Carnarvon Gorge

In September 2024, Ollie and I attempted the Carnarvon Great Walk (key word: attempted).

This is an 87km loop with some notoriously steep sections. We were woefully unprepared, hauling a whopping 4 cans of beans, 6 cans of tuna (don’t ask what our packs weighed) and - tragically - no can opener. For some godforsaken reason we also decided to bring a swag.

Thankfully, the universe took one look at this disaster and set the park on fire, forcing us to turn around after the first day. We still made it to the top of Battleship Spur on our second morning, after camping halfway up because a tree had fallen on Big Bend and the whole site was fenced off. In the end, we only camped two nights and climbed up Boolimba Bluff on our way out, for a total of ~35kms, which I thought was plenty.

When we made it back to civilisation, Ollie’s uncle asked him where he’d managed to find someone who would not only attempt this mission, but actually enjoy it. I think a better question might be: where did I find Ollie? <3