CANIA GORGE NATIONAL PARK, OLD TRAVEL
Tucked away in a secluded corner of the North Burnett region, about 500km northwest of Brisbane, Cania Gorge embraces two principal features of outstanding beauty and interest — a 3000ha national park, noted for its towering sandstone cliffs and abundant wildlife, and the reservoir behind Cania Dam that is arguably one of the state's best freshwater fishing hot spots.
ANCIENT ORIGINS
About 200 million years ago this part of Central Queensland was covered by a shallow lake lying over granite bedrock that formed deep beneath the surface of the Earth. Into the lake streams and rivers deposited sand eroded from distant mountains. Over time, the sand and other sediments settled to form a thick blanket that was compressed into layers of colourful rock, a geographical formation called Precipice Sandstone. After the lake dried up, tectonic forces tilted the exposed rock layer, causing it to crack along a fault line. For 65 million years this fault caught run-off from rainwater and channelled it southward, eventually forming the winding course of Three Moon Creek. The watercourse gradually eroded the sandstone plate down to its granite bed and carved the wide gorge bounded by 70m cliffs we see today.
