Brisbane – Darwin - Brisbane
28 April 2010 to 29 July 2010
28 April 2010 to 29 July 2010
Left home 28 April 2010 – destination Bourke, Alice Springs, Darwin then back through Qld. How long....well maybe 3 months but we are not planning.
We travelled out to Tenterfield to stay a couple of days with Bob and Val. We were held up at Aratula as the road was closed between 1 and 3pm as they were doing preventative maintenance to remove rocks etc from the gap and to hopefully prevent future landslides. Well some people will go to any lengths to avoid visitors and Bob was taken to hospital during the afternoon so we booked into the caravan park only a few streets from their home. Bob was out of hospital next day so we were able to sit and visit as planned. It was quite chilly in Tenterfield at night and we were glad of the flannelette sheets etc as the temperature dropped to around 5 degrees. Bit different to home.
We finally headed off with Bourke as our destination. We travelled out the Gwydir Highway and enjoyed seeing sheep, cattle, kangaroos, emus as we drove. We stayed overnight at Cranky Rock Reserve just east of Warialda. There was a powered site or two and lots of camping area. Another camper came in so it was very quiet. Lots of birdlife around and one of their galahs walked around Lawrie whilst he was hitching up and checking his tyres etc, even walking through his legs.
We drove on to Moree and did some shopping and checked into the van park for just one night. They had hot spring pools there so I took advantage and sampled the 35 degree pool and then the hottest, 39 degrees. The first was like a warm bath and the second was rather enjoyable being that little warmer.
We arrived in Bourke in time for lunch and booked in for 3 nights. After visiting the Info centre we decided that we needed the extra night to enable us to experience this oasis.
During the afternoon we took the Mateship Bus Tour with Stuart. Well that was the best 4 hours we have ever had. We toured the town and learnt about historic buildings etc, the old wharf and the shipping history then out of town to a lime farm and a citrus and grape orchard before on to the cotton gin. The story of how the farmers lost 80% of their water leases and the effect that has had on the farmers was incredible and unknown to us city folk. The farmers had developed their land with the belief that they held the rights to an amount of water and then to have that taken from them meant that their farms became unproductive. We saw the limes just falling to the ground and being left as it is not viable for them to be harvested. The farmer had previously had grapes as well as the limes and with the reduction in water he had to get rid of the grape vines.
We then travelled on to another farm where the bank has moved the family out, the buildings are deserted and the orange trees are just dropping their fruit. Stuart stopped here for all of us to get out and pick ourselves as many oranges as we wanted. He told us that there had also been a paddock of Imperial mandarins and they had been all removed, the grape vines are also now left to wither and the property is now owned by a Dutch bank and is for sale. It is a really distressing story and to see first hand the work that had gone into the property and the buildings that were erected now all being left to decay is quite sad. All because of the drought and the removal by the Govt of part of the farmer’s water lease. There was no compensation offered to the farmers, it was just taken away.
We then drove out to the cotton gin. This one was opened 4 years ago and this year is only the 3rd year of operation. There was no operation in the second year. The gin is owned by a corporation of originally 4 farmers but now only 2. One of them is also facing extreme hardship through lack of water and the banks stating that they cannot grow ‘permanent’ crops. This means all citrus and grapes etc can now not be grown, only wheat and cotton as they are 6 monthly crops.
We then drove out onto the farm where they were picking the cotton. The huge harvesters move along 4 rows at a time ad after two passes they are ready to empty into a huge hopper that takes the cotton to the trucks for the cotton to be packed into modules and then for it’s transport to the gin. These trucks ram the cotton into huge oblong shapes that are packed tight and called modules. The cotton module has a tarp placed over the top to protect from rain whilst waiting to be ginned. Each of these tarps cost $200 and because the cotton is packed so tight if it rains it just runs down the side. The modules are placed on raised beds so that any rain then just runs off and away from the base of the module thus preventing it absorbing the moisture.
Cobar – After our three days in Bourke it was time to move on again. Cobar the Copper City was our next destination. Cobar was developed as a mining town in the late 1800’s when copper was discovered. Mines flourished into the early 1900’s however when mineral prices slumped so did the mines and the town. There has been a resurgence in mining as gold has been able to be extracted more economically than previously and there are now a few gold mines close to the town. We went on a bus tour that took us around the town and then out to the Peak Gold Mine. We were taken onto the mine property and saw the huge ‘tailings’ pond and also the underground entrance to the mine.
Earlier in the bus tour we had been taken to Fort Bourke Lookout and were able to look down into an open cut gold mine. The seam of mineral was clearly visible and it was this seam that they are now mining over a kilometre under ground.
We spent two nights at Cobar before again heading down The Kidman Way south.
We turned off The Kidman Way at Mt Hope and headed out to Lake Cargelligo with the hope of free camping at Frog Hollow. This campsite was beside the lake and it was so lovely and peaceful with just the ducks and galahs along with many other water birds enjoying the lake. We saw a white Heron and also a white Spoonbill hunting in the shallow edge of the lake. A local told us the lake was dry not all that long ago however there is plenty of water there now. It is fed by rains from as far east as Bathurst that feed into the Lachlan River.
Sunrise was beautiful on the Sunday morning and I took quite a few photos to track it’s progress. We headed back to Hillston and The Kidman Way to pass through Merriwagga before on to Griffith. At Merriwagga there is a memorial to outback women and it is believed that it is here the legend of ‘black stump’ country was born. This name came from a bullocky passing through in 1886 who left his wife, Barbara Blain, to make camp for the night while he tended to the cattle. The day was hot, windy and dusty and while his wife prepared the evening meal, the camp fire raged and she was burnt to death. When people expressed their sympathy, the bullocky simply said, ‘when I returned, my wife was dead, she looked just like a black stump’. And so the Black Stump legend was born. Mrs Blain is believed to be the first white person buried in Gunbar Cemetery.
On to Griffith and we found a free park at Lake Wyangan that included electricity. We have water views and animals next door that include deer, goats, a pig, sheep and donkey. They enjoy their bread each day and it is such fun to feed them.
We explored the city with it’s loooong main street and also Griffith Central. Laundry has again been done so everything is fresh and clean for the next phase of the trip. We ended up staying at Lake Wyangan 4 nights and voted it a great spot to stay. The weather turned cooler when a southerly wind arrived and we hunted out electric blankets to buy. What a lovely warm night we had then. Maybe the ‘free’ camping might have to go on the backburner until we are in warmer places!! During our time in Griffith we visited the Catatonia Fruit Salad farm at Hanwood (just south of Griffith) and also checked out the Scenic Hill which provides views of Griffith in panorama form. It was also the home of Valerie Racetti an Italian who lived in the rocks of Scenic Hill for many years during the 1930’s to 50’s. He became known as the Hermit of Griffith and during WW11 he was arrested and imprisoned as people feared he was a traitor or spy. During his time in the rocks he hand built fences, steps and drains and had a garden established. Walking that area today you wonder at the harshness he must have endured during his time there.
Finally it was time to start heading south again and we headed out and after calling into Jayco and having pop rivets put into one end of the awning (to replace a lost screw) we stopped at Darlington Point on the Murrumbidgee river for lunch. This was a river port established in 1864. We were able to park beside the river and went for a walk down to the ‘town beach’ on the river bank. There was a sandbank visible on the bend and it helped to produce a swimming hole that I guess would be very popular in the hot weather. The river banks were lined with beautiful old river red gums and you have to wonder at the age of the trees.
After satisfying the hunger we again drove on towards Jerilderie. This was to be our stop for the next couple of nights before heading into Victoria. There was evidence of many different crops along the way, grapes, corn, rice etc along with sheep and cattle. There seemed to be plenty of water in the channels etc and we drove into Coleambally and checked out the village. The population is only 638 and the town was only built in the 1960’s to service the new irrigation area that was set up. Draglines were used to build the many irrigation channels that are used.
