Innot Hot Springs

Wed 30^th  - 31^st July 

A few years ago we called into Innot Hot Springs and were quite unimpressed by the whole set up. We walked through to look at the hot artesian pool and there were lots of tiny little concrete edged pools painted blue and white. We decided not to stay, but bought fish and chips and continued on our way. The fish and chips was so awful we threw it in a bin.  So this time, with some trepidation, we decided to go in again. Obviously there has been a lot of money spent on upgrading and combining some of the smaller pools. Now there are 6 outdoor pools and three indoor pools and they are all different temperatures. The hottest one is very hot. Most of the pools have spa jets in them. We spent two afternoons enjoying them and came out very wrinkly, but rejuvenated. In the mornings there was steam rising from the creek that ran at the bottom of the camping area, and from which the hot springs originated. A lot of people go down onto the sandy edge and dig themselves in so that the warm water covers them. It’s a bit hot for me at +60⁰ - reminds me of the hot water beach in New Zealand where we had to keep throwing buckets of cold sea water over us to save us from being scalded.

 

 

 

Because we needed to get some phone service we went for a drive into Ravenshoe.  As we were smartly told “Ravens hoe, not Raven shoe,” is the highest town in Queensland and it has 3 metres of rainfall a year. In the information centre is an excellent Aboriginal Interpretive display and a really good nocturnal animal display. There are also lots of interesting artifacts and information. The town is small, but seems to have everything. There is a reasonable sized street of shops and we bought excellent pies for lunch from the bakery – these were recommended by the info centre. We then drove out to Tully Gorge through rainforest. It was so different to the desert and coastal country we have encountered for the bulk of our journey. It was cool and wet and the creeks had water in them.

Normanton

Mon 28^th – Tues 29^th July

This morning we sat and watched the sun rise over the water at Flinders River. The water was as still as a millpond, reflecting the trees and bushes along the bank. There was nobody else around – just us, the birds and the fish. We watched the brown kites circling with their eyes glued to the ground and occasionally catching something to eat. Pelicans, ibis and herons were nearby. There were also tiny birds hopping around the rocks at the edge of the water. The colors constantly changed as the sun made its way over the horizon and the only sounds were the sounds of the birds.  Reluctantly we broke camp so that we could get into town and get a new tyre. Luckily the rim was still ok.

In Normanton and with our full complement of spare wheels, we booked into a caravan park for a couple of days. It was very hot, so we went for a swim in the pool. There is a hot artesian pool there which Mick went in, but it was a bit warm so we went into the big cool pool. The only way in was a very steep ladder which I fell off into the water and spent the remaining time wondering how I would get out again. Even the shallow end was a metre and a half deep and the bottom rung of the ladder was a metre and a quarter from the bottom. Even if I could get my foot that high I couldn’t do much more because the bars to hold on to were too big for my hands to grip on to. We ended up with Mick shouldering me up onto the ladder and then pushing me up with his head under my bum. It was almost impossible to put my foot on the next rung because the ladder bent in at the bottom. I’m sure Tarzan would have done it easily. That was my last swim at Normanton - ever! Mick’s neck is recovering. There were a couple of others in the pool at the time. I can’t believe they were able to restrain themselves from laughing out loud – or maybe they were thinking about how they were going to get out.

Flinders River

Sun 27^th July 

I wanted to go to Burketown, Mick wanted to go to Normanton. One map said it was mainly dirt to Burketown, the other said it was mainly bitumen. We stopped at the Burke & Wills Roadhouse, where the turn-off was, and asked. The owner and another woman, who said she was a cook at one of the properties out there, both said the road was sealed all the way, so off we went. It was quite a good road and bitumen. We stopped at Gregory Crossing and had lunch. At the free camp area was a high pressure hose, and people who had just come in from Lawn Hill were washing their cars and vans. Our next stop was Burketown which is quite small, but calls itself the Barra Capital.

 

 There was a roadside stall selling “wild caught fresh fish”, so we stopped and got some barra and salmon. Also there was another young couple. When she walked by, I couldn’t tell if she had any undies on or not. All she had on was a very brief (and loose) bikini top (two triangles really) and a see through lace skirt that just touched her hips. Eventually I saw the string up her crack. After I had done all this investigation, I looked across at the fish bloke ad Mick. They were goggle-eyed. Then the fish bloke realised that I had spotted them perving. We all had a good laugh.

 

 We continued out of town to Leichardt Falls. It was really beautiful, although it was just a series of gorgeous pools covering a large area, and no water travelling between them. We could see where it goes though and could walk up to the edge. After some discussion we decided to continue on and camp out a bit closer to Normanton. That’s where the road turned to dirt. Luckily the grader must have been through recently, so the tops had been knocked off the corrugations and it wasn’t too bad. Karen Navman had no idea where we were and kept trying to send us south in the wrong direction and to do u-turns. The map wasn’t very clear either and there were no signposts, so we trusted my sense of direction and the fact that the road was wide and fairly smooth.

