The Salvator Rosa part of Carnarvon National Park is on Kairi Country. I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of this area and their deep and ongoing connection to Country, and pay my respects to their Elders past and present.
The Salvator Rosa section of Carnarvon National Park doesn’t offer anywhere near the spectacular sights that Carnarvon Gorge has. It also doesn’t have the rugged beauty and Aboriginal rock art you can find at the Mount Moffatt section.
But if you’re after a peaceful camping experience while enjoying some sandstone formations, then Salvator Rosa is just the place.
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SALVATOR ROSA (CARNARVON NATIONAL PARK): TIPS FOR YOUR FIRST VISIT
Carnarvon National Park is no doubt the most popular national park in Central Queensland.
Most people don’t realise though that Carnarvon National Park has five accessible sections: Carnarvon Gorge, abutting Mount Moffatt, Salvator Rosa, tiny Ka Ka Mundi and Goodliffe.
The towering sandstone cliffs of Carnarvon Gorge are the most well-known part of the national park, and are definitely a must-see. But if you want a bit more peace and quiet, Mount Moffatt or Salvator Rosa give you that perfect remote bush experience.
HOW MUCH TIME TO PLAN FOR SALVATOR ROSA
It’s takes a bit of time and effort to get to Salvator Rosa so it makes sense to spend at least a couple of nights.
We ended up having one full day (two nights) here, and since there isn’t that much to do, it was as much time as we needed to explore the park.
We were on a one-week itinerary so didn’t have much more time to spend than the two nights. If you don’t want to rush and spend time relaxing in your campsite, plan 2-3 days.
BEST TIME TO VISIT SALVATOR ROSA
Like any of the Carnarvon National Parks sections, the winter months are the best time to explore Salvator Rosa. April can still be quite hot and by September temperatures are on the rise again so anywhere between May to late August would be just about perfect.
Expect cold temperatures (even to 0°C) overnight in the middle of winter but beautiful clear skies on most days, and maybe low 20°Cs during the day.
Summer is very hot and the park may even be closed if there’s fire danger and/or extreme heat.
HOW TO GET TO SALVATOR ROSA
The Salvator Rosa section of Carnarvon National Park is the furthest one from the coast, some 930km northwest of Brisbane.
That’s a long way to come.
We did it as part of a 10-day road trip that included Blackdown Tableland National Park (near Emerald), Ka Ka Mundi, Salvator Rosa, Mount Moffatt and the (now closed) Lonesome section of Expedition National Park.
Whether you’re coming from the coast, the north or the west, you’ll probably come along the Dawson Developmental Road and then on Cungelella Road.
If you’re heading west (or coming from the west), you can also take Mount Playfair Road but that’s only suitable for dry conditions and high-clearance 4WDs. It’s the way we left as we were heading to Mount Moffatt via Mitchell.
Since you’re travelling mostly on unsealed roads, and wet conditions can quickly make things dicey out here, access to Salvator Rosa is 4WD-only.
Travel can be slow because of corrugations or, frequently for us, cattle on the road.
CAMPING AT SALVATOR ROSA: NOGOA RIVER CAMPING AREA
The Nogoa River camping area is the only camping spot at Salvator Rosa. It’s about 2.5km into the park once you pass the park boundary.
The camping area is one large semi-shaded area that’s close to the Nogoa River but not directly on it. You can walk to the creek but you can’t really see it from the camping area.
There’s plenty of space but I reckon it might feel a bit cramped if it was at capacity (40 people). There are also a few picnic tables and fire rings strewn about so you can sort of use these to pick a site that you like.
QPWS states that it’s suited only to 4WD-vehicles and off-road camper trailers / campervans but we saw caravans there too. I guess it all depends on the road conditions and your setup.
Because it’s one large area without designated sites, there’s not much privacy. The trees give you some sort of separation but it’s not my favourite way of camping.
That said, it was fairly quiet with only two, three other campers around, and the lack of privacy didn’t matter too much.
NOGOA RIVER CAMPING AREA AT A GLANCE
PROS: Remote, peaceful and lots of space; picnic tables in some spots; Nogoa River nearby
CONS: Not a ton of privacy due to camping in one large open area; no individual sites; no views as such
COST: $7.25 per site/per night (2025); pre-bookings only
PERSONAL ENJOYMENT RATING: 3/5
Even though pre-booking your camping spot out here seems so inconvenient and silly, you still need to do it. There’s no reception in the park so you’ll need to do that when you’re still in range near Springsure or Tambo.
And remember to camp responsibly (take your rubbish with you, don’t collect firewood in the national park, etc.).
TIPS FOR YOUR ADVENTURE AT SALVATOR ROSA
Salvator Rosa is in a more remote part of Queensland so it’s important to come prepared. Here are a few tips for your adventure.
- Carry sufficient fuel: The nearest fuel stations are in Springsure (170km) or Tambo (135km via Mount Playfair Road – high-clearance 4WDs only).
- Check road conditions: This part of Carnarvon National Park is only suitable for 4WD-vehicles, ideally high-clearance but that may or may not be required depending on road conditions. It would be wise to check road conditions before you venture out.
- Leave gates: You’ll be driving through properties on your way to Salvator Rosa so leave gates as you find them.
- Carry sufficient water: There is no water at Salvator Rosa. Plan at least 5-7L per person per day (and maybe more for emergencies).