We arrived at Jerilderie mid afternoon, the biting wind is still blowing but we seemed to have left the grasshoppers behind. Lawrie has already scrubbed the front of Bruiser once to clean off the grasshoppers but there were plenty again after we left Griffith so there will be another lot to remove now.
Jerilderie is a quiet little town on the highway with mainly crops as industry. There are many channels through the paddocks and that supplies the water for the crops. The water comes from the Billabong river which starts in the Snowy Mts and then joins into the Murray up past Swan Hill. We walked around the man made lake and checked out the flowering gums and birdlife in the area. Ned Kelly spent a weekend in Jerilderie and broke into the bank and destroyed all the mortgage documents as well as stealing over 2000 pounds. Ned captured the two policemen and with another of his gang, stole their uniforms to wear whilst in Jerilderie. This made entering the bank easier and they also had a horse shod and charged it to the NSW government as the blacksmith thought they were the ‘police’.
There is a ‘steel wings’ (water pumping wheel) that was built in 1910 at North Sydney before being transported by steamer and then bullock wagon to the area to be erected at a local property. The pump operated until 1947 when it was damaged in a bad storm. It lay idle till 1977 when it was offered to the shire council as a heritage monument so it has been restored and now operates again pumping water into the lake.
Leaving Jerilderie we headed on towards Tocumwal and the Victorian border. We had a cuppa beside the mighty Murray river and chatted to a local who wandered by.
It wasn’t too far to Shepperton and we finally made camp at Mooroopna just south of the city. We had picked up our tourist info on the way and had maps to help us find all the necessaries like SPC Ardmona, Campbell’s Soups, Pental Soaps and the Nut Man factory outlets. There were some beautiful autumn trees around the city and Corio Street in particular was just splendid. The trees arched over the street and the colours were magic. Unfortunately the two days we spent driving around were rather bleak with only a watery sun so photos were not so much the plan, except for the mooving art set around town. There are over a 100 of these fibreglass cows and they are all different and get moved to different sites on a regular basis. One park we visited had 24 of the cows there so we wandered and took some photos. We went for a circuit drive out to Murchison, Rushworth and Tatura which circled the Waranga Basin (large lake). There were lots of cattle and sheep seen on this drive and we saw quite a lot of dairy herds as well. Tatura is a large milk processing centre.
On next to Bendigo (only 117km away) and again dairy herds and sheep were along the way. We stopped in Stanhope, population under 300, for our cuppa and called at the Post Office to ask origin of the village’s name. Seems it was settled by soldiers returning from WW1 and the name was to honour a high ranking military person as were some of the local street names. The park where we stopped had a memorial to ‘Banjo’ Patterson so had to take a photo with our Banjo.
Arrived Bendigo early afternoon and set up camp. Found the information centre and collected map etc to help us plan our next few days. We decided to camp at the showground ($15 per night) and checked in for 3 nights. National Beef 2010 is to be on later this week with over 800 head of cattle to arrive here at the showground to be judged and some sold. We were amazed at the variety of breeds represented as we walked around the pavilion and checked out what was happening over the days leading up to the weekend. There were quite a few Highland cattle present so had to take some photos of Lily’s hairy Heather’s. We visited the Deborah Gold Mine and did a mining trip to 61 metres down. It was level 2 of 19 levels at the working mine. The mine had opened back in the late 1800’s and had been closed at various downturn times but is now reopened and being mined profitably.
We rode the ‘talking’ tram though the city and out to north Bendigo stopping off at the tram museum and on our second trip we walked around to the Bendigo Woollen Mills sales outlet from the tram museum. We also visited the Bendigo Pottery (Australia’s oldest working pottery) and enjoyed a tour of the interpretive museum. We had a drive out to Lockwood and visited the Goldfields Mohair and alpaca farm where some more supplies were purchased. We decided that there was so much to do here in Bendigo that we better stay another 3 days to fit it all in. This will be our longest stay in one place since leaving home. We also drove out north-west of Bendigo along the Calder Highway past Inglewood to visit Lawrie’s cousin Sarah and her husband Joe. We had a pleasant visit and stayed for dinner that evening. We even got to go check out some Alpaca fibre belonging to one of Joe’s neighbours however there was too much vegetable matter to make trying to spin it worthwhile. Not to be out done however Joe arranged for us to call on another of his neighbours at their Bendigo home to check out their Alpaca fibre. Here we were able to take one of the bags on offer as it seemed cleaner by far so we will have to wait and see how it really is once we get it home.
Our time in Bendigo finally came to an end and this had to be the first day that it decided to rain!! Not to worry we were able to pack and hitch up with the assistance of two umbrellas and me keeping one of them hopefully over Lawrie whilst he did most of the work. Well life is an adventure after all isn’t it?
We had showers on and off as we made the trip to Stawell along the highway. Castlemaine looked like a lovely old village and if the rain had not been still coming down we were certainly have stopped and spent some time there. However it was raining and quite cool so we kept driving and arrived in Stawell by mid afternoon. Still showers so did our set up in bits and pieces missing the wet stuff.
The next day we packed the picnic (hot soup in the Dreampot) and headed for Halls Gap and the Grampians. Very overcast, clouds and fog everywhere so don’t fancy our chances at the lookouts. The autumn leaves on the various trees are just so beautiful however so the scenery was magic. I took lots of photos but the photos do not do the trees justice. We picked up a map at the Info centre and set off up the mountain and checked out the reservoir before visiting the Silverband Falls. There is a 1km walk to the falls from the carpark and we were surprised to see flowering wattle and wildflowers growing along the track. I again was pulling out the camera to record these ‘out of season’ flowerings like the flowering gums in Bourke earlier this month. The Silverband Falls are quite unique in that they fall onto rocks and the water does not stay pooled on the ground but disappears down through the rocks and reappears further down the track as the stream we had seen on our way to the falls site.
We drove to the two lookouts, Boroka and Reid but unfortunately even to approach the lookouts we were driving in very heavy fog so there was no way we could see anything at the lookouts. This has to be a fair weather visit so hopefully we will be successful. We drove around to McKenzie falls and they were quite spectacular. Wide and they fall down rock terraces so quite pretty.
The following day was again overcast with a heavy fog in the morning so we headed off for a drive to Ararat. The shops in the main street have grape vines growing across the front and of course the leaves are all changing so it was quite pretty. We drove on to Pomonal (just a small village at the base of the Grampians) before heading back to Stawell. It was a circuit route so we had enjoyed exploring along the way. Lots of sheep and we also saw another alpaca farm ‘Blue Moon’ on the way back into Stawell. The next day again started out foggy but we are hopeful it will clear. We drove back into town and drove up to Big Hill lookout giving scenic views around the town. We then drove to the Stawell Gold Mine and were able to have our cuppa sitting at the observation area that has been set up for the general public. This was right beside the entrance ‘decline’ into the Magdala mine. We were patient and finally 3 fully loaded trucks came up with their load of rock to be stockpiled before being taken to the first crusher. The extraction yields only about 8 grams of gold to 1 tonne of rock. The mine works two shifts over 24 hrs and there are approx 40 people underground on each shift. This includes electricians, welders etc as well as the actual miners. We were able to get some photos before heading back to the lookout to check out how the weather looked up on the Grampians. We could actually see the top of the mountain so we grabbed some lunch makings and headed back up to Halls Gap. This time the lookouts did not disappoint. The Boroka lookout provided great views of the eastern side showing the Halls Gap village down below and the majestic rocks surrounding it. The Reid lookout viewed the western side but it did not look as interesting as the former. We also did the 1km walk to the Balconies. The actual Balconies are closed for maintenance and revegetation but the view from the lookout there is similar to that from Reid. We were fortunate that the weather stayed clear for us whilst we were at the lookouts as when we returned back down to the village the clouds were again rolling in and the views would again have disappeared. We enjoyed our visit to the Grampians and felt that we had seen the best bits. Lots of kangaroos down in the village and also saw 5 emus walking the streets as we made out way out and back towards Stawell. Felt we have given the area a good visit and enjoyed our time here. Not many at the caravan park so it has been very quiet.
