Cairns

As much as we would have liked to have seen the renown Undara Lava Caves, we were still pushing to reach the cape before the onset of the wet. We split up with Mike and Jan as they wanted to drive to Innisfail on the coast and follow the coast road to Cairns. We drove over the Table Lands stopping at Ravenshoe and Mt Hypipamee Falls before stopping in Mareeba for lunch. From there it was down the windey road into Cairns. We met up with Mike, Jan, Lee and Johno at Holloways Beach before returning to Lee and Johno’s new house in Kewarra Beach where sally and I stayed whilst we prepared for our assault on the tip.


Ravenshoe Wind Farm


Mt Hypipamee Falls


Holloways Beach

Mt Surprise

We quietly left Karumba Point holiday park avoiding any contact with hay bales and averting our eyes from the ever watchful and highly protective grey nomads and heading into Normanton for breakfast. Jan had been told that the bakery was world class so we stopped for pies all round. On the way in we caught our first site of a wild bustard.


Wild Bastard


Outside the Normanton Bakery

After lunch, we hung around for a while so I could check out the old Burns Merchant build now being as a museum dedicated to the early days of Normanton.


Burns General Store Museum

Leaving Normanton, we caught a glimpse of the old Gulflander Locomotive, at trip that we will have to leave for another day as it only runs three days a week and today wasn't one.


Gulflander Railway Car

Approaching the Undara Volcanic National Park we arrived at Mt Surprise and the Bedrock Caravan Park. Great facilities and meals and although we were in a race to reach Cape York before the onset of the wet season, I think I may have convinced Sally that we should return here this trip so we could explore the lava caves.


Mt Surprise Sunset

Karumba

Today’s destination will be Karumba (Hi Karumba). However, it wasn’t too long before the relentless corrugations finally took there toll. Mikes car battery had literally bounced out of it mounting so we stopped along the road to play bush mechanics. A piece of old thong and other fudging and we were back on the road again.

What Corrugations?

We then veered off the “main drag” and stopped to check out Burke and Will’s 119 camp site. I bet there were no corrugations back in their day. A quick pick and a wonder around the camp to check out the dig tree (what’s left) and to take in the many information signs then north again towards Normanton.


Olive, Pcis and Bruce at the Burke and Will Monument

We passed through Normanton and were impressed by the prettiness of this small rural community. After all the places we’d passed since leaving Mataranka, Normanton looked by far the most civilized. We planned to stop here on the way back from
Karumba and take a closer look.

We arrived in Karumba mid afternoon and drove around a bit trying to find a van park near the beach. Karumba is mainly a fishing port and there were only docks and ware houses in the town itself. We figured we were missing something for we had heard that Karumba is a popular destination for travelers throughout Australia. We headed back down the main drag and found a turn off to Karumba Point. Bingo! This is more like it with a Van Park near the beach and boat ramp and hotels and B&B’s. We queued up to book into the van park and scored to sites that backed onto each other. As we planned only 1 night here, we left our trailer attached to the car and drove through Mike and Jan’s site onto ours. This sent the long term grey nomads into a spin. Jan returned from the restrooms in a flap because our exploits at negotiation the two sites contravened some sort of rule about moving hay bales. None the wiser, Jan spoke to the managers who said there were services under the bales but our ignorance proved no excuse and we became the pariahs of the campground.

We quickly gathered ourselves and rushed off down the road to the Kurumba Point Hotel for some desperately needed afternoon drinks, some dinner then sneaking back to camp.


Drinks at the Karumba Point Hotel


Kurumba Point Hotel Sunset

Leichhardt River

We hit the road early knowing it was over 500km of rough road to reach Normington Our route took us through Gregory Downs were we popped in for a quick beer at this famous landmark. The locals advised us that the fuel only got more expensive the further north we venture so we topped up before hitting the road.

Gregory Downs Pub

We then headed due north to Burketown and were disappointed to find fuel cheaper. We replenished our supply of food and beverages before heading further east.

Bruce, Pcis and Olive at the Old Burketown Post Office

We were looking for somewhere to stop for lunch but the dust was ferocious and we failed to find anywhere suitable so we pushed on to Leichhardt Falls. It was past 2 by the time we arrived and decided that instead of pushing onto Normanton and Karumba and arriving after dark, we would setup camp here and put our feet up.

Leichhardt Falls Bush Camp.

With bugger all rainfall this side of the dry season, the river was reduced to a series of large billabongs and no water flowing over the falls. With a little imagination, one could see that it would be quite specky with only a drop of a few meters but a span of hundreds.
The lack of water flow didn’t deter the livestock from wandering through our camp in the night heading to the billabongs.

Leichhardt River

Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill)

We set off from Hell’s Gate and after some heated debate, we decided to not to divert to Burketown to stock up with alcohol but to turn off and head cross country to Lawn Hill Gorge ‘near Adel’s Grove. We pasted Doomadgee without even realizing it. The community is set off the main road and not well signposted (except for the piles of cans around the turnoff). It was soon after that Mike had identified a short cut to Adel’s Grove so we left the main road and headed south through serious cattle country.

Back Road to Adel’s Grove

Even the locals were giving us funny looks.

Bourketown Road Local

Lawn Hill Station Sign

Finally, after numerous gates and cattle grids we arrived at Adel’s Grove. (Whooohoo) They have a licensed bar, we’re not gonna die. No take-a-ways but enough to see us through until Burke Town. We drove on towards Lawn Hill NP proper intending to camp at the park facilities there, however, most of the park is setout for tent camping and all the sites are blocked for vehicles by bollards. So we found some space in the car park and setup there.

Lawn Hill National Car Park

The lack of a decent camp ground was more then made up for the proximity to the gorge. Across the road and a 40m track bought us to the banks of the Gregory River which meanders through the Lawn Hill Gorge. It didn’t take us long to jump in and wash the dust off.

