Whether travelling from Rolleston or Taroom, the trek into Expedition National Park is as interesting as the park itself. It truly is a case of the journey being every bit as enjoyable as the destination.

Expedition National Park straddles the Expedition range between Rolleston, Bauhinia Downs and Taroom and is largely inaccessible, except by properly equipped and experience bushwalkers. However there are two camp sites on the eastern side of the park, near Robinson Gorge, and both of these are accessible by 4WD. There is no access for conventional vehicles or low clearance trailers and caravans.

Spotted Gum campsite, near the northern end of Robinson Gorge, has no facilities while Starkvale Creek campsite has pit toilets and a rainwater tank. There are self-registration stations at both camp-grounds. Starkvale is closer to the gorge proper and is the jump off point to the "Cattle Dip" an aptly named section of Robinson Gorge. The gorge starts off as a wide shallow depression near Spotted Gum camp-ground then narrows and deepens towards its southern end to form this Cattle Dip, a 6m wide and up to 100m high chasm with a permanent water hole in the bottom.

A clearly defined, 2km long, walking trail from Starkvale camp-ground leads to a lookout over the gorge. An offshoot from this trail leads down into the gorge. It is steep in places and requires a scramble over rocky outcrops. Before exploring the bottom of the gorge make sure you take notice of where the trail ends as this is the only exit from the gorge. Once in the gorge it is possible to walk all the way down to the Cattle Dip. There is a 1.5km 4WD track followed by an easy 400m walk to a lookout over the Cattle Dip and no trip to Robinson Gorge would be complete without seeing it.

Camping permits are available from self-registration stations at Lake Murphy; Starkvale Creek and Spotted Gum camp-grounds. Permits are required to camp anywhere in the park and fees apply. A tag with your booking number must be displayed at your campsite. Camping permits can be obtained from the self-registration shelter on arrival or from the QPWS Roma office or QPWS Taroom office.

QPWS Roma

36 Quintin Street, Roma
PO Box 98, 1 Roma QLD 4455
Phone: (07) 4622 4266
Fax: (07) 4622 4151

QPWS Taroom

41 Miller Street, Taroom
PO Box 175, Taroom QLD 4420
Phone: (07) 4627 3358
Fax: (07) 4627 3448

You can also pre-book campsites by phoning the QPWS Roma office or QPWS Taroom office. Bookings are not available online.

Scenery, solitude, bird watching, native fauna and flora, natural bushland, 4x4 tracks, bushwalking, camping.

You need to be totally self-sufficient. Take sufficient drinking water, food, fuel, and spare parts plus a reserve in case you get stuck. Be prepared to repair punctures.

Make sure someone responsible knows where you are going and knows your itinerary. It is quite possible to be the only one in the park, even on a weekend. A good first aid kit should be part of your camping equipment.

The longest distances with no fuel is 128km to Taroom or 116km to Bauhinia Downs store on 4WD tracks and unformed roads. Allow for extra fuel consumption.

There is no mobile phone coverage in the park. It is possible to pick up the Channel 2 repeater in Taroom from some of the higher ground.

All the roads have black soil areas and may become impassable after wet weather. Listen to weather forecasts on ABC radio (747am). If general rain is forecast for the Central Highlands get out before the rain starts or wait in the park until after the roads dry out.

Travelling as part of a group is recommended.

The area is part of Queenslands sandstone belt. It has hot summers and summer storms can brew up quite quickly from a previously cloudless sky. The winters are cool and dry with cold nights and frosty mornings.

The bottom of Robinson Gorge has large numbers of wattles, grevilleas and cabbage tree palms. There are ferns and mosses in the shady areas. Both rock and whiptail wallabies live in the gorge. Cattle tracks in the creek beds bare testament to the parks early cattle station days.

The area on top of the gorge is dry eucalypt forest with spotted gum, box and apple tree in abundance. Cycad, she-oak and wattle can also be found.

There is an abundance of bird-life in and around the camp-grounds. Look for king parrots, pale headed mountain parrots and rainbow lorikeets feeding on nectar or fantails chasing insects. Be prepared for a kookaburra wake up call at daylight.

In Autumn watch out for clouds of pale green butterflies sucking moisture from cow pats on the Taroom track.

Aboriginal peoples inhabited this area for thousands of years before European exploration and aboriginal art sites have been reported in the park. The sites are unmarked so keep a keen eye out. National Parks and Wildlife ask that if you do spot any art sites please don't disturb them.

The Ludwig Leichhardt expedition passed through here in 1844 on their way to Darwin. They camped here and at Lake Murphy Conservation Park, 100km to the south east, near Taroom. The eastern part of the national park was originally part of Glenhaughton Station and became a national park in 1953.