on my keyboard.

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