Precipise Park, Taroom-Cracow. Rating please
Submitted: Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 08:36
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Member - RockyOne
Interested in a visit (seeing we live in the
Cracow suburbs,
Emerald, and
camp at Precipise Park on the mighty Dawson River between
Taroom and
Cracow. We always just hurtle past those areas, about time we explored / enjoyed them. One of you Exploroz members been there and like to give us a clue if it would be worth a weekend there. Road is 4x4 only so that is a real plus, Firewood? Ok for offroad camper Aussie Swag? TIA. RockyOne
Reply By: Member - John R (QLD) - Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 19:25
Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 19:25
Went there for bushwalking years ago, just after the park was first gazetted. It's more like
Robinson Gorge (now Expedition NP) than Isla
Gorge (which is just across the highway, and definitely worth a look). When we went we had to get permission from one of the landholders. There were no facilities whatsoever, and I assume none now either.
Cheers,
John
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Reply By: Member - RockyOne - Wednesday, Apr 16, 2008 at 07:34
Wednesday, Apr 16, 2008 at 07:34
Thks Kev, Darkie,
John, Sounds like just the ticket..Facilities! Can take or leave them as we are
well kitted in the Aussie Swag. Yabbies will go
well with some local steaks. I admire bush walkers
John, but am not about to join the throng. They find / see things us 4x4ers just drive past, often just meters away. We had been going to Kaca Mundi (other end of
Carnarvon Gorge) for years. Took a coal train driver / bush walker with us last trip. He showed us a
cave up on a steep
rock hill. Skeleton in a little
cave. One of an earlier local tribe. Rocks covered entrance. Bones still there then. Enjoy driving those areas anyway now we have replaced the original blacktop rubber on camper. Put commercial on. No more sidewall puntures.
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Reply By: Member - vivien C (VIC) - Wednesday, Apr 16, 2008 at 08:08
Wednesday, Apr 16, 2008 at 08:08
RockyOne,
We went through
Cracow a couple of years ago and Fred Brophy (Boxing Tents) owns the pub there. He was in the bar when we called in for a chat. Also I read that the stone bridges on the road were built by the Italian interns during the war. We didn't explore off road but it was a beautiful drive and certainly would like to go back and have another look.
Here are a few extracts from articles that might interest you.
"The
Eidsvold-
Cracow Road is quite famous as it was the Defence Road in World War II. Italian Inturns built this road, stretching 78km. Some of the bridges along the way were hand made of local stone by the Italians.
The bridges are no longer suitable for vehicular traffic, however they are still standing and in relatively good condition.
The very small community of
Cracow lies to the southwest with an unusual feature being the Inland Defence Road to
Theodore — a great drive for 4WDrive enthusiasts built during WWII. The old Ceratodus Railway Station has been relocated to a road stop about 10 kms north of the town and makes an ideal picnic spot with historic photos of the history of rail. Lake Wuruma can be accessed from the west.
There’s another secret to
Cracow, and it’s not the location. It’s
the beach about 15km out of town on the road to
Theodore. A sandy reach of the Dawson River surrounded green Livistonia tree palms which stand out in stark contrast to the brittle silvers of the surrounding countryside.
Cracow Beach is a popular getaway for locals and backpackers working in the pub, and for the occasional camper who passes through."
Enjoy yourself
Viv
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Follow Up By: Member - RockyOne - Wednesday, Apr 16, 2008 at 12:41
Wednesday, Apr 16, 2008 at 12:41
Thanks heaps Viv. Lots of good reasons to get down there and have a look. Always wanted to see
the gorge the Dawson River flows through. Good fishing there I'd reckon. All what you mentioned ties in with the
Possum Park Motel & Camping near
Miles. Motel units built into concrete caves made during WW2 for ammo I expect. Was a high wooden
lookout tower and yank built roads at Columboola, a 'suburb' just east of
Miles. We climbed the crumbling ladders when I was 15 (don't tell Mum & Dad;-)
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