Northern Territory adventures...........

On our arrival at the McArthur River Caravan Park we found a note that said pick a site and come and see us in the morning.  We did that and when I opened the caravan door I was just a bit overwhelmed.  Everything was covered in red dust.  Our van has a blower that is supposed to pressurise the inside and so keep the dust out.  Usually this works well but whenever something passed us on the road the dust just hung in the air and was sucked in to the van.  It took nearly an hour to get enough of it out and we finally had baked beans on toast about 11.00pm that night and showers after that.

The next morning Bill took the car and tyres to the Mechanic/Hardware and found out that they were both dead and it would take three days for new ones to come up from Darwin.  With no real option we said yes and booked into the park for the few extra days.  At least he was able to get some bits at the hardware and fix some of the other issues.

Back at home I set to work cleaning the inside until it shone and did the washing while Bill borrowed a drill and set to his list of chores.  Our neighbours spent the morning sitting back and watching all the activity before chatting to us a bit later.  Lisa and Gary were from Albury and like us had escaped the cold.  They were leaving the next day to start their journey south.  We enjoyed the afternoon together and will definitely look them up when we get home.

And so we spent four nights at Borraloola enjoying some down time and having a little more of a look around than we otherwise might have had.

 There was a general store/supermarket, a couple of cafes, and a big shop called The Malandi Store run by the aboriginal community which was way better than the other one.  We were able to top up the cupboards and the fridge here.

We drove out to see the McArthur River at the Council Boat Ramp and found a lovely spot with a couple of blokes fishing.  One was catching fish but the other one kept having to throw his back as they were too small.

A little further around we drove into Rocky Creek boat ramp.  Again a lovely view but no one else here and with crocodile traps very visible we kept well away from the edge.  That night we walked across the road and enjoyed a nice meal at The Carpentaria Grill.

The next morning we got a call to say the tyres had arrived so Bill popped down and got them fitted and then it was time to explore a little further afield.  We drove the 45kms out to see The Gulf of Carpentaria.  Arriving at Bing Bong the first thing you see is the Port for The McArthur River Mine.  There is a lookout here and from the platform you can see over the port to the Gulf.  

Drive a little further around on a dirt track and you come to the mouth of the McArthur River.  Again we found a couple of our neighbours fishing, had a chat and then drove back to another track which took us right onto the sands of the Gulf.  The tide was right out but what an experience to be able to stand right on the edge of one part of this huge country.

Back at home we readied ourselves for departure the next morning and had a quiet night in.  We drove out and said goodbye and thanks to Borraloola the next day and were on our way once again with Darwin as our ultimate destination.  But first there was lots to see on the way.

Our first stop was at Caranbirini Conservation Reserve, a lovely spot beside a river with a bird hide and a nature walk.  We spent some time in the bird hide and saw plenty of our feathered friends both on and off the water.  I loved the little Green Pygmy Goose.

Leaving here we continued on the Carpentaria Highway through Cape Crawford until we found our camp spot for the night.  Goanna Creek Rest area was a small freecamp beside a Creek.  On a hill it looked over the plateau below and we enjoyed watching the sunset that night.  

Wiki camps mentioned in its review that the water tank was empty and could people please fill the tin below for the birds.  We did and were immediately rewarded with dozens of birds coming in to drink.  They stayed and played until dark and again the next morning.  We refilled their tin again before we left.

Our next stop was at Daly Waters.  What a place.  As we approached all we could see was caravans.  It seems there was a line up for the caravan park next to the famous Daly Waters Pub.  We were not staying but stopped to have a look which became lunch and a drink before moving on.  

It really is a place that you must see to appreciate.  Nothing I can say will really give you any idea of what it is like.  Quirky, unique and interesting doesn't really do it justice but we enjoyed our lunch and will definitely call in next time we pass this way.

Back in the car we continued on stopping for the night at a place listed on Wiki camps as Blue Barrel camp.  Just a patch of gravel off the road at Birdum it did the job and two other campers came in as the afternoon wore on.

The next day we stopped for a look at Larrimah where The Pink Panther Hotel is the place to see.  And the Big Stubby.  Why, I'm not sure but here is the picture anyway.  Larrimah Pub's claim to fame is that it was originally the World War 2 Officers Mess.  We had a quick look inside then made our way just a km or so down the road to Fran's Place for coffee.  This is noted in Lonely Planet as a must see when passing through Larrimah!  I really don't know how to explain the experience other than it is something you will only do once.  Hilarious, yes! Raucous, yes!  Unforgettable, yes!  Absolutely and totally politically incorrect, yes!  Certainly one of the characters of the Northern Territory.