 

It was getting on in the afternoon and we were trying to find the next camping spot when we had a blowout on the van – in fact the tyre shredded. Just what we needed! Eventually we got it changed, and covered in dirt and very hot, sweaty and dry we continued on. By this time there were lots of kangaroos on the road, there had been wandering cattle all day, and even a huge brown snake. We saw lots of brolgas and flocks of green budgerigars. Just as the sun was starting to sink, we got to the Flinders River and found a camp spot on the side near the causeway. There was a warning about estuarine crocodiles, so there will be no sleep walking tonight. As the sun went down, there were birds everywhere a big pelican swam over to check us out and we saw big fish jumping out of the water. What an idyllic spot.

Borroloola to Cloncurry

.Fri 25^th July Soudan Bore

We left Borroloola in a damp mist. It wasn’t raining but there were droplets of condensation on the car and van. By 9am the fog had lifted and we had a clear blue sky. On the road to Cape Crawford we saw a dingo, donkeys, horses, eagles and lots of dead cattle that were road kill. I wouldn’t like to hit one of them, they are really huge. At Cape Crawford we turned down the Tablelands highway towards Barkley Homestead which was 375km away. The road narrowed to single lane, although it had clear stony sides. Whenever anything came towards you both vehicles almost stopped and took to the side of the road – with the exception of road trains that barely slowed and stayed in the middle. It was a long trip on a road that was quite lumpy, I sort of felt like we were riding waves. Our lunch stop was at a free camp where there was a tap and there were some zebra finches enjoying the water. We bypassed the Barkly Homestead Roadhouse because we had heard that its fuel was about $2.50per litre and we had enough to get to Camooweal. We finished the day at Soudan Bore Camp and found that someone had left wood by the fireplace so we lit a fire. A chap called Warren, a grain farmer from near Geraldton joined us and we yarned around the fire until the wood was burnt.

Sat 26^th July Cloncurry

We had an easy run into Camooweal and decided against buying their fuel at 199.9.  We topped up a little from the jerry can and full of confidence, Mick headed off. He didn’t tell me when the red light came on, but we were a long way from Mt Isa. When we got there we filled up at the first pump we saw, and as it happened it was the cheapest in town at 184.9. The car was very close to empty and would only have given us a few more km. We intended to get some supplies but as soon as we encountered traffic lights and traffic we decided to keep going for “The Curry”. We booked into a park, did our shopping and talked to our neighbours. In the park were lots of accommodations for miners and they started leaving for work at 4am. That’s when the dog next door started barking and its owner was trying to keep it quiet. I heard nothing, Mick heard it all.

Borroloola

Wed 23^rd – Thurs 24^th July 

With a bit of maneuvering, backing and sneaking around trees, we managed to get out of the park at a reasonable time. Our first stop was Stuart’s tree where he is reputed to have cared his initials. It was Daly Waters where they were able to get water and survive. Unfortunately all that is left is a trunk and I couldn’t see any initials on it.

The road to Cape Crawford where we didn’t buy the fuel for $2.20 per litre, was bitumen, but was mostly very narrow – one car wide.  The edge was wide enough to run off onto the side when another vehicle came along. Actually there was very little traffic. Just north of Cape Crawford was evidence of mining in the area, characterized by an excellent and wide roadway to take the oversized road trains that the sign warned us about. Unfortunately there were none about today. Borroloola is a medium sized town with a very high indigenous population. There are four fuel outlets and several shops and government buildings stretched over a long street with lots of spaces between. Fuel cost $1.84. We booked into a caravan park on the edge of town. Nearby were a couple of tracks through softish sand to the McArthur River. What a surprise. The river is huge and it is the most beautiful emerald green colour. Most people who are staying here are fishermen. The owners of the park actually live in Bateman’s Bay and the lady said that they can drive up to Borroloola in two days – that’s serious driving. They come at least a couple of times a year.

 
 

We drove out to King Ash Bay which is on the McArthur River off the road to Bing Bong. We expected to see a basic camping ground but were surprised at the size of the area. The camps were stretched along the banks of the river for several km and there were very few vacant sites. Most were unpowered, but there were a lot of powered sites too. There was also a pub, fuel outlet, restaurant and a store. When we left there we returned along the unmade road of about 20km to the Bing Bong road. While we were driving through the camping area, the half graded road had been completed on one side and most of the corrugations were nearly gone. At Bing Bong the beach could only be seen from a lookout tower at the entrance of the shipping terminal where the ore was being piled up. Along the side of the compound we found a dirt track and followed it for a couple of km over soft sand and corrugations until we came to a boat ramp. This led down to the McArthur River just before it got to the coast. It was very wide and there were a couple of fishermen fishing from it and a couple of boats being loaded onto trailers. It seems that there aren’t many fish being caught because the water is too cool.