The drizzle of rain stayed with us all day as we drove on to Horsham where we had the new microwave fitted by Jayco. We also drove out to the Wool Factory on the edge of town but they only had spun wool for sale, no fibre. After a cuppa we were back on the highway towards Dimboola and Sth Aust where we spent the night at Bordertown. The town is actually 15km inside SA and was an interesting village to stroll around. Being in SA we were now able to put our clocks back 30 mins so we were a little earlier than we thought. The lady at the info centre was very helpful and gave us books and brochures on just about everywhere, even Darwin! There is a wildlife refuge there and they have a population of white ‘eastern grey’ kangaroos. They are not albino but have a genetic fault and they have been shipped around Australia to other zoos. Bordertown was a staging post on the pioneer gold carrying route of the late 1800’s. This route allowed gold to be carried to Adelaide and prevented the new state from being bankrupt. There were some lovely old stone buildings still standing and you have to wonder at the stories they could tell. In the old bakery there was a childhood photo of the current owner who is a very elderly lady, and the clothes she was wearing in the photo are now on a doll on display in the bakery. The store has been in the same family for many years and there are relics from the past that belonged to the family on display around the walls. It was interesting to just wander around looking at all that history.
After our night at Bordertown we headed on towards Tailem Bend on the Murray. Here we crossed the river on a ferry (bending the step as we drove on) and then headed down towards Wellington. We drove past many small dairies with most of them looking as if they still operate. The dairies had signs at the front indicating they were all owned by Dairy Farmers and there was a milk processing factory there as well so not far to transport the milk.
Our path took us towards Lake Alexandrina which empties into the ocean down at Goolwa (the Murray mouth). The land looked swampy in parts although there were cattle and sheep along the way. We followed the coast of the lake as much as possible and headed towards Goolwa, Port Elliott and then onto Victor Harbor. Here we set ourselves up with a base and from here explored the Fleurieu Peninsula. Our first daytrip was down to Cape Jervis where the ferry departs for Kangaroo Island. The weather was not the best with lots of rain showers and a biting wind blowing. Our 1R coats again came in handy. The drive down to the Cape was up and over rolling green hills similar to the countryside around Dorrigo. Sheep and cattle everywhere with planted trees providing wind breaks for them across the hills. It must be very bleak in winter for them. We then drove up along the western coast of the peninsula and the scenery was similar with high rolling hills and the grey ocean with whitecaps. We drove to the coast at Second Valley and Normanville. There was a lot of seaweed washed up onto the beaches but there was white sand. We continued up the western side towards Yankalillia and Myponga where we drove across the reservoir. We then turned back towards the eastern side and headed back to home in Victor Harbor after a day of showers and cold winds.
Our second day of sightseeing took us back to Goolwa and across to Hindmarsh Island to check out the mouth of the Murray. On the northern side of the island we were surprised to see large numbers of black swans along with their nests. We stopped and took the numbers in as we had never seen so many in one place before. It seems that during the winter this is the nesting area for black swans and during the summer the Cape Barren geese fly in. The water is quite shallow and the nests are built well out into the wide expanse of water. This area is obviously well protected from the winds that blow in from the southern ocean.
We then drove around to Sugars Beach from where the mouth of the Murray can be observed. There is a sand barge that is pumping sand from the mouth over the dunes so that the ocean waves wash it back up onto the beaches of the area. If this dredging was not done the mouth of the Murray would close up and the waterways of Lake Alexandrina would be fouled and the amazing natural beauty would be endangered.
We were able to take the time to explore the buildings in Goolwa, Port Elliott and Victor Harbor and wander the streets admiring the lovely stone buildings built in the 1800’s. Fish (King George whiting) and chips on the headland at The Bluff was a fitting lunch before we headed out to the Hindmarsh Falls. We had passed the turnoff on our way home the previous day so we found an alternate way out there. What a great surprise along the road to come across an alpaca farm. There must have been a few hundred of the cuddly looking animals in the various paddocks. Most were white but there were some brown and black ones on view. The farm was Soft Foot Alpacas, such an appropriate name. We have seen many as guards for flocks of sheep but this was a farm just for the alpacas. There was not a lot of water in the falls as the photo shows but they were running and the sound was delightful.
Next stop was Adelaide where we only stayed the one night at the park at Bolivar on the northern side of the city. We visited Linda and Kent and their blended family and enjoyed an evening meal.
The Flinders Ranges were our next destination and the drive to Hawker took us through Mallala (V8 racing), Balaklava, Clare (vineyards), Gladstone, Quorn and then on to Hawker in the Central Flinders. It had been a long day and we had covered quite a few miles so was late in the day when we arrived so looking around had to wait till next day. The service station doubled as the Info centre and we were able to pick up a variety of brochures covering the Flinders and local area. We drove up to Jervis lookout which gave views back towards Hawker and the mountains. From the carpark there was a 260m walk to the lookout. The path climbed quite steeply in parts and was rocky so footsteps were placed diligently. The climb was actually part of the Heysen Trail that started down at Cape Jervis and winds to the top of the Flinders. The view from the lookout was magic and the return path which was longer was a little less steep and rocky and took you more through the vegetation as you came back down the hill. There were tiny wildflowers blooming and again wattle was showing it’s face.
We decided to spend the afternoon driving the Mouralina Scenic drive which passes through between the Elder and Wilpena ranges. Huge rock formations and the colours are from all shades of the palette. Wildlife we passed included kangaroos, euros, emus and of course sheep with lambs. The scenery was inspiring and every turn brought another picture perfect scene. The road was dirt but quite reasonable and caused no problems. We turned off the road to drive to the Blacks Gap lookout and that track took us along a path that was narrower and across creek crossings (dry). Lots of river gums and in some areas you wonder how they stay standing as the water after rain must just rush past them along its path. There were places where debris had piled up against the trunks and this gave testament to the force that heavy rain would bring. The drive took us from the eastern side to the west and we came out onto the Leigh Creek road about 44km north of Hawker. Heading back towards home we come to another lookout and this one is known as ‘sunset’ lookout and although it was only 3.30pm we called in and took some photos. The view is of the south western side of Wilpena and the view is majestic.
Next day we decided to drive up to Wilpena Pound and then further up the eastern side before coming back down the western side of the range. There was an entrance fee to the park for the day. We drove into Wilpena and visited the info centre. Other than walking around there is nothing to see in that area at all. To experience the ‘dish’ shape of the pound this is best seen from Stokes Hill lookout back on the main road to Binman. We checked out the lookout and it was awesome. There was 360 degree views and a sculpture of Wilpena Pound so that you could refer it to what you were looking at. It helped to show the ‘dish’ shape of the pound.
We headed on from Stokes Hill towards Binman. Copper was discovered here in the late 1800’s and mines were developed and the population rose to 15,000. The mining boom did not last long and by the early 1900’s the town was abandoned and now just a few buildings remain. There are ruins of some of the buildings and just the chimney remains are still standing. You look at the blocks of stone that were used and have to wonder at the workmanship and stamina of those early pioneers. Looking around at the natural surroundings you wonder what the wives thought when brought to these outback locations.
From Binman we then turned west and drove towards Parachilna through a beautiful gorge. The road was dirt and across creek beds but being mostly stone there was no problem with bogging etc. The rocks again with the afternoon sun were lit and colours glowed. There were such variations and again wildlife was plentiful along the road. We headed back down the Leigh Creek road and then turned into the Brachina gorge road. After travelling in 12 kms from the main road we finally entered the gorge. The track goes along and beside the creek bed. There were lots of dry crossings and just one that still had water across the road. We crawled along and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Again the rock formations are beautiful and the colours an artist’s dream. We had a cuppa sitting in a sand strewn creek bed and admired again the river gums and their enormous root systems that seem to hold on despite all odds.