- Be ready for cold temperatures: In winter, temperatures can drop to around 0ºC. Bring clothes you can layer as the days can still be warm and sunny.
- Bring emergency supplies: Have a first-aid kit handy and extra food in case you get stranded. There’s no mobile coverage in the park though you might get some Telstra coverage back on the Dawson Developmental Road. For peace of mind, we generally carry a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) when venturing to more remote locations like Salvator Rosa.
EXPLORE SALVATOR ROSA (CARNARVON NATIONAL PARK)
If Mount Moffatt is quiet, Salvator Rosa is positively deserted so you’re unlikely to run into too many people as you’re exploring the park.
Here’s how you can spend a day exploring Salvator Rosa.
1. SCENIC DRIVE AROUND SALVATOR ROSA (19.2KM RETURN)
I’m not sure I’d really call it a scenic drive as such but driving through the park is definitely pleasant. And since you’re here, you ought to drive to the end of the one accessible road in the national park.
From the camping area, it’s just under 10km to drive to where the road ends at Mitchell Springs (and a locked gate bars any further adventures). Along the way, you come past Homoranthus Hill Lookout and the short Spyglass Peak walk.
There’s also a covered picnic area at Louisa Creek where we spent ages exploring the creek, crawling around to discover tiny Belinda Springs (follow the gurgling sounds!), and then having morning tea while watching emus chasing each other.
We probably spent a good three hours doing this scenic drive (without doing the Spyglass Peak walk) but it doesn’t take that long. It’s just that we like to explore and wander around. 🙂
If you just want to drive to the end, it’s probably less than an hour return (though keep in mind that the road is quite sandy).
2. SPYGLASS PEAK CIRCUIT (2KM LOOP)
BASIC TRAIL INFO
DISTANCE: 2km loop
DIFFICULTY: Grade 4 (easy-moderate)
TIME: 30-45 min
TRAILHEAD: Spyglass car park, Salvator Rosa
The Spyglass Peak Circuit is a definite must-do at Salvator Rosa.
It’s only a short walk that’s not particularly challenging. But you’ll get impressive views of the 10m diameter hole piercing the top of Spyglass Peak.
The walk starts at this grand natural sandstone wall (alternatively called Great Wall or Hadrian’s Wall). It’s pretty amazing to think that people didn’t build this given how straight it appears to be.
From there you traverse across a sandstone landscape that’s reminiscent of a moonscape (or what I imagine it’d be like).
There’s no formed track across the sandstone outcrops but orange markers are painted in various spots to help you stay on track. Basically head towards Spyglass Peak and you’ll find the trail back to the car park.
Sandstone breaks really easily so don’t run around smashing it needlessly. But you’ll probably feel it crunching under your feet.
PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: If you do the walk in the late afternoon, you’ll look straight into the sun but the spyglass is also nicely lit up. In the morning, the sun should be behind you and hopefully light up the rocks. We did the walk again the next morning but unfortunately, it was overcast and I didn’t get the sun glow I was hoping for.
3. HOMORANTHUS HILL LOOKOUT (0.3KM RETURN)
This is a very short but steep walk to the top of Homoranthus Hill offering splendid views of Spyglass Peak and the surrounding sandstone rock formations.
It’s a good spot to hang out for sunset if you’re not busy cooking dinner in the campground.
Apparently the hill is named after a rare shrub that flowers in spring, homoranthus zeteticorum.
4. HISTORICAL REMNANTS
Unlike at Carnarvon Gorge and Mount Moffatt where you find some stunning examples of Aboriginal rock art and early settler history, Salvator Rosa only gives a hint of history.
There’s a plaque in the camping area attesting to explorer Thomas Mitchell and his fellow companions camping in this area in search of the Gulf of Carpentaria in 1846. Apparently he was pretty happy to discover some of the local water springs at Salvator Rosa after travelling for weeks and weeks along dry riverbeds.
ODD FUN FACT: The sandstone spires and crags reminded Mitchell of 17th century Italian painter Salvator Rosa’s landscape paintings, and so named a lake and a mountain after him. And obviously that name stuck with this national park section.
In the mid-late 19th century, the land was used for sheep and then cattle grazing. The only evidence you can see today (beyond nearby cattle stations) are a few fence posts near Mitchell Springs (at the end of the road).
FINAL THOUGHTS
Although Salvator Rosa is a long way from the other sections of Carnarvon National Park, it’s a good spot to hang out for a couple of days.
We really enjoyed it, even if there’s not that much to do. And sometimes that’s exactly what you need.
Happy exploring,
MORE INFORMATION
Find more information about the Salvator Rosa section of Carnarvon National Park, including current alerts, check the Queensland Parks & Wildlife Service website.
MORE POSTS ON EXPLORING CARNARVON NATIONAL PARK
On the off-chance that you haven’t wandered around the other sections of Carnarvon National Park, here’s some further reading:
- Guide to hiking Carnarvon Gorge: All the walks and hiking options for Carnarvon Gorge in one handy post
- Camping at Carnarvon Gorge: Your options for camping in the national park and in caravan parks
- Guide to Mount Moffatt: Everything you need to know, from how to get there, when to go and what to see and explore at Mount Moffatt
- Camping guide to Mount Moffatt: There are several camping areas, here are my thoughts and tips for each one
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