queensland: karumba to undarra via belmore lake

It was a relief to leave the confined site at Karumba though we all began to miss our new friends, Mitch, Veronica and their kids! 

We waved goodbye to Mitch and Veronica and jumped in the car, ready for a few hours on the road before another resident of the caravan park pointed out our flat tyre on the caravan. It must have been a slow leak from that magic dirt road from Leichardt Falls. J was quick to act - replacing it with a spare one from the truck - while the kids practised their diving one last time in the pool. 

We were on the road by eleven and grabbed a good coffee at Normanton Art Gallery. 

Our small stop was just out of Croydon on the dam. This town has been ravaged by fires, drought and floods in the past decade. On the drive to the dam there's a small historical site- the remnants of a Chinese village - from the glory days of gold mining. 

Once again we picked a beautiful free camp. Belmore Lake is a bird watchers paradise with hundreds of water birds inhabiting the lake which appears as an oasis in the dry country. Once again the large open campsite was welcome and the kids collected a range of rusted tools before we ate dinner by the lake watching the birds and the sunset. 

It's particularly beautiful and was a restful night before we head off to Undarra the following morning. 

This section of the Savannah Way is interspersed with kilometres of single lane bitumen road. In reality there's plenty of space to pass oncoming traffic but it can be dicey with showering stones as both parties leave the tar. 

queensland: boodjamulla to karumba on the savannah way

It was hard to leave Adele's Grove. It was a relaxing week that we could have extended. 

We broke our rule again, briefly, and back tracked along the road back to Gregory Downs. If we had the time we would have stayed a night by the river like so many were. It looked beautiful. 

Heading north we hit the tiny town of Burketown where we bought a few supplies from the grocery store that had been recommended - in the post office. Some of these remote towns have deliveries of fresh food once a week. We made the most of a delivery. 

We almost stayed in Burketown but opted for the freecamp at Leichardt Falls instead. This must be an incredible sight in the wet or even after a wet wet. So much of the top end has struggled after a dry wet season. 

We do love just pulling up at a free camp for the night. 

The dirt road from Leichhardt Falls to Normanton was the best dirt we've encountered in our lives. There's always talk about the condition of dirt roads and there's a lot to be said about the impact of lots of traffic, weight and speed. 

One of Normanton's claim to fame is the shooting of the suspected largest croc in Australia by a local croc hunter. Obviously this practise isn't condoned or encouraged anymore thankfully. Normanton also housed a teeny tiny public library where the kids went crazy over the books!

Karumba is a town on the coast on the Gulf of Carpentaria. We wanted to see that sea since we had no intention of doing 'The Cape' on this trip. The population is predominantly made up of grey nomad fisherman holiday maker who fill their freezers over a few months each year. 

queensland: boodjamulla national park

Boodjamulla is the largest national park in Queensland. It's a remote spot not far from the Northern Territory border and can be accessed by a number of rugged and rough roads including the Savannah Way. We decided to take the sealed road heading north from Cloncurry, past Burke and Wills Roadhouse. 

From Corella Dam we travelled as far a freecamp listed in Camps 8, Firey Creek. Unfortunately we were the only ones parked by the side of this remote road but we found a spot right in by the dry creek bed. The kids played elaborate games with sticks and rocks and dirt before we ate dinner and fell in to bed. 

At some point in the evening J and I heard a truck stop not far from us and my mind suddenly went in to overdrive, thinking the worst. We had the genny running but kicked that off and turned the lights off too. It was a good twenty minutes before the truck took off. In retrospect it was silly to worry but it is such a remote part of the world that you just wouldn't want trouble anywhere. 

From Firey Creek it was an easy run to Gregory Downs. There are varying reports about the condition of the road in to Boodjamulla but we found it pretty good considering much of it was corrugated dirt. We couldn't get in to the national park so we booked three nights at Adele's Grove before deciding to stay four. From Adele's Grove it's a short drive to the gorges and walks in the National Park, and Riversleigh Fossil Site. The Grove is also a beautiful place to stay. We had a camp right next to the water hole - with rope swing and pontoon for the kids and big kids. 