And so with another few hundred kms traveled it's time to slow the pace and take some time out at Mataranka

until next time........

From Burketown to Borraloola...........

Leaving Burketown we drove on towards the turnoff for Gregory.  We were still on bitumen and arrived mid afternoon.  We found their official freecamp site and joined the few other campers there.  It is a shady spot near the Gregory River with plenty of room for quite a few self contained vehicles.  Once we had settled in we crossed the road to the Historical Gregory Downs Pub.

It began life in the late 1870's as a homestead and store/hotel built by the Watson Brothers.  As the travellers became a nuisance they relocated the homestead to where it stands today.  The pub remained and changed hands a few times until it was taken over by the widow of one owner in 1892.  'Auntie Barrett' became famous for her great cooking and continued to run the pub until she too died in 1933.  Today it still has a reputation for good food, cold beer and friendly service.  We had a drink here and returned to sit and watch the world and the birds go by under our awning.  This little White- gaped Honeyeater was quite happy to pose for Bill.

The next morning we set off again crossing the Gregory River and continuing on towards Adel Grove.  This has been a place we have wanted to see for some time and we were going to spend a couple of days here.  The unmade road we had heard about seemed to have been sealed thanks to a mining company using it daily and it was only the last 45 kms that were the rough red dust we had come to know and love.

Arriving at the campsite we checked in, set up and then went for a wander.  Adel Grove is named after an early settler that had nurtured it and turned it into a tropical oasis.  In the years since his passing it has changed hands many times, been burnt out but still remains an cool and shady oasis in the middle of a hot and dusty landscape.  

And you can swim in the beautiful Lawn Hill Creek!  Only Freshwater Crocodiles and they don't eat much apparently.  We joined many others cooling off both afternoons we were there and what an amazing experience to be able to swim in such a lovely place.

The next day we drove out further along the even rougher red road to visit Lawn Hill National Park.  We walked through the Monsoon forests to the beautiful Cascades and then returned to eat our lunch under the shade of the huge Banyan Trees beside Lawn Hill Creek.

There are many other walks tracks here but all are 4 - 7 hours long and we decided they were not for us this time.  Maybe we will have to work on our fitness level and return one day.  We walked back to the car along the creek and Bill found some lovely little Purple Crowned Fairy Wrens and Buff Sided Robins so was happy with his days work.

Back at Adel Grove we enjoyed a swim and availed ourselves of dinner at their tiny takeaway kiosk.  Barra and chips sounded good and it was!  The next morning we packed up and drove back into Gregory and beyond where we picked up the Savannah Way again and continued our journey west.

Our time in Queensland was almost at its end as we were getting closer to the NT Border with every Km travelled.  We stopped at Tirranna Roadhouse for fuel and bread and then made our way to Hells Gate Roadhouse where we spent our last night in Outback Qld.  The story goes that it is called Hells Gate as in the very early days the Burketown Police would only cover you until here.  If you chose to go beyond Hells Gate then you were really on your own.  Well let's hope all is well as we continue West to the border and beyond!

The next morning we drove the short distance to the Border where we stopped and made a coffee and took the obligatory photo of the border sign.  Not to great but here it is!  Why do people insist on defacing every sign they see!

And so we drove along the rough red dust which seemed to get rougher this side of the border.  We saw a sign saying 'Grader ahead' and thought we would get a reprieve from the corrugated road but found it parked on the roadside some time later.  Though I must say the road did get much rougher after we had passed it so perhaps it had been grading.  

Soon after we came across our first water crossing and though I have to say I was a little nervous both the car and van handled it perfectly, it wasn't really deep and turned out it was the first of eight we went through that day.

We stopped on the roadside to eat our lunch and then continued on until a short while later we were stopped again this time for not such a good reason.  Our back left hand tyre had punctured and so Bill had a mammoth task to change it on the roadside.  The spare was on the roof but the jack was underneath everything in the back of the Jeep.  So it was unload, change tyre and reload, an adventure we really didn't need in the heat of the day but all was well and we were on our way again.

Well, for 30 kms or so, and then the same tyre went again.  'Not happy Jan!' was an understatement and the only spare we had left was the original road tyre that had come with the car when new.  Bill did the whole unload, change and reload again and with our hearts in our mouths we crawled the last 100 kms or so into Borraloola arriving after 9.30 pm.  We will see if we can repair them in the morning.

Wednesday the 8th July was a day that we will long remember as a day of disasters.  It had started off that morning when the inverter had fallen off the wall as I had shut the cupboard.  The screws the manufacturer had used were far too tiny for the shaking we had given our 'off road' van.  The water pipe seemed to have a blockage and was only trickling through the kitchen sink and the towel rail had fallen off the wall and broken as we rattled and rolled along the rough red road.  And of course the tyres just capped it off nicely.

