We are sitting in Cairns tonight after completing the Savannah Way from Broome to Cairns. Thoroughly enjoyed it! We free camped along the way managing to avoid the caravan park until we got to Atherton in the tablelands surrounding Cairns.
Cairns is quite nice, Tracey and I aren't too impressed with the amount of people and "stuff" around here. I think we have become quite accustomed to being in small towns. We will get the car serviced at Toyota in the morning the head off the day after, make our way down the coast towards Brisvegas.
We had a look around Atherton and went to a great coffee spot called "Coffee Works". We paid to get in and had unlimited coffee, liqueur and chocolate tastings. We had an excellent arvo with a b great lunch.
Must go clean the car of the Gulf Country dust and prepare to hit the road again.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Savannah Way
We continue our journey east along the Savannah Way towards Cairns. When we get to Cairns that will be the complete Savannah experience from Broome to Cairns. Another track to tick off the list! If you follow this link you will see we have pretty much done the lot.
http://www.savannahway.com.au/resources/swmap.pdf
We left King Ash Bay for Normanton, mostly dirt. The car and the van were champions as there was no trouble with either of them. We free camped along the way with a stop at Hells Gate Road House.
From Hells Gate we continued on to Burketown via Doomadgee (where the fuel bowsers were fully encased in a steel cage!) and had a look. Burketown was very important in the early settlement of Australia as it provided the country's only port in the Gulf, a lovely little town.
From Burketown we headed for a free camp on the Leichhardt river. It was a great camp at the falls. Our lounge room this time was of the falls and a heap of whistling kites to keep us company.
From our free camp we headed to Normanton and on the way visited Burke and Wills camp 119. This is where Burke and Wills turned around and headed south again to Cooper Creek, never to make it of course. They surveyed and reached the Gulf waters from here. We went and had a look at Kurumba as this is the only sealed road to access the gulf. We went and had a look at the sea and decided to head for a free camp in between Kurumba and Normanton. Kurumba was like a resort town, full of fishing boats and caravans for the winter.
The view of the Gulf Of Carpentaria from Kurumba.
I am writing this in Normanton waiting for the fuel truck to get here as there is no diesel in town. It's due at lunch or mid afternoon. The cars fuel light is on so we don't have too many options.
http://www.savannahway.com.au/resources/swmap.pdf
We left King Ash Bay for Normanton, mostly dirt. The car and the van were champions as there was no trouble with either of them. We free camped along the way with a stop at Hells Gate Road House.
From Hells Gate we continued on to Burketown via Doomadgee (where the fuel bowsers were fully encased in a steel cage!) and had a look. Burketown was very important in the early settlement of Australia as it provided the country's only port in the Gulf, a lovely little town.
From Burketown we headed for a free camp on the Leichhardt river. It was a great camp at the falls. Our lounge room this time was of the falls and a heap of whistling kites to keep us company.
From our free camp we headed to Normanton and on the way visited Burke and Wills camp 119. This is where Burke and Wills turned around and headed south again to Cooper Creek, never to make it of course. They surveyed and reached the Gulf waters from here. We went and had a look at Kurumba as this is the only sealed road to access the gulf. We went and had a look at the sea and decided to head for a free camp in between Kurumba and Normanton. Kurumba was like a resort town, full of fishing boats and caravans for the winter.
The view of the Gulf Of Carpentaria from Kurumba.
I am writing this in Normanton waiting for the fuel truck to get here as there is no diesel in town. It's due at lunch or mid afternoon. The cars fuel light is on so we don't have too many options.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
King Ash Bay
After a night or two in Borroloola we headed for King Ash Bay, right near the Gulf. The drive was a short 50 K or so and had us camped on the McArthur River that leads straight into the Gulf. We found ourselves in one of the best camp spots so far, our loungeroom this time was an excellent view over the river and spectacular sunsets.
We were lucky enough to meet up with a couple beside us with a boat and spent a day fishing. Didn't do too good, only caught a couple of catfish. The weather had cooled considerably and all the fish had gone to ground. So much for these "No Brainer" fishing spots!!
We had a great few days there and will head off East along the Savannah Way to Normanton, going through Burketown. This will include a visit to the iconic Hells Gate Roadhouse on the way. Can't wait to head bush again!!
We were lucky enough to meet up with a couple beside us with a boat and spent a day fishing. Didn't do too good, only caught a couple of catfish. The weather had cooled considerably and all the fish had gone to ground. So much for these "No Brainer" fishing spots!!
We had a great few days there and will head off East along the Savannah Way to Normanton, going through Burketown. This will include a visit to the iconic Hells Gate Roadhouse on the way. Can't wait to head bush again!!
