Archer River Roadhouse

Wednesday, Sept. 17

We packed up ready to leave but there was just little matter of a flat tire to change before hitting the road. We decided to leave getting it fixed until we were further up the road. Luckily, the spare from the car is interchangeable with the trailer.
**I wouldn’t recommend driving this road without a spare**

Our First Flat

As we headed further north we stop to checkout places like Musgrave Road House and Kintore. It was during this stretch of road that I lost my first UHF arial. In a cloud of dust as we passed some major road works, we emerged with something missing. Luckily for us, Mike was carrying a spare that was supplied with his radio but he upgraded it immediately.

Our replacement UHF arial

We were passing through Coen around late morning and headed to the local garage to have our flat attended to. The bloke in the garage was very helpful and plugged the tyre as we chatted. On the way out of Coen we found a nice riverside park where we were able to pull up and pop the kettle on for a nice cuppa and some lunch.

Coen Garage.

Col, Mike, Jan and Jude doing lunch in Coen

From here we planned to stay overnight at the Archer River Road House before heading up the Old Telegraph Track. We suspected that this would be the last stop for showers and laundry for a few days so we made the most of it. Archer River Roadhouse is reknown for its hamburgers but as we had our meals planned, we washed the dust down with a couple of beers from the bar and then back to camp for dinner. Mike and Jan’s treat.

Mike prepares dinner on the campfire.

Whilst we waited, Jude, Sal and I wandered down to Archer River to have a look. We had to give way to a road train as we walked down the road to find the Archer River a dry sandy bed.

Weipa Road Train

Jade and Sal on Archer River

Jude and Jan @ Archer River Campground

Hann River Roadhouse

Tuesday, Sept. 16

Setting off from Cairns, we convoyed up the Capitan Cook Highway hugging the Queensland coast before heading inland at Port Douglas. This section of the Great Dividing Range hugs the coast here and we followed the steep and windy sections over the Mount Molloy Road.

Mike, Col, Jude and Sal @ Mt Molloy Lookout

Jan, Mike, Col and Jude @ Mt Molloy Lookout

The Coral Sea from Mt Molloy Lookout

Over the range the road started to flatten out as we made our way through Mt Carbine onto Lakeland for fuel and toasties. It was during this stretch that we encountered Postie Bike Challenge. Overtaking several Postie Bikes at a time, were reluctant to pull up for a smoke knowing that we would be engulfed by bikes again. We did stop for a smoke at the McLeod River which looked like an excellent roadside layover but we had many kilometres to cover so we soon pushed on. Lakeland is the beginning of the Peninsular Development Road and the start of many gravel sections to come. It was interesting to note the freshly sealed sections of this road as a sign of things to come. We were relieved to see the Postie Bikes continuing to Cooktown (we decided to leave Cooktown for now and divert there on the return leg of our peninsular excursion) as we continued our run towards Laura. It was our plan to spend the night either in or around Laura but everything being so dry and dusty, and the parks not looking like they provided much shade, we continued north.

We finally arrived at a roadhouse called Hann River and we noticed that Mike and Jan had already pulled up outside. Sally and I entered the Roadhouse to be greeted by Mike and Jan supporting icy cold beers and that was that. We booked in and drove out the back to find a wide selection of camping spots with camp fires and trees so in we settled.

Olive, Bruce and Pcis Prepare the cooking fire.

Hann River Native

Now We Start Planning

Now to eat

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.