Condamine Gorge Route

[tryagain]

So planning to do the Condamine Gorge route as per the dirty weekend book with a visit to Governor's Chair Lookout and Croftby Road as per a previous suggestion by Rumpig. Any suggestions on what I should/shouldn't do, good stops to let the kids stretch their legs etc. Realistically it's looking like about 7 hours driving with the trip to and from the Coast which is probably more time in the car than would be ideal with some littlies so if there are any bits not really worth doing then that would be ideal to know as well.

edit planned route
https://www.google.com.au/maps/dir/Boonah,+Queensland+4310/-28.0379256,152.561179/Governors+Chair+Lookout,+Swanfels+QLD+4371/-28.1411192,152.5279895/-28.3069845,152.3519422/-28.3422371,152.3731771/-28.2967248,152.4850758/-28.24232,152.5863223/-28.0672517,152.7264001/-27.9683005,152.7174417/@-28.0613305,152.6563725,18865m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m22!4m21!1m5!1m1!1s0x6b96d7d343f58e6b:0x400eef17f20dd20!2m2!1d152.6905879!2d-27.9926605!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x6b971845d0e413ed:0x130e32ea1ae8b28d!2m2!1d152.4175549!2d-28.0856448!1m0!1m0!1m0!1m0!1m0!1m0!1m0!3e0

[JD-120]

Yep, make a weekend out of it, set the date and get some swaggers there

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

[CTL]

Enjoy

[Rumpig]

Doesn't appear as though that Google map route shows the route you will be taking to me?....Mogerah Dam day use area is a nice spot to stretch the legs, walk out on the dam wall and check out the spillway, also has a small kiosk there.

[tryagain]

Doesn't appear as though that Google map route shows the route you will be taking to me?....Mogerah Dam day use area is a nice spot to stretch the legs, walk out on the dam wall and check out the skills at, also has a small kiosk there.

Was coming up differently on desktop and mobile app version of maps, should be fixed now I think.

[MrCruza]

Went through the gorge last weekend. Road is really good and VERY busy. Water in most crossings but not much flow.

[rockrat]

Yep, make a weekend out of it, set the date and get some swaggers there

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

Been thinking of doing this myself. Are there any good camping spots out that way or is it pretty much just a day trip?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[MrCruza]

Been thinking of doing this myself. Are there any good camping spots out that way or is it pretty much just a day trip?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

There's a campground at Queen Mary Falls. Also a caravan park in Killarney.

[tryagain]

Yep, make a weekend out of it, set the date and get some swaggers there

Heading off in the morning for an already organised day trip, but another weekend could be a good idea, from memory some of the roads aren't that great for towing on, I think a good way to do it over a weekend would be to head to somewhere like https://yarramalongcamping.com/ on a Friday afternoon, set up then head of and do the circuit similar to what I posted on Saturday come back to camp and stay Saturday night, then a leisurely Sunday morning around camp before heading home.

[Rumpig]

Not sure the map still shows correct...if going to Boonah,  turn off just near Kalbar towards Moogerah, it's a nice drive around the dam there, then once past the dam you turn right towards Mt Edwards and follow the back of the dam up to Governors Chair lookout,  I don't go on the Cunningham highway at all other then driving to Boonah or Kalbar which is usually a meet up point for me on that drive.

[tryagain]

Not sure the map still shows correct...if going to Boonah,  turn off just near Kalbar towards Moogerah, it's a nice drive around the dam there, then once past the dam you turn right towards Mt Edwards and follow the back of the dam up to Governors Chair lookout,  I don't go on the Cunningham highway at all other then driving to Boonah or Kalbar which is usually a meet up point for me on that drive.

Checked here when we got to Boonah and saw you comment just in time to make the changes, I modified the map above for anyone else wanting to do similar with what we did, (and I think what you were saying)

Was a good day trip, I think the idea of doing it over a weekend to take out the travel to and from times from the day would probably allow it to be a bit more laid back. I would set up camp somewhere though and just do the drive on Saturday, don't think towing the route would be all that enjoyable, and plenty of signs saying you can't.

[tryagain]

A possible interesting addition if you are going via Beaudesert, it looks like it follows a Ridgeline so would have quite nice views, hard to know if the roads are gated or not though just from Google maps.

[Rumpig]

A possible interesting addition if you are going via Beaudesert, it looks like it follows a Ridgeline so would have quite nice views, hard to know if the roads are gated or not though just from Google maps.

years ago if you knew the right property owners, you used to be able to drive from Kooralbyn through to Boonah via ridgelines on several properties...we did it a couple of times and was great views in a few places. These days the properties have different owners, and they stopped access, though we still have access to one property that used to be a 4wd park if we asked in advance. Apparently you also used to be able to drive out the back of Beaudesert and over the border via Lost World if you knew the right people (which I didn’t, but I knew of someone that has since died who used to know them and used to run tag along drives). The ridge line drive used to be spectacular apparently, but supposedly some person died in an accident doing it one day, so the property owner stopped people accessing it.

[noel_w]

Have seen some links here and there that indicate the local council want to cement all the 14 crossings.
Might be wise to get in and do it now before it is lost.

[tryagain]

Have seen some links here and there that indicate the local council want to cement all the 14 crossings.
Might be wise to get in and do it now before it is lost.

Yeah, from what I have read, there has been a proposal by an engineering company that was appointed by the council that recommended cementing all the crossings, apparently it was as a response to the locals whinging about too many people using the road, now they have started a petition to stop the crossings being cemented (potentially opening it up to more drivers). I can't see anything happening in a hurry though.

edit here is the petition https://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-cambanoora-gorge-natural-crossings.html

edit edit here is the link to the FB page with some discussion about it https://www.facebook.com/noconcreteculverts/ the page is obviously very opposed to the crossings but there are some intresting comments on some of the posts if you are bored.