Purposeful Meandering Savannah Way - Week 2

Week 2 started under a thick blanket of fog, this seemed to keep the fishermen at home a bit later than the previous day. We all packed away wet camping gear due to the heavy fog. We headed into Borroloola to grab some last minute supplies and top-up on fuel. We were pleasantly surprised to see fuel was only $2.55/ltr. I’m sure that’ll change as we head to more remote parts of QLD. Heading east from Borroloola the road conditions quickly deteriorated to very rough corrugated red roads. By mid morning the fog had been replaced with bull dust. The distance between each car was often beyond a kilometre apart and our CB’s kept us in touch with each other on the varying hazards ahead. Occasionally unfenced cattle slowed our progress as we’d have to wait for them to clear the road at their pace. We passed the “now closed” Lorrella Springs and pondered at “what could have been”. This outback station was one of the draw cards for us coming to the Gulf, but the NT government and the station owners had a falling out so the station is now closed to tourists. Creek and river crossings become a regular part of our day, each one proved more inviting but with the threat of crocs lurking in the unseen we kept our distance. We enjoyed lunch at one crossing and laughed as a group of motor-bikers crossed with their feet well above the water level. By mid-afternoon we’d arrived at Calvert River and decided this was enough for the day. The river offered good opportunities for us to jump in shallow waterholes as we all took in turns to cool off. Some indigenous locals made good use of the river as they caught a catch of water and land based animals. As the sun set we were amazed by the amount of wildlife that appeared from the bush. Pigs, Kangaroos, cattle and much more kept us entertained and on our toes as they used the water for life. 

To our surprise, Tuesday dawned with a few drops of rain, this had us scrambling to get the canvas swag packed away quickly. Thankfully the rain didn’t last long and it didn’t do anything to settle the dust which once again plagued us for the day. By mid-morning we’d crossed into QLD. We marvelled that our trip had already taken us to 5 states/territories. Our intended destination of “Hells Gate Roadhouse”, was upon us quicker than expected & we ended up having lunch here, not dinner as planned. This roadhouse oasis in the middle of nowhere had plentiful grass to squish our toes through and lots of trees providing shade from the heat of the day. We shared the roadhouse with a few couples doing the same as us and a Discovery tour group making their way across the top-end of our country. We googled their itinerary and then fell over backwards at the cost - OMG! We decided to push further east, passing through the community of Doomadgee and for the first time in a long time we were back on the bitumen. Our speed safely returned to normal road conditions and before long we’d arrived in the small rural town of Burketown, which ultimately was home for the night. We grabbed the few remaining sites in the caravan park which initially we were grateful for, that was until 1000’s of galahs came to roost in the trees overhead. “How’s the serenity” couldn’t be further from the truth, but these were our first-world problems. Thankfully as darkness fell peace n quiet resumed and we enjoyed a quiet night in the van park.

With the van park full of workers undertaking a project in town, Tuesday started well before the sun crested the horizon as cars one after another headed for work. By 9am we were out seeing the few sights of Burketown, the once thermal spring is now a rundown bore with hot 68deg water filling an ecosystem for the wildlife. The boat-ramp and kids waterpark were the most impressive features of this remote town. Soon afterwards we were heading south towards Lawn Hill, our progress being regularly slowed by cattle that shared the road with us. An hour later we found ourselves in Gregory Downs, what was once only a cattle station is now home to a pub, coffee shop, rest area and some basic accommodation. We stopped briefly before continuing our journey to Lawn Hill NP. A Suitable camp site was selected and we quickly setup before heading to the gorge and a well earned swim, the water making a refreshing change from the afternoon heat. As the afternoon wore on we continued exploring what Lawn Hill had to offer. We stumbled upon a trail which took us to a breathtaking lookout over the Indarri Falls. Being the adventurous type we scrambled down to the water level and had a quick swim under the falls themselves. It was the perfect way to finish the day. We spent the evening finalising our census submissions which is quite funny when you don’t spend the night at your usual abode.

Wednesday was the perfect day for a sleep-in, I wish someone had told the birdlife to hold off on the early morning chorus. By 9am we had our first swim for the day, temperatures were climbing into the low 30’s and the best relief was in the shade in the river, so that’s how we spent most of the day. We’d have a swim, get wrinkly from being in the water, get out, get hot, get back in the water, get wrinkly from being in the water, get out again. It was a tough way to spend the day but someone had to do it. Late in the day we called a round table meeting to discuss plans for the days ahead, our thoughts of heading to Cobbold Gorge were dismissed after reading of the exuberant costs simply to visit the privately run place. Our meeting turned into the perfect opportunity for happy-hour and liquid refreshments and dinner. As night fell we all realised we’d got a bit burnt and had too much sun for the day.

Thursday started very early for 2 of us as we’d decided to photograph Indarri Falls with the first rays of sunlight. Things were going great as we collected some great drone footage of the falls. That was until my drone decided to take on submarine qualities all by itself, effectively crashing into the water some 300m away from our location. Needless to say those in ear-shot heard a few choice words before we embarked on a rescue mission. Some 3 hours later we returned to camp with my tail between my legs, no drone and a badly sprained ankle. Further discussions followed and another rescue mission was hatched. A canoe was hired and a frogman was enlisted, using the “find my drone” technology on the controller we zeroed in on a likely spot and a few minutes later my drone was recovered. The relief and smile on my face was priceless, whether the drone works again or not, at least I’d recovered the SD card and the footage from earlier in the day. With the mornings crisis now behind us, the rest of the day was spent at a much slower pace. The weather had cooled significantly from yesterday’s heat so there was less enthusiasm to go swimming. We spent much of the afternoon relaxing around our campsite. After dinner we enjoyed a fun evening of card and board games with our travelling companions.

Friday had us packed up and on the road by 9am, that was never early enough for us to beat the caravaner’s and we spent much of the 90km ahead of us sucking the dust of caravans travelling at less than suitable speeds. Eventually we were back on the bitumen and passing through Gregory Downs on route to the Burke n Wills Roadhouse. We had lunch at the roadhouse before heading northwards. A few hours later after some monotonous driving we were in Normanton, we quickly found a home for the night, then for the first time in a couple weeks we found ourselves in a supermarket replenishing some much needed supplies. With the remaining daylight we visited the Gulf-Lander train and the Purple Pub. Our evening was spent in the camp kitchen as we were fortunate to have some Friday night footy to watch.

Saturday saw us on the road again but not before we checked out a few more attractions in Normanton. The highlight being “Krys the Croc”, apparently it’s the biggest recorded croc to be killed. At 8.63m in length and over 2 Ton I’m happy the only time we seen it was as a replica on display. With only 70km to our next destination it wasn’t long before we arrived in Karumba. This town sits right on the Gulf of Carpentaria at the mouth of the Norman River and is a haven for those who love their fishing. After a quick look around the main part of town we headed out to Karumba Point which will be our home for the next few nights. By late afternoon we’d spent some time by the pool, listened to some live music, had a drink and a feed from the bistro without having to leave the comfort of our caravan park. With full bellies we wandered down to the point to witness a beautiful sunset over the ocean. Living on the east coast I’ve often witnessed the sunrise over the ocean, but the setting sun over the ocean certainly has some spectacular colours. What a week it’s been.