Peak Range Tour
No.2 Peak Range Tour
Capella > Retro > Lord’s Table Mountain National Park > Calvert Peak > Capella.
Start your speedometer readings as you go past the Pioneer Village heading north along the Gregory Highway (Great Inland Way). Cross Capella Creek from where the town water supply is pumped (in times of good flow) into three large earthen storage dams behind the grain silos.
You can see the Peak Range on your right as you go through the rich black clay soil farming country heading for the gravel Retro-New Corry Road right turn off, 16.1km from town. 3.3km along the Retro-New Corry Road you come to the Retro grain storage sheds. These are now privately owned, but were once part of the Queensland bulk grain handling system operated by Grainco. Now, be careful, 1.7km further along you turn right off the straight road beside the railway line going to Nanya siding and head in the general direction of the Peaks. If you look to your right 3.9km from the turn, Mt Macarthur, Scotts Peak, Mt Roper and Malvern Hill stand out in a group in the distance.
12.6km from the turn brings you to the junction of the Langton-Magenta Road with the Retro-New Corry Road that you are on. This is known locally as the Four Ways. Drive straight through and you will have Lord’s Table Mountain directly in front of you. As you get closer you will be able to see the Anvil section in front of the Lord’s Table Mountain itself. This country was once part of the Queensland-British Food Corporation (QBFC) of 1948 – 56. A book on the QBFC called Tractors Under the Sky is available from the newsagents in Capella. Another publication titled Worth the Gamble, a collection of stories from the people who worked on these lands between 1956 and 2006 is also available.
Lords Table Mountain and the Anvil are capped by a flow of light-grey trachyandesite or trachyte about 30 metres thick, which overlies about 15 basalt benches. These two sections make up the
Lord’s Table Mountain National Park. To the right of it is the Hodgson Range. There are no facilities at Lord’s Table Mountain National Park.
18.1km along the sealed road from the Four Ways is the Corry Road turn to the right. Going over the grid will take you back to Capella over some black soil road. Do not attempt this route if it is wet as you will bog very quickly. The road you are on reverts to gravel just passed the Corry Road junction, then slow down for the sharp corner.
23.5km from the Four Ways brings you to the Huntley Road T-junction. Left will take you to the Gregory Highway, but turn right towards Lord’s Table. The Anvil is clearly seen as separate to Lord’s Table Mountain now.
There are some good photo opportunities for the next 11km or so.
As you go past Lord’s Table you pass through coolibah ridges with Hodgson Range and Gilberts Dome on your right. When you get to the Muidart Station turn off, 13km from the road grid at Lord’s Table Mountain, the southern section of the Peak Range is in view.
Stay on the Huntley Road and head into the grazing country for 6.8km, then you turn right at the next T-junction leading back to Capella, along the Cotherstone Road. Going straight ahead will take you to Dysart.
Just along the road a bit you get a good view of Browns Peak, Gilberts Dome, Hodgson Range and Lord’s Table Mountain on your right.
4.8km from the T-junction you will come over a rise and Scotts Peak is right in front of you. Travel 12.5km further, and the Peak directly in front of you is Calverts Peak. A good photo opportunity for Calverts Peak with Scotts Peak and Mt Roper in the background is another 0.9km on.
Another 2km brings you to the property Gaylong and 5.5km past that, the larger peak you see on your left is Mt Macarthur. Behind Mt Macarthur on its own with the communications towers on it, is Mt Lowe. 8.9km past Gaylong and you cross Capella Creek to rejoin the sealed road network. You are back into the black soil broadacre farming country again. 3.5km from the creek is the T junction of the Cotherstone Road which you are on, with the Corry Road. Follow the single lane bitumen around and you have a straight run back to Capella. Don’t forget to move over for oncoming traffic and watch out for wildlife.
All the Peaks are on private property, except Lord’s Table Mountain. Please abide by Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service rules regarding Lord’s Table Mountain National Park.
11.5km from the Corry Road junction, you will pass the Langton-Magenta Road turn to your right. This road goes through to the Gregory Highway Capella is only 12km down the road. Welcome back.
Total length of tour is 144km, of which 58km is sealed.