5th -9th June 2010: Mullumbimby to Mt Surprise

After a quick four days and almost 2000 km on the road, we arrived in Mt Surprise last night. The trip was quite uneventful, even the digression to Rubyvale where we were keen to look at rubies, this being our ruby anniversary year. Little did we know that there are no rubies are Rubyvale, nor in fact any red zircons or garnets which were the next option. 

Roma Bottle Tree and camp at Rubyvale

5th June:  Mullumbimby to Wallumbilla

Our first night was a 'freebie' at the showground at Wallumbilla - quite adequate.  We had met travelling companions Mark and Karen in Dalby for lunch after we had called in on my sister Helen and Ted in Highfields (just north of Toowoomba).  I was pleasantly surprised with Dalby, as I do not remember it being as big or as prosperous looking as it appears to be today. 

6th June:  Wallumbilla to Rubyvale

This morning it was an easy run into Roma (to check out the huge baobab tree among other things) before heading north towards Emerald.  We left the flat country behind as we headed up into the Great Dividing Range.  Pulling the camper trailer through this area saw our fuel consumption go up to about 15 litres/100km.  Night two was spent at Ruby Vale and night three on the road beside the Cape River.

7th June:  Rubyvale to Cape River

Camp at Cape River - Can you tell it was cold?

8th June: Cape River to Mt Surprise

There is a lot of roadworks happening up this way thanks to the federal government stimulus package. Apparently, there is an effort to get a dual lane highway from Cairns following the inland route south to get the transports away from the coast. It will be a big improvement on the single lane of bitumen that still exists in places. The only option at the moment is to get right off the road when you see a road train approaching.

At Mt Surprise, we met up with Peter and Maz and Arthur and Margaret who make up our 4 car convey.

9th June: Mt Surprise (The Lava Tubes)

Today we visited the Undara lava tubes – an amazing place. This area has had a huge amount of volcanic activity with many extinct volcanoes still visible. 

Kalkani Crater Rim Walk

Undara Lava Tubes

The lava tubes are huge underground tunnels. The remnants of a lava flow from the Undara volcano. The lava flowed down a valley, solidifying on its edges as it went. The outside hardened lava acted as a thermos keeping the inside liquid and allowing the mouton rock to pour out the end of the tunnel. Many of the tubes have now collapsed in places but one tunnel we were in today would have been 20 metres wide, 15 metres high and 128m long. Nature is pretty amazing!

Tomorrow we are off to Cobbold Gorge and then on to Normanton on Friday.

10th - 19th June 2010: Mt Surprise to Katherine

10th June:  Mount Surprise to Cobbold Gorge

At Cobbold Gorge, we went on an organized tour, including travelled through the gorge on punts pushed by electric motors.  The gorge is quite narrow with very high walls.  Saw several freshwater crocodiles sunning themselves on the creek bank below the gorge.  It’s a shame that the 80km of fairly rough gravel road prevents most people from accessing this lovely spot.  

Cobalt Gorge

11th June:  Cobbold Gorge to Leichardt's Lagoon

From Cobbold Gorge, it was on to Croydon and then just short of Normanton where we stayed at Leichhardt Lagoon Camp, a fairly basic camping spot 20 km out of Normanton.  The lagoon was a mass of wildlife including Brolgas and a pair of Sarus Cranes.  

Leichardt Lagoon

This is a lovely spot to camp and will certainly be on the list for a return visit if we are back this way.

12th June:  Leichardt's Lagoon

We left the camper at Leichardt's Lagoon and visited Normanton and then on to Karumba, which is probably the only place on the gulf where you can get easy access to the sea.  No wonder it is a mecca for fishermen.  Boats everywhere!  Fresh king prawns at $15 per kg were delicious.  

Normanton and Karumba

That night we had dinner provided back at camp – vegetable and beef soup with damper; barramundi and mashed potato and pumpkin; macaroni custard and peaches; all for $3 a head.  No wonder we will be back.

Dinner at Leichardt Lagoon

13th June:  Leichardt's Lagoon (The Gulflander)

On Sunday Peter and Maz and Margaret and Arthur headed off to Lorella Springs where we would meet them in a few days.  They were doing other things while we were visiting Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park.  But before heading there, Sunday for us was a train trip on the Gulflander from Normanton to Croydon.  Mark and Karen took the outward journey while we drove and then Jill and I came back on the train while they drove.  It took 5 hours each way rattling along at something like 30km per hour.  Very interesting sitting up with the driver in the railmotor – and a most enjoyable day.

The Gulflander

14th June:  Leichardt's Lagoon to Adel's Grove

Monday 14th was the drive from Leichhardt’s Lagoon to Adel's Grove, just outside Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park.  Stopped at Burke and Wills Camp 119 and then Leichhardt Falls for lunch.  

Burke & Wills Camp and Leichardt Falls

Interesting to see that a lot of the road from Gregory Downs to Lawn Hill has been sealed since our visit here 2 years ago - no doubt because of the huge Century Zinc mine that is found along this road. This mine is huge (the second largest in the world) and they pump zinc in a slurry to Karumba 350km away.

15th June:  Adel's Grove (Boodjamulla/Lawn Hill National Park)

On Tuesday we hired canoes and paddled up the gorge (You have to carry the canoe from the bottom to the top gorge – about 40 metres).  There was more water in the gorge than on our previous trip.  Saw tortoises sunning themselves on the rocks and a small freshwater crocodile.

Duwadarri Waterhole - Boodjamulla National Park

It’s amazing how much water is found in this gorge in such an arid environment.  It really is a lovely spot.  After lunch we did the ridgetop walk which looks down at Indarri Falls (between the first and second gorge – spectacular.

