We revisit some favourite places......

and find some new ones.  We woke to another lovely morning but there was no time to sit around as it was time for us to hit the road again.  We stopped for a final coffee at the Mareeba Heritage Museum and then we were on our way.  

Our last drive through the tablelands was a pleasant one with all localities enjoying a fine sunny day.  We stopped at Ravenshoe for a loo break before continuing on to Archer Creek Rest Area where we stayed overnight.   

Leaving Archer Creek the next morning we made our way along the Savannah Way  passing Innot Hot Springs, Mt Garnet and Mt Surprise.  The road has shrunk to a one lane bitumen road for much of the drive but the sides are smooth so it’s not too bad if you have to get over.  

After stopping along the way in a gravel pit for coffee we continued on to Georgetown where we stopped for lunch in the park. After lunch we drove the 21 km on to Cumberland Chimney where we stayed for a few days.  After the lovely green landscapes of the tablelands for the last few weeks it seems very dry out here.  The area around the waterhole is certainly the driest we have seen it.

Bill got up with the birds today and had a walk around the waterhole.  Lots of water birds feeding early.  The many Magpie Geese this year make the waterhole look very busy.  Later in the morning we went and spent a couple of hours in the shelter just watching life on and around the billabong.  We met some lovely people as they came in for a look or to set up camp.  

The next day was again spent with the birds at Cumberland Chimney.  We met more nice folk at the shelter and whiled away the afternoon just watching life on the wing.

During the afternoon the local policeman, based at Forsayth, did a drive through as he had done the day before.  He stopped and had a chat with us for a while.  He has just bought a caravan and he and Bill exchanged stories of van salesmen.  A lovely bloke and a nice change of pace for a while.  During our stay these Rufous Throated Honeyeaters were very active in the trees around our camp.

We woke early and got packed and ready to roll so as to miss the heat of the day.  Yes, heat!  At last we have found some warmer weather.  It is very much warmer out this way and very much drier as well.  For the first time this trip it is well over 30 deg.

After three lovely days here it was time to move on so we drove the 140 km to Croydon where we stayed the night in the Caravan Park.  Washed our clothes, our hair and us so now we are ready to go feral again for a few days.  

I love the new artwork at the entrance to town.  And that evening we luxuriated in air conditioning until it cooled down a bit.  35 deg was a bit of a shock to the system!

Another early morning as we packed up to leave Croydon but not before enjoying a coffee at the General Store.  It is such a joy to find a good coffee out in the middle of nowhere.  As we drove past the pub back to the main road I noticed a painted water tank in the beer garden.  We stopped and I took the picture before heading off.  

The quintessential Aussie bushman and his dog made a nice scene as did the drover on the other side of the tank.

We drove on towards Normanton but stopped about 28 km short to stay for a couple of nights at Leichhardt Lagoon.  This is a lovely campground separated from the working station and manned by caretakers.  

The lagoon is teeming with bird life, mainly water birds, and we enjoyed just sitting and watching them for the rest of the day trying to stay in the shade as the temperature climbed to 37 deg.  No air con here!  

Sunsets are another reason people stop here and we joined some of the other campers to watch.  It was lovely though not as spectacular as some we have seen.

Bill got up early the next morning to see the birds.  The Brolgas and the Black Necked Stork (Jabiru) were working the edge and made it easier to get photos of them.

It was a much cooler morning but the wind was terrible and as a result the dust was flying everywhere.  We heard on the news that there were dust storms right through Central and Western Queensland.  Another feature of this property is Ferdinand the Bull.  He likes to swim in the Lagoon eating the waterlilies.  Each day the caretaker has to chase him off.  I didn't see him in action but Bill caught him on his early morning walk.

As the day wore on the wind eased a bit so we were able to enjoy the great outdoors again during the afternoon.  We enjoyed another nice sunset and a drink with Chris, Bill, Denise and Bill.  We had met them all at Cumberland Chimney and then again here.  

The next morning we packed up and drove into Normanton where we had a coffee before we headed down the long bumpy road to Burke and Wills Roadhouse where we stayed the night in their campground.  I loved the mural on the wall of the beer garden.

We treated ourselves to breakfast the next morning at Burke and Wills Roadhouse.  The bacon and eggs were delicious and then it was time to drive on to Julia Creek.

The Wills Development Rd was very similar to yesterday’s Burke Development Rd.  A mix of single lane bitumen with plenty of two lane sections thrown in to allow for passing.  I must say that I was very grateful that the 4 trailer road train coming towards us was on one of the wider parts of the road.  It was fully loaded with cattle.

We stopped a bit later to make coffee and then set off again with about an hour to go.  Just 20 mins down the road we saw something on the side of the road.  As we got closer we saw it was an overturned car and caravan.  A man and lady were just standing there looking at it.

We stopped to see if we could help.  The lady driving had lost control on the gravel edge about 20 mins earlier.  Of course there was no signal at all where we were but straight after we stopped another cattle truck stopped, checked how we all were and said they would call it in as soon as they got a signal.

