September 5:
We have a late start this morning, as we are only going as far as Normanton. We checked into the Normanton caravan park in the centre of town. It's 16 years since we last visited here, and nothing has really changed during that time, even though the number of touring visitors has certainly increased. After shopping and buying some great-priced meat and frozen Barra fillets, we headed to the park's pool. Today’s temperature is 36 degrees. We dined at the Central Hotel, built in the 1890s, just as we did all those years ago, but sadly, the crumbed prawn cutlets are no longer on the menu. Ros opted for chilli garlic prawns, and I had the crumbed Barra. Two fillets, the size of bread and butter plates and several inches thick, meant that nothing else on the plate was touched.
Distance today: 161 km. Total distance: 4,474 km.
September 6:
We left the van at Normanton and checked into a motel at Karumba for the night. We had lunch at the Sunset Tavern, and the Barra was the best I have tasted since Mum used to cook it for us in Port Moresby while we were growing up. Later that day, we went on a two-hour gulf sunset and wildlife tour on the Norman River, which we thoroughly enjoyed.
We have a late start this morning, as we are only going as far as Normanton. We checked into the Normanton caravan park in the centre of town. It's 16 years since we last visited here, and nothing has really changed during that time, even though the number of touring visitors has certainly increased. After shopping and buying some great-priced meat and frozen Barra fillets, we headed to the park's pool. Today’s temperature is 36 degrees. We dined at the Central Hotel, built in the 1890s, just as we did all those years ago, but sadly, the crumbed prawn cutlets are no longer on the menu. Ros opted for chilli garlic prawns, and I had the crumbed Barra. Two fillets, the size of bread and butter plates and several inches thick, meant that nothing else on the plate was touched.
Distance today: 161 km. Total distance: 4,474 km.
September 6:
We left the van at Normanton and checked into a motel at Karumba for the night. We had lunch at the Sunset Tavern, and the Barra was the best I have tasted since Mum used to cook it for us in Port Moresby while we were growing up. Later that day, we went on a two-hour gulf sunset and wildlife tour on the Norman River, which we thoroughly enjoyed.
The pipe has been laid under all the river systems for its 370 km journey. The zinc is mixed with water and turned into a slurry, which is then gravity-fed to Karumba. There, the water is removed, filtered, and used to water cattle in the region. The zinc is then processed into pieces the size of a fingernail before being transferred to a shallow-drafted ship that travels out into the Gulf and deposits its load into a supertanker.
The shallow-drafted ship leaving Karumba to deposit its load:
The shallow-drafted ship leaving Karumba to deposit its load:
Because the gulf is so shallow, each time the smaller ship deposits its load, the supertanker has to move further out into the gulf. This process continues until the tanker is full.
Distance today: 108 km. Total distance: 4582 km.
September 7:
Drove back to Normanton and completed our shopping before spending the rest of the day around the pool.
Distance today: 73 km. Total distance: 4655 km.
September 8:
We had planned to camp at Leichhardt Falls, but during the evening at Normanton, the wind picked up and continued to blow today. When we reached Leichhardt Falls, the wind had not abated, and since the area is open, we didn't fancy spending the rest of the day cooped up inside the van.
The falls have now dried up.
Distance today: 108 km. Total distance: 4582 km.
September 7:
Drove back to Normanton and completed our shopping before spending the rest of the day around the pool.
Distance today: 73 km. Total distance: 4655 km.
September 8:
We had planned to camp at Leichhardt Falls, but during the evening at Normanton, the wind picked up and continued to blow today. When we reached Leichhardt Falls, the wind had not abated, and since the area is open, we didn't fancy spending the rest of the day cooped up inside the van.
The falls have now dried up.
We continued to Burketown and camped at the caravan park. The 220 Km from Normanton to Burketown, which was all dirt the last time we travelled over it, now has only 120 Km of dirt.
Distance today: 229 Km. Total distance: 4884 Km.
Distance today: 229 Km. Total distance: 4884 Km.
September 9, 10, 9,10,11:
Today, we headed south to camp on the Gregory River just downstream from the pub. The road from Burketown is likely to be fully tarmacked before the upcoming wet season. The first 15 km is paved, followed by 32 km of dirt, and then a further 33 km of tarmac, with a large stretch probably sealed by the end of the week.
We spent three lovely days camping by the Gregory, with the water flowing past our camp. The days mainly involved climbing in and out of the river whenever we felt the need, which was quite often. There is now a dump point across from the pub. We met a lovely couple from Mount Isa who were camping in their Bushtracker just a short distance upstream from us.
Distance today: 121 km. Total distance: 5005 km.
Today, we headed south to camp on the Gregory River just downstream from the pub. The road from Burketown is likely to be fully tarmacked before the upcoming wet season. The first 15 km is paved, followed by 32 km of dirt, and then a further 33 km of tarmac, with a large stretch probably sealed by the end of the week.
We spent three lovely days camping by the Gregory, with the water flowing past our camp. The days mainly involved climbing in and out of the river whenever we felt the need, which was quite often. There is now a dump point across from the pub. We met a lovely couple from Mount Isa who were camping in their Bushtracker just a short distance upstream from us.
Distance today: 121 km. Total distance: 5005 km.
September 12/13: We left Gregory Downs at 8am on our way to Mount Isa. The first 126 km are dirt, with 57 km of bitumen before turning east on the Barkly Highway for the 119 km journey into the Isa. We did a large shop today that will last us for the next few weeks before we arrive in Longreach.
Did you know... that there is no 'Mount' Isa, which is why the name is 'Mount Isa' and not Mt Isa? Distance today 318 km. Total distance 5323 km.
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