We met another really lovely family from the Yarra Valley and we were all sad when they had to leave the following day. But we made the most of our time together. The kids played good fairies and bad fairies with long fighting sticks while we sat back and shared food stories over beer. Once the kids were down we tried a new dessert which they'd seen a French couple make. We wrapped banana with pieces of chocolate and marshmallows in al foil and cooked them on the coals of the fire. Delicious - and totally naughty! See you sometime the Yarra Smiths!

J and B went out to Riversleigh one morning - the largest fossil site of mammals in the world. This crocodile fossil has been dated as being 20 million years old. 

The fossil of a giant bird's leg bone aside fossilised rocks which would have been contained in its gut for digestion. 

The following morning J was up and gone early taking his boat up the gorgeous gorges in the national park. About eight years ago J was deliberating over buying the Valley sea kayak when I finally said that if he didn't go and buy one for himself then I'd go and buy him one. His boat has taken him so many places and given him freedom (& even taken him to work a coupe, of times a week) and I don't think he's ever regretted the purchase. There was no way that the boat was going in storage when we headed off on our trip around Australia. J had to carry his kayak through sections and was lucky to ride the rapids in a part of the gorge at Boodjamulla. (videos are on Instagram and Facebook). 

The following day hit 36°c and it felt hot but not hot, hot. We've acclimatised. We took the kids to the rock art site out at Boodjamulla National Park. There are a number of short walks there but we chose the Wild Dog walk which was best for the kids. It was anticlimactic when we arrived at the Cascades to find them full of algae. We promptly returned, hot and tired to the water hole by the canoes. That water was welcome relief!

queensland: mount Isa, corella dam

Wow. Mount Isa. A town built on mining and which literally is built on the mine. A view from the town's lookout gives you a perspective of the size of the mine with the town sprawled out underneath it. We had a full day of jobs to get done in Mount Isa. The kids patiently tagged along before we took them to the huge playground. Despite sections being closed this park was the best we've seen on the trip with activities for kids of all ages. 

We were quite sure we didn't want to stay overnight in Mount Isa so at 4pm we headed the 60km East to the Corella Dam freecamp. There's so much room by the dam here (which used to provide water for the nearby now extinct uranium mine). It was a stunning place!

But we had to childproof our fire in the morning. 

It was lucky we'd bought that playpen in Darwin. 

northern territory: kunjarra to avon downs to camooweal to mount isa

Kunjarra (Devil's Pebbles) was a beautiful place to stay the night. The family did the loop walk again in the morning (in the opposite direction) through the grass and boulders. 

 

Devil's Pebbles to Avon Downs 

From the Pebbles we used the dump point, water and fuel stop at Tennant Creek to restock the essentials before heading east at Three Ways to the Avon Downs Police Station free camp. 

As we drove across the Northern Territory border in to Queensland J remarked that this is the last state to visit. Whilst we will be returning to our home state of New South Wales in a few months, Queensland is the final state to visit on our trip around Australia. It is a milestone and a pretty big one. We're not ready to head home back to work. The kids could do with their regular school friends though as we've only seen a few travelling families briefly in the past few weeks. We are looking forward to getting settled again. There's something about a routine which is a comfort but there is one thing for sure - we are going to miss life on the road. 

I know J thought I'd never say that. There have been times when I've needed my own space and quiet but we've seen incredible things, forged stronger bonds as a family and made some wonderful friends.  

We met some fun people at Avon Downs. The couple are from Sydney and have grown up children and have purchased their first off-roader. We enjoyed a drink under the stars while discussing the complex and saddening issues that face Indigenous Australians. 

Avon Downs to Camooweal 

From Avon Downs we had a short drive to Georgina River just outside of the little town of Camooweal. What a delight this was. The billabong is drying now so the mass of pelicans fish in formation around the clock. It's a sight! 

There was playing in the mud... 

... whittling.... 