We met a few other lovely people who stopped to offer assistance but there was really nothing to do other than wait.  Both of them were obviously in shock but seemed to be coping at the moment.  I’m sure it will all hit later today.

We waited with Sabrina and Peter until the ambulance arrived and we sincerely hope they will be alright and that both the insurances pay out on the car and van.  I imagine both will be a write off.  

Once we said goodbye we continued on to Julia Creek and came across a large mob of cattle being mustered along the road.  The guys on the buggy led us through and we continued on.

Arriving in Julia Creek we had a walk through town and then made our way to their fabulous RV free camp just out of town.  We settled in for a quiet afternoon here.  The weather continues to be windy so a lot of dust is still blowing around making the great outdoors not so pleasant to be in at the moment.  The temperature is in the mid 20’s again as we have moved south and the nights are under 10 deg again.  Our warm spell didn’t last too long!  Bills not happy!

We left Julia Creek the next morning but not before we checked out the new cafe in town.  Corrine’s Place was lovely and the coffee excellent.  Let’s hope they are still there when we visit next time.

We drove into Cloncurry where we did some shopping and bought fuel before stopping for lunch at Chinaman Creek Dam.  

After we finished we continued on stopping for the day at Mary Kathleen free camp where we are going to stay for a couple of nights.  Mary Kathleen, was a uranium mining town, about halfway way between Mount  Isa.  It is now a ghost town with an abandoned mine and no buildings.

My research tells me that The Mary Kathleen uranium discovery was made by Clem Walton and Norm McConachy in 1954, and named after McConachy's wife.  The exploration and mining rights were sold to Rio Tinto in 1955 who formed Mary Kathleen Uranium Ltd to develop a mine and service town.  

It was officially opened in October 1958 by The Right Honorable Robert Gordon Menzies and the then Qld Premier, The Honorable G.E.R. Nicklin, and today the commemorative plaque is the only thing still standing.  

The ore was mined by the open-cut method and processed on site. The town, six km away, was built around a shallow valley with a post office, cinema, sports ovals, a school, banks and a community store. By 1963 the major supply contract signed with the UK Atomic Energy Authority had been satisfied ahead of schedule, and large reserves of ore lay at grass. Consequently, the works were closed down. New supply contracts with Japanese, German and American power utilities prompted a re-opening in 1974, with Mary Kathleen's second life extended to 1982 when reserves were finally exhausted. The site was rehabilitated, and most of the buildings sold and removed. The site became well known for fossicking and gem-stone collecting, and now is favourite free camp for the many travellers that pass this way.  

The town layout is still visible and concrete pads on each block give you an idea of how suburban it must have looked.  

After months of camping in dirt and dry grass it seemed quite luxurious to camp on a concrete pad.  During the afternoon we drove out to see the mine.  It certainly is a dramatic sight after a rough ride and a bit of a walk to get there.  The colour of the water is just amazing.

We left bright and early on Saturday morning as we wanted to arrive nice and early at our next stop just down the road.

We camped at Clem Walton Park beside the beautiful Corella River.  Having been here before we know how quickly these spots fill up when someone leaves.  We were very lucky and found a lovely spot just 15 mins after it had been vacated.  In fact we passed the van on the way in.  And so here we stay for a few days enjoying this lovely place.

It’s quite amazing how fast the days go when you’re just sitting enjoying the river, the birds and the delightful weather that we have at the moment.  The reflections on the river that afternoon show what a perfect place this to spend a few days.  One afternoon this Juvenile Nankeen Night Heron had us in stitches as he played with this stick.  Not sure what he was doing but he really tried to beat it up.

On Monday morning we dragged ourselves away from the river and drove into Mount Isa to pick up supplies so we could enjoy our idyllic camp for the rest of the week.  We did the shopping, had a delicious lunch at the Coffee Club, caught up with all things digital (as there was no signal at the river) then drove back home to relax once more.  These sculptured horses seem to be a new addition to the town since we were here last.

The next day was very windy but lovely in the sun.  The full on fight mid stream by two Darters was one of the highlights of our day.

We continued to relax by the river for the next couple of days.  Lots of books were read, puzzles done and birds watched.  The next afternoon we took a walk to the dam wall and   found a lovely tranquil pool at the base but as it’s all fenced off we couldn’t get to the top to see the dam.  The rest of the day was spent watching the beautiful birds and the monitors sunning themselves in the sun.

Finally our time beside the river has come to an end and we must pack up and head into Mount Isa.  As you approach the city the large Chimney and the mine certainly dominate the skyline.  

We booked into a Caravan Park for the night as I had lots of washing to do.  Next was the shopping as we were stocking up for the next couple of weeks as we head away from civilisation for a while.  We had lunch at a fabulous cafe called the Xtra Mile.  Great coffee and the food was pretty good too.  

And so now all is ready for us to head off again tomorrow, stay tuned and see where we end up next.

until next time.......