Aye Karumba.

Some times you just have to go with the flow. From Laura we were hoping to take the Burke Development Road to Karumba, but unfortunately we were warned that the high river crossings and the rough road would make this difficult.  We also took our cue from the Murri folk returning to Kowanyama on the Gulf – they were taking the long way on blacktop, rather than the dodgy dirt roads. So we had to backtrack quite a way to use the Savannah Way. This meant travelling through Mareeba and the beautiful Atherton Tablelands once again. We stopped at Mount Surprise overnight and travelled on to Karumba the next day. The landscape was again dramatic, with mountain ranges and dry savannah.

Karumba is a fishing haven, all three caravan parks were full, with grey nomads from Victoria, South Australia and NSW, who stay for 3 to 5 months every year. They all had boats and small dogs or poodles. Luckily we were directed to the garage, where they are in the process of developing another caravan park. The owner we were told, may or may not let us stay, depending on his mood. Thankfully Russ employed our secret weapon, a late afternoon arrival, no room at the inn story and the small child. Yes we could stay. We were the only campers, right on a small wetland, filled with birdlife. Perfect! We enjoyed the magnificant sunsets and some delicious fish and chips at the pub. Karumba is the only town with direct access to the Gulf. This would have to be one of the flattest seas in Australia. If you don’t fish, and you’re not of retiring age, there’s not a lot else to do in Karumba – so our stay was brief.

From Karumba, we headed west for Burketown, passing the Burke and Wills Camp 119. This was the most northerly point reached by Burke and Wills expedition in 1861, believing they had found the Gulf. Unfortunately it must have been the wet season, because they were actually quite a distance from the sea and had found the swampy wetlands instead.  Sadly they returned south, with few provisions, too white to learn from the blackfellas how to live off the land, and perished at Cooper’s Ck in SA (….. all except King that is).  Burketown was fairly nondescript. We moved on to the stunning Lawn Hill, or Boodjamulla National Park. The Lawn Hill Creek, a crystal clear body of water that runs all year, winds its way through the high orange/brown rock gorge walls. The limestone in the rocks makes the Tufa, which is a crystalised rock formation that is the result of calcification. We hired canoes and paddled up the 6 km of creek, over rapids, and via a short walk between waterholes, where we had to drag the canoes. Saw a couple of freshwater crocodiles sunning themselves on the banks. Despite the crocs (the freshies don’t seem to like our taste), it was a delightful place to swim. Met some lovely people, the Jessups from Brisbane, who we went canoeing, swimming and walking with. The girls had fun playing with several children in the camp. They have missed the company of other children. Travelling around has given us the opportunity to meet many interesting people. We visited Riversleigh, the world heritage fossil site, and were able to see a sample of the many mega-fauna remains fossilised in the outcropping rocks.

From Boodjamulla we took the ‘back  road’ through Lawn Hill and Bowthorn stations, to Kingfisher camp, situated on the Nicholson River. Many creek crossings, some deep, and even more gates made this a very interesting route, that traverses a huge cattle station.  Some of the best patches of bulldust that we’ve yet seen. We were also lucky to see a cattle muster in progress. Kingfisher Camp is a beautiful grassy campground, between billabongs, with abundant birdlife, and hot showers which we hadn’t had for several days. The water was heated by a “donkey”, a metal drum over a fire that the caretaker kept alight. Again, the girls were able to play with other children, spotlight of an evening, being the favourite game.

From here we kept going west, along the Gulf, and the Savannah Way, via “Hells Gate Roadhouse” over the border into the Northern Territory and on to Borroloola, on the Western side of the Gulf country. This road followed some stunning mountain ranges, with ridges of black shale running through the sandstone, and over 19 creek and river crossings. The land became greener again, with pandanus and cabbage palms lining the clear water of the creeks. The landscape was alive with colour, with numerous wattles in flower, white and orange flowering eucalypts and stunning red and yellow/orange grevillea trees. We have been sharing the driving, but thankfully Russ has been at the wheel for the more challenging river crossings. I tend to get the rough sections of road and the suicidal kangaroo jumping in front of us.

Of interest may be the food and fuel situation. The maximum we have payed for diesel has been $2.20 per litre (@ Bamaga). Chicken and fresh produce of any description have been very difficult to find at times, especially in the Cape and Gulf regions. Bread, when available, costs around $5.00 a loaf, tomatoes are $8.00 per kilo and we haven’t seen a banana now for weeks. Beer is costing $60 a carton for XXXX, and wine when sold, is around $25 for a 2litre cask of Yalumba. Many areas we have been through have had various alcohol restrictions. In some towns, it is the elders who have set restrictions or banned alcohol altogether. In the Northern Territory, it is the federal intervention that has set the rules, such as being breathalysed at the point of sale when buying beer, having to show ID and the sale of wine is either banned or cask wine after 2pm only, and only 2litres per group/car is allowed. Ellen has just gone through her third pair of thongs, and has moved on to "Crocs", so will loose her thong tan that we have all developed.

A Rainbow Bee-Eater

Surfs up!

The Burke & Wills Expedition

A Blazed tree left by the expedition at camp 119

The fossil of a thigh bone of a megafauna bird 

Hello, smile, its a World Heritage site

Lawn Hill

Maeve & Lilly

At the border on the Savannah Way

At Carrabarrini Conservation Reserve

Little girl lost at the Lost City.

Daly Waters

Bitter Springs thermal pool at Mataranka

But I digress! From Borroloola, we continued on west, via the Carrabarrini Conservation Reserve. Here we walked amongst the “pipe organs” of the Lost City. These are pillars of coloured sandstone rock that have been formed over the millennia by erosion. Stunning flowering eucalypts, grevilleas and the rare Hooded Parrot made this a wonderful experience. Camped beside the road, and continued the next day to Daly Waters, where we joined a real road, the Stuart Highway. We are now camped at Elsey National Park, just out of Mataranka, on the Roper River. This is the setting for “We of the Never Never”. The Roper River has featured in many books I have read over the years, including Xavier Herbert, and here I am, swimming and canoeing in it! Unbelievable (or perhaps you just had to be there!). It is a lovely spot, though somewhat mosquito ridden. We have caught up with some school work, another bucket of washing and some much needed lazy time. Maeve has managed to enter the Dorothea McKellar Poetry competition, with her entry submitted from atop a hill, that we had to drive up, over a rocky road, to get internet reception! Very apt, with sweeping views of this sunburnt country. We’ll let you know how she fares.