Gregory River

The headwaters of the Gregory River are located on the Barkly Tableland in the Northern Territory. 

The river is spring fed and flows all year round when many other rivers in the Gulf Region of NW Queensland have dried up until the next rains fall once the monsoon season begins. 

Part of Lawn Hill creek flows into the Gregory which in turn flows into the Nicholson River near Burketown finally emptying into the Gulf of Carpentaria. 

Over the past twenty years we have often camped on the riverbed of the Gregory whenever in this part of the world. This is our fourth time.

After leaving our campsite on the Georgina River we stopped briefly in Camooweal and filled our drinking water tank and then emptied our toilet cassette.

On the eastern end of town is a dirt road that runs NE for 220 km towards Gregory Downs. Our campsite for the next four evenings is on the river stones just feet away from the river. 
For those that aren't aware we are 300 km NW of Mt Isa and 120 km south of Burketown in the Queensland Gulf Country. 
So far the van has travelled mainly over bitumen roads but it was now time it got down and dirty because that's why we have purchased a Bushtracker so that we can travel to out of the way places and do it in luxury.

Prior to leaving our campsite and while the tyres were still cool I reduced the tyre pressures on the 4wd and van for what lay ahead. The 4wd pressures were reduced to 30 and the van tyres reduced to 28 psi.

We were surprised how good the road surface was for the first 92 km until we met up with Yelvertoft Road that heads north from the Barkly Highway.

From here on past Thorntonia Station the road passes through hilly country with a road surface that includes corrugations, stony sections and veins of rock running across the road which forced us to walking pace on many occasions. 

It took us just over five hours to complete the 220 km and that did not include stopping for a coffee break however we did stop several times to check tyres and ensure the vans hubs were not overheating.

We have never seen the place so busy. We normally camp south of the bridge but were forced to camp on the northside this year. There are no facilities here on the river but just over 500 metres away near the Gregory Downs pub there are public toilets, rubbish pits and also a dump point.

Our days were spent swimming, photographing the birdlife, relaxing and eating. 

We headed back down the same road to Camooweal and with the threat of rain have swapped the black soil on the river for a spot in the caravan park.