We turned and headed back to the Leigh Creek road and planned to head back to Sunset lookout in time for the coming sunset. We had our cuppa and by then the mountains were starting to show the changes created by the slowly setting sun. Not only was the vista of the changing mountain colours happening in front of us but by turning around we were able to watch the setting sun’s vista as well. What an awesome end to a truly magical day driving around the central Flinders Ranges. This is certainly somewhere we want to return to in the future so as to spend much more time in these gorges and watch the vista change as the day progresses.
Finally time to head on and we leave Hawker and head back towards Quorn and on to Port Augusta. Lawrie plans to have a wheel alignment done here so we will stay for 2 nights. We have a chance to do some final shopping before our departure for the outback and we also took the time to walk around the centre of town and check out some lovely old buildings. Again built of stone and the craftsmanship has to be admired.
After leaving Pt Augusta we are soon back onto the long straight roads. The scenery is flat, saltbush and reddish orange soil. We stopped and walked down to Lake Hart, a salt-lake where salt mining used to be carried out. The main railway line runs right beside the landlocked lake and at this time there is plenty of water in the lake. As we walked down close to the edge of the lake salt crystals could be seen on the ground. There were remnants of a rail system that is now covered by water. Small trolleys would have gone out onto the lake to enable salt to be brought back to the edge where it was stockpiled. There is still a large pile of salt at the edge of the lake.
We stopped overnight at Glendambo before heading north again with Coober Pedy our destination. We had stayed there overnight in 2002 so with arriving early in the afternoon we had plenty of time to go for a drive and check out the local lookout (The Big Winch) and buy some additional supplies before our planned early departure tomorrow for N T and an overnight stop at Kulgera. The stop was at the roadhouse but a powered site was just $15 for the night so quite reasonable.
The highway was leading us towards Erldunda where we turned off to head towards Kings Canyon. This is also the turnoff for Uluru or Ayers Rock as it was previously known. We visited there in 1988 so do not intend to go there again. We filled with gas again at Erldunda, now $1.14 per litre.
We checked into the Kings Creek Station for 3 nights to give ourselves the best chance to enjoy and explore the canyon. The station is a working camel and cattle station however tourism has become their main source of income recently. There are quad bike, helicopter and camel rides to be had along with a stockman show each night of the weekend. This show tells the story of the start of the property and how they round up the wild camels from the desert for export.
We were invited to join two other couples at their campfire on the first night and this became the pattern for the next two nights. One couple was from Proserpine and the other from Forbes in NSW. They have been friends for quite a while and are travelling together further up north before separating to head their separate ways.
We planned to visit the resort and then walk the canyon rim the next day however it was quite cloudy and the wind was rather cool. Not the most pleasant of days unfortunately. We did drive down to the resort and found that there was gas available there for $1.18 per litre. We were down to our last light blinking so decided it was worth filling up. We stopped the bowser once we reached 77 litres!! The tank is only supposed to hold 66!! We then drove out to the canyon and decided to do the creek walk at the bottom of the canyon and hopefully tomorrow will be a better day for walking the rim. The walk along the creek was wonderful. We saw a large variety of birds that we haven’t seen before. Spinifex pigeons are the colour of the rocks and vegetation so that when they walk out of the vegetation and onto the path you do not notice them easily. They are so quiet and did not seem worried by the people around. We also saw green budgies flying freely through the trees. Such a distinctive shrill that they were easy to identify. We also saw finches and robins that we will have to look up in our book. Walking along the path looking up at the walls of the canyon was just awesome. The layers of rock in some areas looked like layered pancakes and the colours were unreal. There were white gums growing in the canyon and looked beautiful against the red browns of the rocks. Their trunks were so white and smooth and a complete contrast to the rock. The path ended approx 500 metres into the canyon and from here you could look up at the rock wall curving around with huge boulders looking as though they could tumble down at any time.
We were in awe of the canyon and its beauty, birdlife and the vegetation that included blooming wildflowers. We found the desert rose, little cigar looking flowers, the holly grevillea and a plant with fluffy tufts blooming that was growing up the sides of the canyon. Such diversity in such an arid place. The rain earlier in the year has probably contributed to this early blooming of the wildflowers.
We enjoyed another campfire that night and I made damper twists for everyone. Sitting around the glowing coals was a great way to keep warm and the conversation was just as warm.
A clear sunny sky was waiting next morning so we packed fruit and nibbles and water and headed off for our adventure. The walk is 6km and is said to take 3 to 4 hrs with a difficult climb to start. We want to do this and plan to take as long as it takes to complete. The day is in front of us and we head off at 10.45am to climb the 100 metres to the top of the rim. There are many other climbers and we are quite happy to stand to one side whilst they go pass us as we take our time. It is quite strenuous and the breathing is heavy and the heart is thumping but recovery comes quickly once I stop to rest. We attain the top and then set off around the rim. This is not a flat walk but continues to involve stepping up and down over rocks. The scenery of course is just breathtaking and the domes of rock that were once sandhills are everywhere. We took many photos and just wanted to absorb the atmosphere of the surroundings. There are plants whose roots are just clinging to crevices and you wonder how they can possibly keep growing. We saw one plant whose root had to be at least 2 metres long running along the rock face to where it can cling to some soil and reach the nutrients necessary for it’s continued growth. Surviving against all odds!!
We stopped a couple of times throughout the walk and shared some fruit and had a drink which always helped to keep us going. We walked out across Cotterill bridge to the lookout named after the father and son duet who opened up a road into the canyon to enable visitors to see this wonder of nature. This had been in 1960.
We were in awe of the Garden of Eden with it’s lush vegetation and clear pools of water. There was a path down to the water however we did not push ourselves to go down there as there would then be the inevitable climb back up before continuing our walk around the rim.
The final kilometre turned out to be the hardest to complete. My poor old knees and hips had stepped up and down nearly all they could and I felt as if they were going to give out on me. The path down was also steps but not as steep as the beginning. The car-park was in sight but just kept being so far away or so it seemed. Bruiser’s seat never felt so good to sit on as it did once we arrived back at the car. We were both feeling knackered but what a walk and in 3.75 hrs so not bad for someone who thought she was not up to it at all. We do not have words to describe what we think of the canyon and we are so glad that we came and that we did the rim walk.
The next day we head out of Kings Creek Station but with the Finke desert races being on we are unable to get a powered site in Alice so decide to go to Stuarts Well just 90 km south and stay there for a couple of nights until Alice is available again. Soon after leaving the station we saw a wild camel close to the side of the road. We so enjoy seeing the animals in their natural environment as opposed to being held in cages etc. There were quite a few new droppings on the road at various places indicating that camels had passed across the road recently. They are not easy to see in amongst the vegetation as their colour helps them to blend into the background. Once more back to the Stuart Highway and we are heading north again and arrived Stuarts Well by lunchtime. We had passed quite a number of other caravans parked up at various bush camp sites probably also killing time before getting to Alice.
We had chosen well as this was the home of Dinky the singing and piano playing dingo!! He is 10yrs old and was part of a litter rescued by a farmer during the 1080 poisoning campaign carried out during the late 1990's. His owner Jim Cotterill was a teenager who with his dad Jack built the road out to Kings Canyon and started the first tourist service out to there. Jim advised that Dinky has never been taught it was just that his daughters played the piano and Dinky started howling when they did and he then started to climb onto the piano and 'play' it himself. Dinky performs each night at 7pm and we had the best laugh. If he hit a higher note he would howl higher and vice versa. It was a real unexpected treat. Next door to the roadhouse where we camped there is a camel farm. They have 50 camels, a few alpacas and also llamas. We saw a lovely young camel who was white and looked so fluffy you wanted to cuddle her. You can have camel rides but I was able to buy some camel wool. It will be an interesting fibre to play with when I get home so there is now another bag of fibre in the back of Bruiser. At least I am not collecting bricks!!