And so our adventure beyond Hells Gate has proved eventful so far, let's see what tomorrow will bring

until next time........

The adventures continue.........

The next morning we left Croydon and headed for Normanton.  Not too far out we passed the first of the six packs of riders and soon after passed the rest of them and the Gulflander having a break at Black Bull siding.

The train stops here as a morning tea spot enabling it to arrive 'on time' in Normanton.  The riders support crew had set up their drinks station here as well.  We didn't stop but just snapped this as we passed.

We continued on and made our way into Normanton where we stopped and had a walk around.  First to the 'i' and then in search of bread for lunch.  Bill had been wanting to stay here in a freecamp he had heard about but you had to get a permit from the tourist office.  They were all gone for the day and a waiting list of ten for the next day.  We decided we didn't want to stay that badly and so moved on to Walkers Rest Area on the way to Karumba.  But first we had to stop and admire Krys the Crocodile.

This is a replica of the biggest crocodile ever caught in the world.  It was named Krys after the woman that shot it.  Both she and her husband were croc hunters in the early 1900's and the museum attached to the tourists office has an old black and white photo of them with this croc.  Just amazing!

And no, we didn't get the bread either.  Walking into the Bakery/Butcher the smell was so bad we turned tail and escaped.  It was not a pleasant experience and one I won't be in a rush to repeat.  Perhaps there is no Health Dept there!

We drove down to the Normanton Station to see the old building.  While there we had a coffee and just as we were ready to leave we heard that the Gulflander would arrive in 10 mins so of course we waited and watched as it pulled into the station.

Just beating it by a matter of seconds were two of the bike riders.  They had won the race though how they did it in the heat I don't know.  The driver got out and they thanked each other for the fun and then they were off to relax for the afternoon.  Tomorrow would be their last day on the road as they would reach Karumba.

We too left Normanton and made our way out of town to the rest area.  There were a number of people here already but we found a spot unhitched the car and had lunch before driving on to have a look at Karumba.

Given that hundreds of Grey Nomads return here year after year I was expecting some sort of Paradise.  It is a tiny town with three or four caravan parks packed to the gills.  I believe it is the fishing that brings them up in their droves but I really couldn't see the attraction.  

Karumba Point is the only place you can reach the sea on a sealed road.  There is a pub/tavern here that overlooks the Gulf of Carpentaria and we took a moment to enjoy the view with a drink before heading back to camp.  Perhaps I can almost see the attraction now.  And I found fresh bread in the tiny general store!

We enjoyed a quiet night with a beautiful full moon and a lazy morning before hitching up again and returning to Normanton to start the next part of our trip.  While having breakfast Bill had some fun with a Pacific Baza that was quite happy to pose for photographs.

The Savannah Way was closed for a bit out of Normanton as they were upgrading some of the floodways so we had to take a short detour.  Just 100 kms along rough red roads through private property.  Not a fan of big gates anymore, there were four!  Can't complain though it was the first unsealed road of the Savannah Way so far and we had expected much more.  

Once through the detour we continued on unmade roads stopping for lunch just off the road in an area I christened The Savannah Southbank.  There were ant/termite hills, all shapes and sizes, as far as the eye could see in all directions, just like the apartments in Southbank.  

After lunch we drove on until we reached Leichhardt Falls where we camped that night.  Leichhardt River still had water running but the falls had long since stopped though there was a lovely lagoon at the bottom.  Complete with resident crocodile I believe.  No swimming here.

It was a lovely place to stop and there were quite a number of us with the same idea.  Once again plenty of room for everyone.

The next morning it was back on sealed roads as we made our way into Burketown named after the explorer Burke after he and Wills reached the coast near Normanton in 1861.  Here we found a tidy town and we stopped to drink our coffee in the park.  Their local Bakery/butchery was a pleasure to enter and we bought two of their famous Barra Pies for dinner that night.  Absolutely delicious and I wish I had bought more for the freezer!

We stopped and looked at The Artesian Bore and were surprised to find boiling hot water gushing up from the ground.  The bore drilled over 100 years ago has watered animals in the past, been used as a public bath house (closed as they were unable to prevent people getting burned by the boiling water)' and now just runs away creating a wetlands for the many birds that come to visit.

We drove out to see the Jetty and Boat Ramp on The Albert River and found a couple of fisherman whiling away the hours with not much to show for their efforts.  Back in town we called into the local store where we picked up a few bits for the next few days away from civilisation and then hit the road again to find a camping spot for tonight.

until next time........