... the boys hanging... 

and Mr Whippy! I know, random! 

Brolgas were elegantly fishing along the bank too. J heard them courting overnight. Black and whistling kites flew overhead. The birdlife was remarkable. 

Brolgas at dawn. 

Camooweal to World War II Free Camp

I'll remember this day forever - not because of the late start - schoolwork, topping up water, baby's sleep. I won't remember it, necessarily, for the free camp we've pulled into and where the kids played cricket while I cooked bread, a cake and dinner. I'll remember this day for the moments on the Barkly Highway that came and went in a flash. Those were the moments that a road train was careering towards us on our side of the road as he overtook a campervan. 

I was prattling on about some review if read about a cafe in Mount Isa that we might visit while in town when I noticed (moments later than J) that the truck was in our lane. J calmly braked a bit while I held on to the glove box rail in front of me. I must say that a very rude word was repeated over and over from my mouth as I watched the truck closing in. I was eyeing up the road's shoulder and guide posts, thinking we'd be heading that way shortly. Fortunately it wasn't a drop off the side like much of the road is. 

I kept swearing (quietly) and J kept calmly assessing the situation until the road train finally pulled in to his lane and left our hearts back where they belonged. The truckie kindly acknowledged what had occurred with an apologetic wave and I waved frantically and thankfully at the campervan behind him. 

For a long, long time I couldn't talk. My heart was thumping through my chest and I had to lean my head on the dash. 

My thoughts were with our three little kids in the back of the car who were unwittingly listening to their audiobooks (and babbling - the baby). 

In an instant, life can be changed forever. We've seen some stupid stuff on the roads. Within half an hour later a car overtook us on a blind corner and seconds later a road train appeared. Every day on the road is risky business. There are many close calls and I don't plan to have another one. 

I was so proud of J. His calm manner served us well today and he assessed the situation as it came. Leaving the road while towing a three and a half tonne caravan would not have been ideal and we arrived safely at our destination, the WWII free camp just west of Mount Isa. 

northern territory: kayaking katherine gorge

I've never been that enthused about flat water kayaking. I love the dynamic nature of the ocean - the swell, waves and surge around the rocks. That intoxicating smell of salt spray. However, one hears so much praise about Katherine Gorge and years ago when I was there with my younger brother we weren't able to get up the river so I decided to ask my wife for some time off to paddle up the gorge this time!

I left early in the morning before the kids got up for breakfast. I thought I'd be up at sunrise every morning of this year long trip but soon realised that despite my expectations of a year long 'holiday' the full-time work of 'growing up' a young family rapidly brought me back to reality. My wife and I stay up late, grasping onto the limited time alone together, only to be left tired the next morning. Just like home!

Once I slid into the mirror smooth green/brown water of Nitmiluk and began stroking upstream I began drifting into the world of quiet, solitude, reflection and solace. It was easy to get into a rhythm and as usual found my mind skipping from topic to topic, family-work-that was a freshwater croc-holidays-family-white breasted sea eagle-work-holidays-getting hot now-family...

The gorge is large and there are some beautiful sandy spits and banks with signs warning to keep clear of these fragile freshwater crocodile nesting sites. The first gorge seems to be the widest and as one gets further upstream the narrower it becomes. The towering orange brick-like cliffs looming in over me reminded me of the narrow canals in Amsterdam lined by leaning Dutch terrace houses!

Where I could I kept to the shady side seeking relief from the tropical sun. The first gorge ends at a rocky barrier that would produce some fun rapids when the water level was higher. There was very little flow when we were there so I dragged my kayak (the beauty of plastic!) up the middle and took advantage of a couple of pools that I could paddle across.

I paddled up to the third gorge which is as far as one is allowed to go on a day permit. It wasn't until I was there that I thought that I'd missed a good opportunity to do another solo overnighter (Steep Point being the last) by camping further up the gorge for a night.

