The Gorge runs between the source of the

Condamine River The Condamine River, part of the Balonne catchment that is part of the Murray-Darling Basin, drains the northern portion of the Darling Downs, an area of sub-coastal southern Queensland, Australia. The river is approximately 500 kilometres (3 ...

and the town of

Killarney Killarney ( ; , meaning 'church of sloes') is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town is on the northeastern shore of Lough Leane, part of Killarney National Park, and is home to St Mary's Cathedral, Killar ...

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. It is not officially named and is also known as the Condamine Gorge and the 14 River Crossings. the area is officially known as "The Falls" The gorge begins in the historical area of the head which is bordered by

Wilsons Peak Wilsons Peak ( Aboriginal: ''Jirramen'') is a mountain on the border of New South Wales and Queensland, Australia. Much of which is covered in rainforest. It marks the intersection of the Great Dividing Range with the McPherson Range in the Sc ...

to the east and

Mount Superbus Mount Superbus lies south-west of the centre of Brisbane, Australia and is South East Queensland's highest peak at . At this elevation, it is the fifth-highest peak in Queensland, after Mount Bartle Frere at , Mount Bellenden Ker at , Mount F ...

to the north. Commencing at this broad grassland, the gorge narrows as the river encounters harder

trachyte Trachyte () is an extrusive igneous rock composed mostly of alkali feldspar. It is usually light-colored and aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained), with minor amounts of mafic minerals, and is formed by the rapid cooling of lava (or shallow intrus ...

rock. This creates a dramatic landscape. The road through the gorge was used to carry supplies and mail to early settlers along the length of the gorge, and to bring timber to the railway in Killarney. The Crossings are named First, Second, Double, Mawhirts, Bullocky, Flaggie, Rocky, Mill, Reis', Heywood's, Billy John's, Andrew Evan's, Long and Watson's Crossing in order from The Head down river. The area is one of outstanding natural beauty in the Border ranges of southern Queensland. It is a rich bio-region with at least 14 endangered or threatened species ranging from the azure kingfisher to the spotted tail quoll and the glossy black cockatoo. Condamine River Road runs through the Gorge and is a dirt road with a speed limit of . The speed limit through the crossings is . The gorge is not a national park or state forest, rather it is a farming and residential area. The road crosses the Condamine River 14 times and is dangerous during times of flooding, resulting in loss of property and life and hence is often closed. The road through the gorge is bordered mostly by private property. Drivers should stick to the road and stop at designated stopping areas only including Bullocky Crossing. Proper driver behaviour is appreciated including slowing down for cows and wildlife on the road, leaving no rubbish, and not driving up the river (platypus there). Activities such as bushwalking, horse riding, bird watching, mountain bike riding, picnicking are encouraged. There is no camping in the gorge unless organised prior on private property. Condamine River Road is section 6 of the National Trail. More recently Condamine River road has been subjected to exploitation by 4WD tourism operators and clubs which has led to

overtourism Overtourism is congestion or overcrowding from an excess of tourists, resulting in conflicts with locals. The World Tourism Organization defines overtourism as "the impact of tourism on a destination, or parts thereof, that excessively influ ...

and damage to the sensative riparian environment that supports one of the last Murray Darling breeding populations of platypus and blackfish in South East Queensland. It has also resulted in escalating conflict between trespassing 4WD's, residents and the police.

References

External links

Information about the Condamine River 4WD track.
{{Darling Downs Canyons and gorges of Queensland Darling Downs

See also

References

External links