Daly Waters Pub

Tues 22^nd July 

We didn’t even pause in Larrimar, but I can imagine why people do go into the bakery. There is a big sign on the road advertising all the treats you can get inside. After a long drive it would be very inviting. We drove off the highway to the Daly Waters Pub. Near the door is the most remote traffic light in Australia. On the opposite side of the road is a book exchange and souvenir shop with lots of misspelled signs. When we booked into the park we were parked right behind another van, facing the same way. There was no way we could unhook, and wouldn’t be able to leave until the people in front go. There was a line of vans parked behind us. The people in front laughingly (we hope) told us they might stay for a few days, maybe a week. The pub is just the same, chock-a-block with stuff that people have pinned to the walls. There is not a single space where the walls or door frames can be seen and all of the support posts are covered with hats, lanterns, rabbit traps, money, thongs, bras, T shirts, name badges, business cards and lots more. There was a fire in the fireplace, still burning from last night. We had delicious barra and salad burgers for lunch. They were huge.

Happy hour began at 5:30pm, so we made our way over and settled in before the show started. There were two musicians, a country singer who did a lot of John Williamson songs, told some yarns and recited some poetry; followed by a rocker who did a lot of Buddy Holly type material. There was quite a big crowd and everyone had a great time. The evening finished with a farewell to one of the girls on staff. She was Italian and a rousing rendition of “Shuddupa Your Face” was done in her honour. Her next destination is Finland – don’t some people make the most of their youth.

Notice the complicated engineering to attach the string of flags - a log tied to the roof of the stage. The overhang, to which the flag line is attached is held up by another log tied to the trunk of the tree and the other end to a branch. Whoever would have thunk that.

Mataranka

Sat 19^th July King River Bridge Camp

It was a relatively quiet day, travelling back to Katherine, restocking the fruit and veg and then driving south for approximately 50 km to a bush camp. There was a bit of dry wood around so Mick gathered it up and we had a camp fire. With a campfire you are always sure of company. When we first arrived there was a big stray dog hanging around. Somebody had obviously fed it because there was some food and water near the tank. Some of the bush camps are well set up, as was this one, with a composting toilet and a basin with a trickle of water in the cubicle, and a tank with a slow running tap outside. Initially we had our part of the camp to ourselves although there were people in other sections on either side. Later we had company and by means unknown to us, a lady arranged for an Aboriginal man to collect the dog and take it away. Other campers said that it had been dumped and at night was roaming with another dog and a dingo.

Sun 20^th – Mon 21^st  July Mataranka

Today we were thinking of Emily for her birthday. We posted a card back in Adelaide River, but there’s no likelihood of it getting there on time, if at all. We went down to Mataranka and scouted around to decide which park to stay in. We ended up at Territory Manor, which is just off the highway on the road to Bitter Springs, another thermal area ($30 per night). The park is arranged with vans backed into circular sections with ablution blocks in the centre. You end up sharing a shower and toilet with one other van. We have flowering hibiscus down the sides of our site and there are peacocks and peahens wandering around. Naturally Mick managed to attract them all to our site with bread.

Even though it was very hot we decided to go to the thermal pool for a swim. It was even better than last time we were there. It wasn’t too hot and we spent about an hour in the water. By then Mick was exhausted because the water was very deep and he sinks like a stone. He had to hang on to the ledge at the side to keep from being washed away until he managed to heave himself up on the bench around the edge. I, on the other hand, just bobbed around like a cork. We also went the next day and there were fewer people there, so we had a very relaxing time. Mick was able to nab the lower bench for himself. A lady in the pool was telling us about the “famous” bakery in Larrimar. Apparently it has won awards for the quality of its food. She and her husband had a Devonshire tea there which consisted of a cup of instant coffee with powdered milk and one scone with a little jam and cream – for $14. The woman who runs it is very curt and covers herself by not displaying any prices. Someone else had a snack there and it cost $56. They said when they walked in she snapped, “Are you going to order or what!”

 At the entrance of the carpark at the hot springs is a replica of Elsey Station Homestead that was built for the filming of “We Of The Never Never”, based on the book by Jeannie Gunn. It is authentic in every detail, even down to the hand hewn local cyprus pine.

Territory Manor has a big pond covered in pink water lilies and twice daily the barramundi are fed. This is done by a young chap who stands on an underwater walkway and holds the food just below the surface of the water. The barra are lightning fast and suck in the fish with a loud sound. There were also some bream, catfish and a turtle who took advantage of the food. The turtle was found in dire health locked in a dog kennel several years ago and is still unable to fend for itself. We also watched a huge fat duck hurtle across the water flapping its wings in a circular motion to chase other water birds off the pond. It is obviously very territorial.