We had chosen well as this was the home of Dinky the singing and piano playing dingo!! He is 10yrs old and was part of a litter rescued by a farmer during the 1080 poisoning campaign carried out during the late 1990's. His owner Jim Cotterill was a teenager who with his dad Jack built the road out to Kings Canyon and started the first tourist service out to there. Jim advised that Dinky has never been taught it was just that his daughters played the piano and Dinky started howling when they did and he then started to climb onto the piano and 'play' it himself. Dinky performs each night at 7pm and we had the best laugh. If he hit a higher note he would howl higher and vice versa. It was a real unexpected treat. Next door to the roadhouse where we camped there is a camel farm. They have 50 camels, a few alpacas and also llamas. We saw a lovely young camel who was white and looked so fluffy you wanted to cuddle her. You can have camel rides but I was able to buy some camel wool. It will be an interesting fibre to play with when I get home so there is now another bag of fibre in the back of Bruiser. At least I am not collecting bricks!!
We enjoyed our time ‘resting’ here before on to Alice. As we had been there previously we are only staying a few nights. The nights are still cool and that cold wind was blowing until our second day. Our last night in Alice was the warmest we had experienced in some time. No need for electric blankets tonight.
We met up with Malcolm on our last morning and we all went to breakfast in a cafe near the mall. Good food and a great variety, pity Malcolm found a tack in his food!!
Our trip north from Alice continued and we had planned to get to Wycliffe Wells for our first night however we called into a roadside stop around 3pm for a cuppa and there were quite a few vans already parked for the night. We decided that we would free camp also and found a reasonably level spot and set up camp. There ended up being approx 15 vans, campervans or motor-homes parked for the night. We enjoyed chatting with two other Victorian couples after dinner and the evening went quickly. Pat and Shona were both in their 70’s and they are heading out towards Darwin also and the other couple who were younger, Jim and Janine, had a camper trailer and are heading to Nullambouy. They have had vans before but want to drive some of Australia’s tracks so have bought this camper instead. They expect to have to wait in Katherine for their permit and then will face quite a few river crossings during their 722km each way trip.
We are all packed up and on our way soon after 9am the next morning after goodbyes all round.
We stop for fuel and our cuppa breaks as usual but instead of checking into the van park at Renner Springs we kept driving. We hoped to free camp again at Newcastle Waters roadside stop however when we arrived there mid afternoon it was packed out with other vans etc so we kept driving. That roadside stop was not as roomy as the previous one had been so we decided to look for our own campstop. Lawrie found what looked like an old road leading off the highway so we went along that and finally found a layby where we were screened from the highway by trees and far enough away to not be bothered by the noise.
We think this had been the old highway and it has now become overgrown in parts and probably reverted back to the original landowner. There was no sign of life either human or wild so we set ourselves up and even had a warm shower in the outdoors under the fading sunlight.
Bright and early next morning we are off on the final leg to Katherine. We call into Daly Waters to find a phone so that we can ring Katherine and Darwin to try and arrange sites to stay. With the number of vans on the road we are not prepared to just risk turning up to find a site. Daly Waters consisted of a pub and a few other buildings. We ventured into the pub and what a display. There is a collection of undies, bras, paper money from all around the world, stubbie holders, thongs and business cards. It was interesting to just browse around. The area had been settled early in the 1900’s and was used during the second world war. After leaving there to head to Katherine we saw many signs regarding various WW11 sites, a hospital and an airstrip just two.
Katherine became base for the next 3 nights and our first full day found us doing a 3 gorge river cruise. Wow what an adventure. We first had to drive just over 30km out to the gorge centre to catch our boat ride. I had been told that if I wore my swimmers I would be able to go swimming at the 3rd gorge so of course I wasn’t going to miss out on that. It was a lovely fine day and hats were certainly a necessity as it became quite warm. The first gorge is approx 3km long and then the boat docks and you have to walk approx 800m to be able to catch the next boat for the second gorge. This one is only just over 2km long. At the end of this you again disembark and walk approx 400m to board another boat forthe third gorge. There are 13 gorges in all but only the first three are explored by boat. Folks canoeing or walking can reach the others but only with much clambering over rocks etc. As the river falls after the wet the stretches of rocks becomes more exposed. The cliff faces are all colours of the ochre rainbow and with the fine sunny day that we had the colours were rather special. Needless to say there were lots of photos taken. In the second gorge we passed Jedda’s rock that was used in the 1950 movie of the same name. This was to be the rock that Jedda jumped from at the end of the film. The film of that final scene was actually lost in a plane crash so the final scene was actually re filmed in the Blue Mtns west of Sydney. Jedda’s rock however is seen at different times during the movie.
The third gorge is only 900m long so the ride does not take long. However we stopped at a sandy beach and climbed some stairs to then wander along towards the creek coming from a waterfall cascading down from the top of the rocks. The pool at the bottom was where we could safely swim free from any crocs. The water was quite cold but not to be put off I climbed down to the water being very careful with the extremely slippery rocks. WOW again and then up to the waterfall. The water from that didn’t seem as cold as the pool and it was great to stand there with the waterfall cascading over you. Lawrie of course was taking photos all the time of my adventure. Quite a few of the folk had a swim and it was here that we were given our ‘refreshments’. There was a cheesy dip and a muesli bar along with fruit if you wanted it. Mark our boat captain had carried it all in for us.
The trip back along the gorges brought us opportunities to see freshwater crocs sunning themselves in the afternoon sun. We were lucky and saw about 6 all told during our return trip. We both agreed the day had been enjoyable and we were pleased we had taken the cruise.
The Indigenous name for Katherine Gorge is Nitmiluk and this is the name that shows in most information about the gorge. The river is still not open to swimming or canoeing due to the level of water still in the river and the chance of saltwater crocs being present. There were two traps set in the river up near the Nitmiluk information centre. Our guide told us that National Parks and Wildlife expect it to be another couple of weeks before they can give the all clear in this regard. The salties come down when the river is high during the wet season however they cannot travel through the gorges once the water starts to fall.
We also ventured out to the Low Level Bridge which crosses the Katherine river and were amazed at the logs lodged high in the trees along the river bank. These are from the flood in 1998 which was a record breaker for Katherine. The whole town had to be evacuated and the office at the caravan park has a mark only about 10 inches from the ceiling which was the level of the water there during the flood.
Leaving Katherine we headed north again on the highway. Darwin is just this one day’s drive away. We were surprised at the hilliness out of Katherine as we had expected the country to be flat as had been previously. The landscape just continues to change and surprise us, unusual rock formations along the highway take our attention as we drive past. There are gentle hills to climb through the various ranges as we track on. We called into Pine Creek for our cuppa stop and was pleasantly surprised by the flowering water lilies in the garden that stretched through the park. They were a lovely pink colour and looked like lotus flowers. The water was so clear that you could see the bottom. Pine Creek was a small village with its own police station, pub and general store with fuel outlet. There was also a primary school to cater for the local children.
Heading on we next stopped for lunch and gas at Adelaide River. Again a roadhouse and few shops were the most that could be seen. It was certainly a popular place for motorists to stop and take a break.
Travelling on we reached the outskirts of Darwin early in the afternoon and found our van park without too much trouble. It was a huge park with lots of vans coming and going. We contacted Lola and Norm and they came and picked us up to go down to the wharf for dinner. Of course I had first tried out the swimming pool down our end of the park. It was salt water and very cold but certainly took the ‘hot’ feeling from my body.
The wharf was certainly a popular place for dinner as there were lots of people around all enjoying the cool breeze coming off the water and providing refreshment after the heat of the day. We returned back to our van after having a cuppa at their home and being driven around the outer city limits. A little hard to check the scenery when it is dark.
