Kasha Patel, the Deacons Abroad marketing intern, recounts adventures in Carnarvon Gorge on the South Queensland program:

In preparation for Carnarvon Gorge, be sure to follow the packing list’s instructions: Bring a sleeping bag, some warm gloves and a beanie. During May at Carnarvon Gorge, temperatures range from 70 degrees Fahrenheit or more during the daytime and 40 degrees Fahrenheit during the night. After properly preparing for the cold evening conditions, I found Carnarvon Gorge to be a must-see place when visiting Australia.

We arrived at Carnarvon Gorge Wilderness Lodge and saw nothing more than a few cabins for sleeping and a pavilion to eat under. We were definitely in the Outback. Our driver and field guide, Simon, cooked delicious meals, preparing everything from pasta to kangaroo kebabs.

During the daytime, we had classes with Simon. For one lesson, we had to construct a cutting tool and a water-carrying device from products found in nature and also create and test our own boomerang. During the evenings, we reviewed notes from the day, searched for nocturnal animals and then played games and sang songs around campfires.

I especially liked Carnarvon Gorge because of the different activities. On our evening hikes to see nocturnal animals, we spotted the yellow-bellied glider and the Greater glider, species that were not found at the other field locations we visited. At Carnarvon, we really learned about the Aboriginal people and saw their traditional food sources, artwork and amphitheater.

However, my favorite part of Carnarvon was the daytime hikes. A big portion of the hikes we went on were on unpaved paths. We had to scale walls on ladders, walk on fallen trees and hop over streams of water. Every hike, while sometimes slightly nerve-wracking, was always a fun adventure.