Instead I sat on some rocks under a battered, almost horizontal paperbark tree between the second and third gorges and listened to the gurgling of Nitmiluk as it passed by me on its long course to the ocean. It was a wonderful moment and thoughts came to me of my late father who would have so enjoyed following our journey. I deliberately hadn't brought a camera with me this time and took in the scene before me intending to sketch it from memory when the kids were next drawing.

The thought of freshly ground coffee urged me back to our roaming home and we were also heading into Katherine town to catch up with some friends, another travelling family, who were overtaking us on their way east too. 

As I paddled back downstream it was the vibrant and varied colours of the gorge walls that stuck in my mind. Colour has been a recurring feature in my memories of this trip. The colours of northern Australia in particular really gets to me. Some of the most pleasurable moments have been driving the vast distances in this wondrous country of ours. Through the deep reds and oranges of the many Pilbara & Kimberley ranges spotted with light green and brown spinifex hummocks, through open savannah and Gulf country with miles of dry native grasses, oranges, purples, browns, yellows, the thin white trunks of the eucalypts with their dark green foliage stamped against the deep blue sky. We've had hours and hours of this and I love it.

northern territory: katherine gorge

We were at Katherine Gorge for two nights but arriving late in the afternoon we only had the time to cool off in the pool before dinner and bed. 

The lovely Matt and Georgia adopted B & P as regulars to their camper. The couple are just finishing their university degrees and are travelling the country for eight months. What a brilliant thing to be doing at their age. They made our stay a lot simpler by reading and playing with the kids while we packed and cleaned up. Thanks guys! I hope one day, when you travel again with your family some young'ns will help you out! 

J was up early and in his kayak on the water (after buying his permit). He paddled up through to Gorge Number Three and while he did forget his camera he did make this sketch on his return. These special moments in the quiet in the kayak are relished! (see the following post - J's blog post about his kayak up the gorge.)

The kids and I were slow going in the morning. Little A had his brekky and then explored every inch of dirt in the campground until he was coated in it. He had a ball! We had a swim in the pool then headed back in to Katherine to meet friends at Katherine Springs. We'd met this family at Sandy Cape, WA and travelled with them to Geraldton and Kalbarri and it was nice to see familiar faces although they're looking somewhat tanned after five weeks in Bali! 

northern territory: nitmiluk national park, leliyn

Also known as Edith Falls, Leliyn is a beautiful spot. There are a few bush walks from the campground ($25/n for the family) and we chose to take the kids on the 1.6km loop to the Upper Pool and back down the other side. We also left our camera behind so there are no photos of the gorgeous rock pools. 

On our second day B got through some school work before heading to the huge lower pool. It wasn't as warm as the springs though! 

B has taken to whittling again and made this neat spear. The hammock was a good spot to read the afternoon away with a new book. 

Initially we thought we'd stay a night but ended up staying three at Leliyn. The grounds are pleasant with actual real green grass! Fellow travellers will understand our excitement as we had somewhere the kids could run and Little A could practice his walking. We were pleased to not be packing, unpacking and racing off. 

Little A is cutting a good set of (five or more) teeth at the moment and whilst we've noticed he's a slightly more demanding version of his usual happy-go-lucky self, he's coping pretty well with the pain. After thirteen months he's finally going to have some teeth to gnaw with!

northern territory: tjuwaliyn hot springs

We'd planned to farewell my parents from Kakadu but it made sense to change (ever changing) plans when they mentioned a possible return to Tjuwaliyn (also known as Douglas Daly). There are exceptions to the rule of never going backwards and this was one of them. The campground is by the banks of The springs and its a short walk down to the water which is a woman's sacred site. Visitors are asked to bathe only in the sections of the springs close to the campground which were mind blowing. Although the water temperate varied in pools some of the water was too hot to touch let alone swim in. 

A bunch of kids lined up to do bombies. The pool came with its own springboard.  

Little A had a ball sometimes crawling, sometimes swimming, sometimes walking through the water. The temperature was bearable for the little lad. 

And the rest of us! 

It was a sad farewell with my parents who we had such a memorable holiday with. We're all going to miss other!