Lola and Norm provided a chauffer service during our time in the capital of the Top End so we were driven along many roads. We were able to check out the sunset over the Arafura sea from Dripstone Beach and take the obvious photos. The colour of the water was so blue and looked so inviting. I can understand why tourists don’t think about crocs or stingers once they see the water.
We spent a day driving out to Litchfield Park and checked out the Florence Falls, Tolmer Falls and the Wangi Falls. All were delightful in their own way as they were all different in their makeup. Florence fell from pool to pool whilst Tolmer was a steep long drop. There were some ‘brave’ souls diving into the pool from the top of one of the tiers of Florence Falls. Wangi Falls were actually two falls, one very thin and the other much more forceful and gushing. The pool at the bottom was still closed to swimming but it must be lovely to swim there when you can. There is also a boardwalk through the trees near the falls and you could feel the temperature drop when you entered into the tree cover.
Our 5 nights in Darwin are soon done. We had been out each day even sharing some time with Estelle and Warren and it was so good to catch up with her after meeting for the first time one Easter down in Newcastle. She is related through the Lott side of my family.
Darwin did not appeal highly to us, it is another city albeit a small one and the experience of being in a large caravan park did not lend itself to chatting with neighbours etc as happens in a smaller place. We certainly saw a lot of the various suburbs and beaches and did enjoy visiting the museum and checking out the Cyclone Tracey display there. Having Lola and Norm with us who had experienced it first hand was a bonus.
Finally it was time to head back out of town and the Kakadu area is to be our next adventure. Lola and Norm drove out part of the way with us. We visited the Fogg Dam and looked out over a lagoon and saw hundreds of water birds including a Jabiru standing tall in the water. We were fortunate to also a see a saltie in the lagoon. He was sunbaking in the mud at the edge of the lagoon and then decided it was time for morning tea and went into the water. It wasn’t long and he had caught something. Following this he stayed in the water and had just his nose or maybe his eyes out of the water. The rest of his body was hidden below the surface. We think he was about 10 feet long all told. So now we have seen both a freshie and a saltie in the wild.
We drove on to the Window on the Wetlands information centre and checked out the static display they have there about the area and it’s inhabitants. There was a wonderful lookout there also but the birds were all at Fogg Dam I think.
We pulled into the departure point for the jumping crocodile cruises and had our lunch there before saying goodbye to Lola and Norm. They drove across the Mary river and found somewhere to turn so they could head back to Darwin and we could head on out towards Jabiru. It was a very hot day and we decided to stop at Bark Hut for an icecream and a short break. We saw that there were unpowered sites for $15 and there was a pool so we decided to stop for the day and take advantage of being able to cool down.
After setting up camp, which didn’t take long with no cords or hoses to put out or on we set out to check out the pool. I even talked Lawrie into taking a dip. The water was very cool but once you were in it was very refreshing. We also walked up to the ‘Cheese and Bikkie’ lookout and found a friendly log to sit and watch the sunset. There was quite a bit of heavy cloud but we were blessed with a crimson coloured sunset. There was quite a bit of smoke in the air from burning off that we could see in the distance and this also helped to create a beautiful scene. A full moon after dinner topped the day off and if only the mossies had gone to bed earlier it would have been perfect. We persevered however and sat and enjoyed the beautiful display from Mother Nature.
Moving on the next day we found ourselves in Jabiru at lunchtime and found a glistening lake with a fresh green park beside and this of course was perfect for our lunch. The lake was manmade but looked totally natural with the grasses and trees on the opposite bank. We enjoyed our ‘picnic’ and then found our way back to Merl the campground where we intended to stay the night. It was only a few km’s from Ibirr Rock where there are rock paintings to be viewed. I took advantage of the early set up and did some washing and of course with the warmth and the light breeze that was blowing it was no trouble getting it all dry. The mossies were just as prevalent if not worse but we enjoyed our bush camping in Kakadu. After calling into Jabiru and topping up our gas we headed out towards Pine Creek and the Stuart Highway. We passed various turnoffs but of course not much info about how far to anywhere and rest areas were hard to find. We had a late lunch at Pine Creek and decided to stay there with an unpowered site for the night as it had been rather warm driving so no need to push ourselves.
Our next night was again spent ‘free’ camping at a rest stop south of Katherine and the next day we headed for Hi Way Inn as this was our turnoff for the Carpenteria Highway out to Boorooloola. This road passed through mainly low scrub containing much wattle that was starting to flower so you saw clumps of orange yellow amongst all the various shades of green. We saw cattle grazing beside the road at various times but that was just about all the wildlife we saw. We came across wedge-tailed eagles feeding on road kill at various places and enjoyed the fact there was not much traffic. This was just as well as the road was only single lane bitumen so slowing and moving over was the process when another vehicle was approaching.
Free camping again was the way we spent the evening along with another two vans. There were three rest stops marked on the map book and all three were worth staying at. We also found another rest area not marked and that was at Little River. There was plenty of running water and it looked quite inviting. This was only about 40km before Cape Crawford and we discovered it on our morning drive from our camp spot. To top it off we also had to stop for a breathalyser test but no problems there. Cape Crawford was simply a pub “Heartbreak Hotel” with bowsers and a caravan park which looked inviting with green grassy lawns and plenty of empty sites. We decided that this would be our base for the next couple of nights so that we can just take the car for the drive to the coast. We found that the name ‘Heartbreak hotel’ came from when the pub was being built. The contractor had no end of trouble with obtaining delivery of materials, labour etc and when the pub was finished there was a discussion about the name. The pub had already been nicknamed by all the locals ‘the Heartbreak’ and so it was decided that the name should be kept.
We took a drive out to Bing Bong on the coast with hopes of seeing the loading facility for the gold mine out there however access to the actual waterline is restricted, there is an observation platform there but there is really nothing to see. We drove back away from the coast and took the turn off to King Ash Bay. This is evidently a popular fishing spot on the McArthur river. It was a 21km dirt road providing access and the road was reasonable with some corrugation in parts. We were surprised when we arrived as all along the river bank were caravans and tents set up. The boat ramp contained dozens of cars with boat trailers so it was rather obvious that this is the attraction. There was a shop with petrol bowsers attached and also a mini mart and a tavern. There are 40 permanent residents but during the dry season the population swells by several hundred. It was an interesting stop and we chatted to the lady running the shop. Later in Karumba we were to meet her uncle and his wife from Victoria on their way to visit her.
Leaving King Ash Bay we drove back out to the Carpentaria Highway and returned to Boorooloola with the plan to top up our fuel. We had called there on our way out to the coast and bought fuel as it was 30 cents per litre cheaper than Cape Crawford and we thought that we would again take advantage of the better price however being Saturday afternoon they were closed. Whilst in Boorooloola we drove down to the boat ramp and had our cuppa. The river (McArthur) was beautiful, wide, clear and flowing however, not much further along the river from us was a set croc trap. A gentle reminder that looks can be deceiving.
We returned to Cape Crawford and enjoyed our time in the park. Rested and all the household chores done we headed out the next morning to head for Barkly Roadhouse. We had topped up our fuel to the max and we also had a 5 litre can we had bought at King Ash Bay as the trip to Barkly is 373 kms and we are not sure of our fuel usage with the van on petrol. Will we make it there or not? We had intended to stop overnight along the way however concern needed to be addressed in one day, not taking an evening break part way so the trip was to be completed in one step.
We had a headwind, (lowers the fuel efficiency), met with road trains so had to slow and move off the centre strip of bitumen and then came across cattle crossing the road, all instances testing our patience and nerves to the max.
Arriving at Barkly late in the afternoon we filled with both gas and petrol. This was an expensive exercise as the petrol was $1.95 per litre and the gas $1.24. The most expensive we have bought. Even Kings Canyon gas was only $1.18. We agreed that the purchase of a 20litre fuel can for future trips was a necessity as we are not in a hurry to repeat the worry of fuel that we endured today.