Making our way into Gulf Country
After leaving the Bungle Bungles we made our way to Lake Argyle. The caravan park there is like a resort, it even had an horizon pool looking out over the lake. We spent a night there and moved on the next day.
After seeing the lake we traveled west to meet up with a couple of friends of ours from Brisbane. We met up with Darren and Nat at Big Horse Camp ground. We spend a lovely couple of days with them, caught up a went our separate ways. We, East and them West to do the Gibb River Road.
BAck into the N.T and into Katherine to stock up on food and beer. Just down the road we turned left toward the Gulf and towards Borroloola. This is uncharted territory for us as we have not been this way before. Borroloola is the gateway to the Gulf and we plan to go from there to visit King Ash Bay, then Burktown and onto Normanton. Gradually making our way to Cairns.
After seeing the lake we traveled west to meet up with a couple of friends of ours from Brisbane. We met up with Darren and Nat at Big Horse Camp ground. We spend a lovely couple of days with them, caught up a went our separate ways. We, East and them West to do the Gibb River Road.
BAck into the N.T and into Katherine to stock up on food and beer. Just down the road we turned left toward the Gulf and towards Borroloola. This is uncharted territory for us as we have not been this way before. Borroloola is the gateway to the Gulf and we plan to go from there to visit King Ash Bay, then Burktown and onto Normanton. Gradually making our way to Cairns.
Monday, May 28, 2012
The Bungle Bungle Ranges.
A short drive from Wolf Creek Crater is Purnululu National Park, better known as the Bungle Bungles. We left the van at a free camp across the road from the entrance of the national park and drove in to do an overnight camp. The drive in to the park was excellent and took a couple of hours to do the 54 Km due to the roughness of the track. The car still has the factory tyres on it so I took it easy. So with the swag and a bit of tucker packed we headed in.
We arrived and did the walk into Echidna Chasm, it was good to be in the bush again enjoying a walk and the chasm was beautiful.
This completed the northern part of the park and in the morning the southern part before we headed off, so after a few hours of walking a few trails we headed for the camp ground to settle for the night.
The photo above is in the chasm.
The next day we traveled down the short road trip to the south of the park and to Cathedral Gorge, this is another excellent walk and where the quintessential Bungle Bungle rock formations can be seen.
The end of the walk you are rewarded with a massive open area at the end of the gorge cut into the rock, like a cathedral funnily enough. :-)
All in all an excellent walk and we would recommend it. Lake Argyle next.
We arrived and did the walk into Echidna Chasm, it was good to be in the bush again enjoying a walk and the chasm was beautiful.
This completed the northern part of the park and in the morning the southern part before we headed off, so after a few hours of walking a few trails we headed for the camp ground to settle for the night.
The photo above is in the chasm.
The next day we traveled down the short road trip to the south of the park and to Cathedral Gorge, this is another excellent walk and where the quintessential Bungle Bungle rock formations can be seen.
The end of the walk you are rewarded with a massive open area at the end of the gorge cut into the rock, like a cathedral funnily enough. :-)
All in all an excellent walk and we would recommend it. Lake Argyle next.
Wolf Creek Meteorite Crater
Our first port of call after leaving Fitzroy was Wolf Creek Meteorite Crater. The Crater is found 170 Km South down the Tanami Road just before Halls Creek. An excellent drive with the van and a camp area that was beautiful.
A short walk from where we were camped is the crater and an easy climb got you to the top of it. Nice view of the second largest meteorite crater in the world, the largest on is in the US. The crater is 20m deep but back in the day it was formed used to be 120m deep. Over time the desert winds have blown in sand as is slowly filling it. The crater is thought to be about 300,000 years old.
The above photo is of the bottom of the crater.
Next stop, The Bungle Bungles.
A short walk from where we were camped is the crater and an easy climb got you to the top of it. Nice view of the second largest meteorite crater in the world, the largest on is in the US. The crater is 20m deep but back in the day it was formed used to be 120m deep. Over time the desert winds have blown in sand as is slowly filling it. The crater is thought to be about 300,000 years old.
The above photo is of the bottom of the crater.
Next stop, The Bungle Bungles.
Back On The Road.
After wrapping up business at Broome and saying goodbye to the friends we made, we hedded to Fitzroy Crossing to stay with a friend of Tracey's. Steve is an employee of the same organisation Tracey worked for in Broome and is the Fitzroy Crossing court officer.
We had a good few days fishing and catching cherabin. Steve's family owns a cattle station in the area and they had just shot a beast, known as a "killer", so the engel fridge was chock a block full of beef. We left the Crossing for Kununurra and free camped all the way.
We had a good few days fishing and catching cherabin. Steve's family owns a cattle station in the area and they had just shot a beast, known as a "killer", so the engel fridge was chock a block full of beef. We left the Crossing for Kununurra and free camped all the way.
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