Ochre paints at the springs. Thanks Mum for this photo. 

western australia : lake argyle

Lake Argyle is one of those places that is raved about by visitors but not a place I need to return to. It wasn't unpleasant but there are just so many other beautiful spots in the world. Perhaps we just don't see the charm in large dams. 

J, however, did enjoy his kayak on the Ord River along with freshies, whistling kites and a white-breasted sea eagle whom was very interested in the lone kayaker. 

The steps down to the lake from the resort are poorly maintained and very wobbly. The rest of the family jumped in from the aging pontoon though and assured me it was considerably warmer than the infinity pool of which the resort is famous for. 

western australia: cape leveque

When people think of Cape Leveque they will probably think of the eco resort, Kooljman. A number of communities call Cape Leveque home. Tourists are advised to 'check in' with the community office before visiting the communities. There's plenty to see up there including the Cygnet Bay Pearls, Beagle Bay Church (decorated with pearl shells), One Arm Point and Whale Song Cafe. 

Kooljman looks like a neat place to stay. If we hadn't taken the van up there we'd have booked a shelter on the beach and erected the tents. What a magic place to wake up! Kooljman has a restaurant so we treated ourselves to a delicious lunch.  

The beach at Cape Leveque was one of the most beautiful I've seen. Though the photos don't do it justice the red cliffs edged on to the white sands and out in to the turquoise ocean. The water was warm and we had a great time mucking around in the current with the kids. Baby A and I returned back to our towels and clothes just as they were floating away on a rising tide so it was a scramble to collect our bits and pieces but it didn't take long for everything to dry!

We'd hope to visit Lombadina and Beagle Bay after Kooljman but we'd cut it fine and pulled in to Middle Lagoon in time for dinner. In retrospect, if it fit the budget, the best way to see the Cape would be by air and then car. You can fly in to Kooljman. The seal we'd road will open it up to tourists though and make the trip more bearable. For better and for worse. 

western australia: karijini, kermits gorge

The Kermit's Gorge walk was an unforgettable trek along narrow, slippery ledges and through cold pools, and waterfalls with towering cliff faces of that orange red rock. 

We, six parents, attempted and finished the gorge walk with seven kids under seven years. I hope the kids look back on the walk with a sense of pride of their achievement. It wasn't always easy. We had to work closely to ensure the kids took each step carefully, aware of their plan ahead on the narrow paths. In the narrowest sections we could reach both sides of the gorge. 

Some of us braved a swim at the end of the gorge walk but it was chilly! 

Thanks to our friend, and photographer, Jo for these shots which capture the light, the challenges and the achievement of making it through the gorge and back with our mob of kids!

Photos courtesy of Vivid Imaging. 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vivid-Imaging/151857428215142

western australia: exmouth to bullara

Getting away in the mornings requires everyone to 'pitch in.' In other words the kids have to limit their craft, J & I work flat-out packing away each thing in the van (other caravanners and those with camping trailers know how it is!) and Baby A has to amuse himself which usually mean she crawls around the caravan inspecting everything. 

It seems Baby A enjoyed the week at Osprey Bay, Cape Range National Park too. 

We left Osprey Bay, dropped in at Exmouth to refuel, do laundry, fill the fridge & the water tanks. We pulled in for a night at Bullara Station which has a good set-up. There are showers, toilets and washing machines. I should have waited to do the washing there. 

Happy Hour, around the fire pit, is at 5 o'clock and camp host, John, cooks a damper to share. Coincidentally John is far from his home near Goolwa, South Australia, a stones throw from the Seaview Grove Olive Oil olive grove where we stayed with Andrew and Emily on our way through! 

If you're lucky you might stay on a night when John cooks a sourdough damper from his two year old starter!

John was kind enough to use the coals to hear the bbq plate so we could cook the hamburgers I bought from the Exmouth Butchery. We stocked up with meat from these guys and it's been very good. I served these on fresh rolls with fresh beetroot, carrot, lettuce, homemade relish and my sauerkraut!