Free camping that night the eastern side of Barkly helped to offset the cost of the fuel. Next morning on to Camooweal and a fuel top up before heading towards Mt Isa. We free camped again that night and then into the Isa first thing the next morning. Shopping done we then headed out of town towards Cloncurry where we stayed in the van park for two nights. The weather was cold with light rain for the last few days and travelling was not enjoyable. We again caught up with the laundry at the park and even joined the Wed night sausage sizzle and music entertainment put on by the park for the campers.
Finally the rain clears and we are heading out towards Normanton and Karumba. We pass lots of cattle again and also see lots of hills in the distance. The land is not just flat but has gentle rises along the way.
We reach Burke and Wills roadhouse and stop for lunch. There is just the roadhouse but it is surrounded by caravans, buses and motorbikes etc. It was certainly a popular stopping site. We checked out the various ‘free’ camp spots along the highway and decided to spend the night at Bang Bang rest area. There was a large gravel site next to the rest area and we set up camp there with lots of room all around. Next morning it was off and onwards towards Normanton. Still seeing many cattle in the paddocks it was a lovely surprise to have a herd of cattle being moved by stockmen on horses coming towards us.
We plan to base ourselves in Karumba and spend a few days there to enjoy the weather and check out the local area. The town has about 200 homes scattered through it’s two parts. It is certainly a fisherman’s paradise and seems that nearly everyone up here has a boat or at least rods and reels. The van parks are all busy but once we were set up we went for a drive around to Sunset Point and decided to have fish and chips for tea. King Salmon and Barramundi were our choice and what delightful fish the salmon turned out to be. Fresh and local produce meant that the fish was tasty and delicious. We watched the sunset and took photos. The tide was out so there was a lot of exposed sand and the setting sun made silver lines across the landscape as it slowly slipped below the horizon. We checked out the park along the banks of the Norman River and chatted to some folks fishing from the river bank. Very cautiously we dipped our feet into the water and then beat a hasty retreat back up the bank in case there is a saltie looking for a snack! The water of the river and the Gulf looks so inviting as it is clear and such a beautiful shade of blue but the thought of the crocodiles certainly dampens your enthusiasm. The weather here has been warm, about 30degrees each day and the evenings are not cold. No wonder there are the numbers of campers up here during the southern winter months. Birds are everywhere and we have seen Brolgas in many lagoons and ponds alongside the road.
Leaving Karumba we head back to Normanton and stop to admire Krys the replica of the crocodile shot by a young woman in 1967. At this time crocodiles were not protected as they are now. He measured approx 8.6m and weighed 2 tonne and is reportedly the largest saltwater croc to have ever been caught.
Whilst in Normanton we went to the station and took some photos of the Gulflander train. It runs to Croydon on Wednesday and returns to Normanton on Thursday. The trainline was built in the 1880’s to carry mined minerals to the port of Normanton and the sleepers were made of steel and filled with mud. This ensured that the line remained stable after flooding or heavy rains. The original sleepers are still visible at the station. Certainly maintenance free.
We spent the night free camping beside the road at the bridge over the Norman River along the Savannah Way. As the next day was Wednesday we were beside the rail bridge over the river and took advantage of the opportunity to take photos of the train approaching and crossing the bridge. After the train passed, like kids we walked back to our vehicle along the rail track which crossed the river.
Heading off along the road we caught up with the train after only 30 mins of driving. The rail track is close to the road and the train is only travelling at approx 40km per hour. The 145km trip to Croydon takes the train 5 hrs to complete so needless to say we were soon well ahead of it. Croydon retains a few of its old buildings and the original street gas lamps.
Our trip along the Savannah Way to Innisfail took us five days in total. We free camped each of the nights at different rest stops, Norman River, east of Croydon, Forty Mile Nat Park rest area and then Archers Creek west of Ravenshoe. Archers Creek was the pick with the creek running over rapids and the water crystal clear. We had intended to stop in Ravenshoe the next day as we had heard the steam train was running however there were so many campers there when we arrived mid morning that we didn’t bother. Finally we had mobile coverage return and the messages started coming in from the past week. After leaving Ravenshoe the mist and rain closed in and the visibility was quite limited as we drove towards Millaa Millaa through the ranges. We stopped in at the Millstream Falls before Ravenshoe and walked to the lookout. These falls are reputed to be the widest single drop falls in Australia. So much water and you wonder how come it doesn’t run out.
We also stopped at Crawford’s Lookout on the way to Innisfail. This view looked down onto the South Johnstone River and was quite spectacular. There was a walking track down to the river but the terrain was quite steep (and all downhill) and coming up would be quite difficult so we only walked a short way along the track. However we found some interesting fungi growing and took photos of that.
The light rain continued even after descending from the mountains into Innisfail and the clouds kept racing across the sky. We had lunch there beside a park and then headed on down the highway amongst the stream of traffic. The turnoff to Kurramine Beach was not too far south so after turning left off the highway the road again became a little quieter. Kurramine is a small ‘seaside village’ with a pub and a few shops but 3 caravan parks in total. We found Kay and Marcus at their van park and sat for a chat with them. It is quite a few years since we last saw them in Brisbane so there was much to catch up on. They had previously had a van park at Mt Isa but we did not make it to there during their time. After setting up our van we went for a drive around the streets and were amused by the number of homes that had ‘tractors’ in the yard for pulling their boats to the ramp or beach. The other interesting thing was the number of homes and blocks of land for sale. Marcus told us that ‘Kurramine was where old cane farm tractors go to die’. Many of the original homeowners in Kurramine were cane farmers and they needed their old tractors to launch and retrieve their boats as the tide goes out such a long way. The ‘for sale’ signs are due to the southern real estate ‘experts’ talking up the prices of land and homes in Kurramine and so folk are expecting to get largely inflated prices for their homes or land. Needless to say that is why there are so many for sale as they are not selling.
At low tide and new moon you are able to walk out to King Reef from the beach. Kaye was telling us that you have to watch the time once you set out as the tide comes in quickly for the first few hours and then the rate slows down. It would be easy therefore to be caught out and have a big swim in front of you. It is not so long ago that a Japanese woman was drowned due to the incoming tide.
We enjoyed our stay at Kurramine and hope to return one day. After goodbyes all round we headed off down the highway joining the traffic. Again we travelled through sugarcane fields along with some cattle grazing in grassy fields beside the road. Most of the creeks had running water in them and we also saw the Sunlander train heading south on its trip from Cairns to Brisbane.
We arrived in Townsville mid afternoon and found Shirley and Craig without too much trouble. It was lovely to meet up again after only email for the past 18 mths. Finally a chance for a shared coffee again. The weather in Townsville was pleasant and the evenings not cold. Shirley provided us with a map and we were able to find our way into town so as to be able to pick up our latest batch of mail courtesy of Rosie. We were quite surprised at the number of closed shops in the city as we walked around. Shirley informed us that there was extensive renovation going on and that the current mall is to again be opened to traffic and provisions made to allow workers to ‘park and ride’ into the city for their jobs. This will allow parking to be available for the tourists. We drove along the Strand and admired the waterfront landscaping that had been done. It certainly allowed the area to be used by the general public to full advantage. There were playgrounds and even a water playground for the children and young at heart. Sections of the street contained accommodation venues with views out over the harbour and then of course also the necessary cafes etc to feed all those tourists. We drove the full length and then found somewhere to park so that we could wander over and admire the Rock Pool. We had lunch at the kiosk there and had a front row table with views over the rock pool and out to Magnetic Island. It was a delightful venue and made sense that it was a popular place. There were a few souls in swimming but I am sure that the water was cool. The landscaping around the pool allowed for sunbathing and lounging in the shade to read as some were doing. All in all a great place to just ‘chill out’.