Gregory River

7th Sept. 2008 Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill)

That afternoon, we walked the Wild Dog Dreaming track to see the Aboriginal Art and inspect the lower reaches of the gorge. An interesting walk and we managed to spot som turtles and a lazy fresh water crocodile on the way before returning to camp for another swim and then settling down to some drinks and then tea.

Freshy

8th Sept. 2008

Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill)

Sally and I had decided that we would set off at sparrows fart and walk up to Indarri Falls to see the sunrise. It’s about a 45 minute walk so with torches in hand, we set off while it was dark walking around the and over the walls of the gorge finally reaching the falls. The sunrise was specky and we headed back crossing over the lookout to the falls and gorge. Difficult to believe that this oasis is surrounded by thousands of square kilometers of some of the driest and dustiest savannah we have seen to date.

Lawn Hill Gorge Sunrise

Gregory River

Indarri Falls

Indarri Falls from Lookout

After returning to camp for brunch, it was more swimming and then lounging around for the rest of the day before setting off to Adel’s Grove homestead for dinner and drinks. The homestead is excellent with grassy camping area and a licensed bar. Albeit some distance from the gorge it would have made for far more comfortable camping.

Adel’s Grove Homestead

From there, a short drive back into the NP and after a nightcap, off to bed.

Hells Gate RH

From Borroloola, we headed towards the Queensland Border. More rough corrugations with evidence of mishaps and misfortune all along the side of the road. Mike and Jan stopped to check-out a caravan that had been abandoned on the side of the road, only to find it was occupied by a lady who had been waiting there for 2 days whilst her husband had gone on ahead to Borroloola in search of a new axle for the van. We drove passed a public phone and decided it was only good for trunk call and we were barking up the wrong tree so decided to leaf it alone.

Trunk Calls Only

Road Hazards

Finally making it to the border just after lunch we stopped to walk the cat, bear and crocodile.

Pcis, Bruce and Olive at NT/Qld Border

NT/Qld Border

We arrived at Hells Gate Roadhouse late in the day and nearly missed out. The roadhouse had lost its liquor license and part of the Northern Australia prescribed areas act and the shop was all but shut down. We were still able to camp there the night but the were no powered sites and only hot water at certain times of the day. This didn’t worry us too much but is was sad to see an establishment in such a remote location winding down. We lit a campfire and commence the preparation of Spag Bog until we discovered the premium mince we bought from Fannie Bay contained no preservatives and had turned a distinctly green colour. Jan decided to experiment and substitute bacon for beef and the results were very palatable.


Hells Gate Campground

Borroloola

A few months back I’d learnt that I had relatives living in Borroloola and had notified them of our pending arrival. We rocked up setting up camp in cousin Amanda’s back yard. That night we celebrated our arrival in Borroloola with Amanda, Will and family and several of their friends. During the evening, Borroloola rocked with over the back fence neighbours partying into the wee hours. Unfortunately, they only had 1 record so we listened to La Bumba again and again. Sally and Jan will never be able to listen to this song again without thinking of Borroloola.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 7, 2008

We had Sunday to relax and recover visiting the McArthur River and venturing around Borroloola. We had planned to stock up on supplies in preparation for our next leg into Queensland on to find that the only beverages available in Borroloola are mid strength. So we decided to wait until arriving at the Hell’s Gate Roadhouse across the border.

Butterfly and Lorella Springs

Heading eastward again we drove the road to Borroloola. We crossed the Limmen River at Burketown Crossing mid-morning before taking a brief detour to check out Butterfly Springs Gorge. I couldn't resist the opportunity to have a dip and freshen up.

Butterfly Springs

It was then onto Lorella Springs to investigate the thermal springs of this outback station.

Lorella Springs Turn Off

We set up camp and relaxed some before Mike and I climbed the nearest peak to catch the sunset. After dinner we relaxed some more before adjourning for the night and then been woken again in the early hours by a couple of young European backpackers in a panic because the camp had been invaded by a mob of cattle. Fancy that in a working cattle station.

Lorella Springs Campground (Hot spring in background)

Hill Top Cairn

Hill Top Sunset

I could have easily spent several more days at Lorella Springs but as we were determined to reach Cape York before the end of the dry we reluctantly broke camp the next morning and continued on. Reaching the Lorella Springs turn-off, we came upon our paranoid backpackers parked up on the side of the road. Along way from anywhere with little fuel in their well-travelled E300 van. I sold them the contents of my jerry can and pointed them in the direction of Borroloola, although they were headed in the opposite direction.

Limmen Bight NP

After a short drive we arrived at the Limmen Bight River. Mike have read reports about the camping here so we explored the banks on either side of the crossing in search of suitable camping. As it turned out, the camping is located down steam from the crossing and after finding a turnoff a couple of km’s past the crossing, we ventured northward finding a fishing camp ground with plenty of space and long drop toilets. This was my first opertunity to test my new satellite TV system so I spent a couple of hours assembling our dish and locating the satellite. Eventually we got reception all with 12v and no generators and settled down to watch The Bill.

Searching For a Camp Site

Limmen Bight River Crossing

Little Towns River

We departed Mataranka early unsure of the road conditions to come on the road to Roper Bar. Along the way we caught glimpse of the Roper River admiring one camp site where a makeshift jetty had been constructed to allow easy access from boat to campsite for some obviously keen fishermen. Stopping at Roper Bar, Mike and Jan entered the store leaving with what they described as the most expensive bottle of coke in the known universe. Deciding not to stay at Roper Bar we continued on toward the Limmen Bight NP.

Fishing Camp on the Roper River Little Towns Creek (Yumanji Creek) Camp