Businesses struggle to meet demands as tourists flock to Carnarvon Gorge | ABC Australia

Business is booming at Carnarvon Gorge, about 400 kilometres south west of Rockhampton, but staff shortages have left tourism operators struggling to meet demand. Subscribe 🔔 for Australian stories every day

Beyond the pressure on commercial services, a traditional custodian fears the gorge and its culturally significant sites are being loved to death. The Demaered’aertrijckes travelled three hours one way from Roma to Carnarvon National Park to hike 14 kilometres of breathtaking trails and visit four significant sites.

A Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) spokesman said June-July school holiday visitor numbers had more than doubled from an average of 407 main track walkers per day in 2019, to 911 in 2021. Milton Lawton visits Kooramandangie, known as the Carnarvon Ranges, to share his family’s story.

As the son of a Bidjara man and a Ghungalu woman, looking after the country is a responsibility entwined with his identity. Mr Lawton believes more traditional custodians, Bidjara and Garingbal people, should be involved in managing the gorge.

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