Leaving Townsville we headed out along the Flinders Highway towards Charters Towers. As we were preparing to leave that morning Lawrie opened the van’s boot and smelt gas so we spent some time checking that out. It was early afternoon before we finally left Shirley’s so we finally stopped at Reid River Rest Stop to have our lunch. There were already some vans set up to stay the night however we felt that we would continue on. The road took us through the hills west of Townsville and the scenery was quite pretty. Some of the hills had vast scars on them from where rock had been quarried and we passed a large operating quarry and some of its trucks along the highway.
We finally turned off the highway to travel 1km to Macrossan Park on the banks of the Burdekin River. The park is situated between the rail and road bridges which are approx 1km apart. There were other vans and motor-homes already set up and some were even down beside the river. We found a spot at the top of the river bank and we even had our own cement slab. There was a cement table and chairs over in the grass that looked as though it had been moved there to free up the cement slab. Further along in the grass there was a roof that had provided a shelter of some-sort but it was slowly becoming covered by grass. We had a lovely view across the river and were able to watch the many trains that passed during our 2 night stay there. The weather was pleasant and not too cold at night so we didn’t feel the need to rug up. The noise from the road traffic did not impede into the serenity of our campsite but we could watch the many road trains as they made their way east or west with their long loads.
Charters Towers was only a 22km drive away and we finally headed into town and decided to stay a couple of nights on power so that everything could be recharged and I could again do some washing and we could check out the local interesting sites before heading south once more. Gill St (the main street) has some lovely old buildings and our favourite was the 1882 Post Office. The building’s facade is well maintained and the colours used highlight the skill of those early craftsmen. We had a delightful lunch at a little cafe and sat at the window looking out on the ‘passing parade’ along the main street. Dinner that night was enjoying a meal provided by the local Lions Club. There were close to 100 people present in the camp kitchen to enjoy a 3 course meal with the proceeds going to assist local charities. The evening turned cool once the sun went down and the next morning had a coolness to it until the sun started to warm up. Our extra day in CT we used to again do laundry and then went for a drive around the town. We headed out to the Dalrymple saleyards (the biggest in NW Qld) and there were already cattle there awaiting the next sale the following Wednesday. Whilst we sat and were looking around another road-train full of cattle came in to unload. It was interesting to watch how he emptied the top levels of all 3 trailers first, with the cattle walking through each trailer to the gateway at the front trailer. He then had to move the truck to line up the bottom level with the lower shute and then repeated the process of emptying all three trailers.
There were some horse floats and camps set up with quite a few horses in temporary corrals at the saleyards and it looked as if there must be some type of competition going to be held over the weekend. As this was Friday we could only speculate however as we left the following day and had to drive past the saleyards on our way out of CT we saw the banner ‘The Gold City Campdraft’ so that is what was going to unfold. There were many more trailers and horses around by this time on the Saturday morning.
Heading out from CT we drove towards Belyandro Crossing which is only a roadhouse, cafe etc beside the river. We had lunch there and headed on towards Capella and Emerald. The road from Belyandro became quite rough and we had to slow a bit as there was so much bouncing. There were areas of road where it was like driving through a wattle avenue. The road was lined with wattle in full bloom and the fragrance wafted into the car as we drove along. The trees were loaded with blossom and it looked so colourful against the greens of the other bush. After Capella and about 40km out of Emerald we came across a large gravel site beside the road and there were already two other caravans and a bus parked up for the evening. We pulled in and found ourselves a spot and settled down for another free night. This area was quite large and would fit a lot of overnighters. There were no facilities of course but being self contained this was no problem for us. Lawrie started to feel the effects of a cold coming on and with the sniffles and a runny nose it was time for the cold tablets. The evening was mild however there was quite a bit of cloud about. We had hoped for a clear night so as to enjoy the full moon but we had to settle for glimpses of the moon through the scudding clouds. Next morning the cold had taken hold and the road didn’t become any smoother. We went into Emerald and restocked with cold tablets, gas and petrol and then headed out for Springsure, Rollestone and then on towards Moura along the Dawson Highway. The road continued to bounce us and Destiny around so slowing down again became the thing to do. We passed a few ‘wide’ loads and made sure we were well off the road for them as they passed. The scenery was quite pretty with mountains, fields of barley ready to be harvested, cattle and another green crop that might be lucerne or maize. We thought at first it was wheat but when the road took us closer it didn’t look ‘spear’ like enough but more ‘bushy’ so the doubt then set in as to what it was. There were fields of green and also of brown (the ripe barley) as far as the eye could see at times and I am sure the farmers must be happy with their crops.
We stopped for the night just out of Moura at the Dawson River rest area. There were quite a few other vans and motor-homes already set up and some looked as if they had been there for a while. There are showers and toilets available as well as lots of small fireplaces around for campfires. Certainly is a popular place and plenty of room for vans etc. The area is maintained by the local fishing and Lions clubs.
The river has lots of water however looks very muddy. During our time there a worker brought his speedboat out in the late afternoon and took it for a spin up and down the river. Sounded like he may have been working on the engine and wanted to test it following the repairs etc.
Lawrie has continued to be sneezing and feeling miserable all day as we drove along so we will see how he feels after a night’s sleep and may have to stay a bit longer. This stop turned into a 3 night stay with me succumbing to a cold also. The weather stayed overcast and there were showers at night but the weather did not turn cold so free camping was not unpleasant.
Finally leaving our camp area we headed on eastwards towards Banana before turning south to Miles. Again the fields were green with new crops and the cattle looked fat and healthy. We saw where cotton had been harvested all around Theadore and the fields were freshly ploughed. There had been some heavy rain overnight through this area and there were puddles everywhere on the road. The farmers would be pleased with their young crops and freshly ploughed ground receiving a good soaking.
Travelling on towards Miles again we see green fields stretching into the distance on both sides of the highway. We pass through some gentle climbing mountains and called into the Isla Gorge National Park. The gorge’s escarpment looks like heavily scarred sandstone that has been weathered by wind and rain for many years. The path we walked was covered with small rocks that were quite soft and could be used to write with easily. The colours ranged from a dark orange to white so could imagine that these would have been used for paintings many years ago.
We arrived in Miles later in the afternoon and having passed a park either side of the road on the western approach to town, after filling with gas we decided to camp there for the night. This left us around 340km to home for the next day.
There were already a couple of vans set up for the night in the park so we found ourselves a spot also. On the opposite side of the road there were toilets and a sheltered table and seats. As we were self sufficient we did not need to use these facilities.
Again a light shower fell during the evening and we heard trains passing along the track which was close by. The traffic on the highway seemed to be non stop and this combined with the trains ensured that we would only stay one night here.
Again a light shower fell during the evening and we heard trains passing along the track which was close by. The traffic on the highway seemed to be non stop and this combined with the trains ensured that we would only stay one night here.
The road from Miles to Dalby through Chinchilla was also rough and we were pleased to finally hit the double lanes after Dalby. This meant the rest of the trip was less stressful as trucks coming up behind were able to pass without trouble and we could continue our trip in the left lane out of their way.
The weather was fine for our final day of travel and travelling through Toowoomba and then down the range was uneventful. We stopped at Helidon for our final lunch stop in a rest area and then it was on with home the next stop. We had hoped to arrive prior to school finishing and made our driveway at 2.15pm so all extra traffic was avoided.
Fuel (both gas and petrol) had cost a total of $3,268.13 with an average fuel consumption of 23.25 litres per 100 km. Our total accommodation cost was $1,567.50 giving an average of $17.04 per night for the 92 nights. This cost was kept down as we enjoyed 27 nights of free camping. This shows the benefit of having all facilities available in the van and when possible finding a level spot for the night. Having done this trip and becoming more experienced at using free camps this will be what we are looking for during our future trips. Weather will be the main influence on whether to free camp or require electricity.
We have decided to look into replacing all the bulbs in the van with LED’s as they draw much less power and therefore can extend the use of our battery when free camping. We finished the trip still perfectly happy with Destiny and not wishing to make any other changes.
Our adventure ended after 93 days (92 nights) and 14,781 km from start to finish.