Litchfield

Fri 18^th July  

 

 

Mick and I packed a picnic lunch and headed off to Litchfield National Park while the Szabos stayed back to clean out the car and do some other small jobs in the van. In the park we visited Buley Pools which had a relatively easy walk down to it down a formed path with gradual steps. Lots of people were swimming in the several pools that were at different levels with waterfalls in between. The photo doesn’t do it justice. Our next stop was at Florence Falls where we went to the lookout that looked down on the falls and the big pool that several people were swimming in. They were going out to the two waterfalls to swim under them.  At Wangi Falls, the access to the huge pool was made very easy with steps going down into it and a handrail for support. We didn’t go in but from the comment around us the water was pretty chilly. We also walked around to the lookout from which you could see the other side.

Florence Falls



Wangi Falls

Hayes Creek

Tues 15^th – Thurs 18^th 

After stopping at Katherine, refueling and restocking the larder, we continued north to a little place that seems to be a pub and a couple of fuel bowsers. At the bottom of a steep track beside it, and down in a valley, is a caravan park with lots of shady trees. We are parked right beside the swimming pool and not far from the ablution block. Around us are several roofed areas to provide shade. We are parked beside the Szabos, on either side of a concrete slab with our doors facing. There is a paddock on the other side of the fence and a helicopter was parked in it all day undergoing repairs. It still doesn’t appear to be fixed. So what do you do when the sun is blazing and it’s 35⁰ plus? Well if you’re a Hosa you visit Douglas Hot Pools and go in the even hotter water.  What a beautiful place it is, and the water is quite hot on one side of a sand bar, and a little cooler on the other.  It would be lovely on a cooler day. You walk down about a dozen steps to a sandy beach where the creek is divided by the sand bar. There are the few dead branches here and there that you can sit on and dangle your feet in or there is a shallow edge where you can lie flat on your back on the sand with the water almost covering you.  Several people were spread along the river doing just that. We had a short paddle in it and then drove back to camp and had a swim in the cold swimming pool.

Success at last! George has finally managed to tune in his satellite TV aerial and is in heaven watching his 109 channels and quite a few radio stations. I doubt if we’ll see him for a while. The Szabos are now considering staying here for another week at least. I think we’ve almost had our last sighting of George.

 For the second day a team of people were working on the Geotech helicopter in the paddock and finally at about 5pm they got it going and took off with a huge contraption hanging from it – obviously it collects data and feeds back to their computer. They didn’t work long though and landed again for another day with at least three mechanics working on it. On the next day they got it going and did a couple of hours before stopping for the next day and a half. It show how blaze we are, this morning (Sat 19^th) when it took off we didn’t even glance at it.

On Thursday there was a free concert by a country and western band called Lance Friend and Muddy River in the hotel above where we are staying.  Lance is quite a prolific song writer and they mostly performed his own compositions. Naturally they had CDs to sell. It was a very good concert. Lance sang and played guitar and ukulele, there was a drummer who played a box and harmonised and there was a violinist who also sang harmonies. The audience consisted of 8 people initially, but ended up being 20 by the time a few other campers and some back packers finished work and joined us. We had dinner there in the beer garden where the stage was set and I had the biggest mixed grill I have ever seen – two sausages, 3 rashers of bacon, a big pork chop, a piece of steak and a piece of lamb steak, cooked tomato, chips and a huge salad. Mick ended up eating a large portion of the meat as well as his very big fisherman’s basket. Throughout the show there was one particular woman with big tattoos on the backs of her legs, who kept rushing up and taking photos. The next morning the drummer came out of her caravan. When he went back to his van, the lead singer went in and there wasn’t any doubt about what was happening. Then she packed up and moved out to Katherine. The band is still here, but their next gig is in Katherine - lucky band!

We went down through the paddock at the back of the park after watching the helicopter take off again with its big orange ring trailing below it. It was doing big sweeps up and down the ridges. There is a very pretty creek with a deep swimming hole with a swinging rope over it but we only looked at it. We continued along the track through a creek crossing and then on to Butterfly Gorge. There was a path going up to a shady hollow in the cliff with a big canopy of greenery, providing a cool, darker place which is obviously home for thousands of black and white butterflies. We drove further along the track, which was really only two wheel ruts that meander through the trees. There were many occasions when we barely squeezed between them. Finally we got bogged in the soft sand and had to be towed out by George. He only had a rope to tie down his load, and it broke twice, but finally we got out and returned through the bush, alongside the canyon wall, past the butterflies, through the creek and back to our van.