Indarri Falls - Boodjamulla National Park

Boodjamulla National Park & camp at Adel's Grove

16th June:  Adel's Grove to Robinson River

Wednesday was a bit of a question mark as to whether we would get from Adel's Grove to Borroloola or whether we would have to go around trough Cape Crawford along the Calvert Road.  Apparently, there was still a lot of water in the Calvert River and we were getting conflicting reports as to whether we could get through or not.  We were already adding 125km to our trip by retracing our steps to Gregory Downs to avoid a flooded crossing so didn’t particularly want to add another 200km to the trip avoiding the Calvert.  Fortunately, we met someone on the road who had been through the crossing and when we got there found it not quite as bad as some were suggesting.  There were plenty of rocks to avoid and it was still 6-800mm deep but we all got through without difficulty.

17th June:  Robinson River to Lorella Springs

After last night's camp on the banks of the Robinson River, it was off to Borroloola for fuel and a few supplies on Thursday morning.  Lunch was a Caranbirini Conservation Reserve after the 2 km walk through the lost city formations.  This is the second time we have been here too and it is an amazing place.  Certainly, a must-see for anyone travelling this way. 

Caranbirini Conservation Reserve

After leaving Caranbirini we headed for Lorella Springs along the alternate Savannah Way towards Roper Bar.  The road deteriorated the further we travelled and it was obvious that there had not been a lot of traffic in this area since the wet.  Lorella Springs was 30 km off the Savannah Way also along a rough track with some fairly tricky creek crossings.  The swim in the hot springs at the campsite made up for it.  I guess you would call this a wilderness camp - fairly rustic but certainly a spot we could have spent more time at.  Peter and Maz and Margaret and Arthur had been here a couple of days.

Camp at Lorella Springs

18th June:  Lorella Springs to Roper Bar

A quick look at the Emerald Pools and Gorge (both lovely spots) – well hardly quick along a fairly corrugated 5km track, and we were on our way west to Roper Bar.

Along the way, we called in to explore the Southern Lost City, a very different lost city formation to that at Caranbarini.  While both were sandstone formations Caranbirini had a lot of conglomerate rock and sand cemented together which was absent here.

Southern Lost City - Limmen National Park

Lunchtime was a stopover and swim at Butterfly Springs (and waterfall).  The water was cool but most welcome seeing the weather has become much warmer – T-shirt and shorts.  It was then time to face the quite a rough road through to Roper River for camp.

Butterfly Springs

19th June:  Roper Bar to Katherine

Today we were back on the bitumen to Materanka and then on to Katherine.  We briefly called into Bitter springs on the way but the opportunity to soak in their 33-degree waters will have to wait until another time.  Our 5-day permit to access the Coburg Peninsula commences on Monday so we are on a deadline.

Bitter Springs (Mataranka) and campsite at Katherine

We have covered a lot of territory in the last ten days.  Tonight we are in Katherine, Northern Territory and have just had a very pleasant meal at the RSL after a big shop at Woolworths this afternoon.  We head off to Kakadu National Park (briefly) tomorrow and then on to the Cobourg Peninsula for five days.  Presumably, we will be out of telephone/email range for all of that time.  

20th - 26th June 2010: Katherine to Kakadu (via the Cobourg Peninsula)

20th June:  Katherine to Cooinda Gagudju Lodge Campground

From Katherine, we headed north our first stop being Leliyn (Edith Falls) where we did the walk to the top falls - a delightful spot and one well worth spending a bit more time at.  

Leliyn (Edith Falls)

From there we entered Kakadu National Park.  Unfortunately, a lot of the roads are still closed, not having been repaired after the wet.  The only way we would see Jim Jim and the Twin Falls, for instance, would be from the air, so the plan is to take a flight over Kakadu from Jabiru when we return from Cobourg.  We arrived at Cooinda after lunch and decided to stay the night so that we could take the early morning (6:45am) cruise at Yellow Waters (one of those "must do! " things in Kakadu).  They didn't tell us about the mosquitoes which were just terrible that night - must remember to get mosquito coils at Jabiru.

21st June:  Cooinda Gagudju Lodge Campground to Garig Ganuk Barlu National Park (Coburg Peninsula)

The cruise made up for the mosquitoes.  It was excellent and we saw our first saltwater crocodiles in the wild - quite amazing creatures swimming along minding their own business right beside the boat.  The birdlife was amazing - a sea eagle catching a fish, two brolgas in their nest, among other things.  To top it off we had a very nice breakfast at the resort as part of the price.  

Cruise at Yellow Waters

From Cooinda it was off to Jabiru to fuel up for the 300+ km trip to the Cobourg.  We were told we had to make Cahill's Crossing before the tide came in but that turned out to be a bit of a non-event as the water was quite low.  As a reminder that it is not always the case, there was a twin cab ute on its roof just below the crossing - having been washed off not too far in the past.  Just north of the crossing, we entered an area of wetlands and incredible escarpments.  The trip was worth it just for that.  

Arnhem land just north of Cahill's Crossing

After travelling through Arnhem land for some hours, on a fairly corrugated track, we turned to the north-west and entered Garig Ganak Barlu National Park (still 100km from camp).  Our camp spot was fairly open having not yet recovered from Cyclone Ingrid which went through the area a few years back.  

22nd June: Garig Ganuk Barlu National Park (Coburg Peninsula)

National Parks had put up shade sails to provide shelter which was much appreciated as the temperature is rising as we head north.  For the next few days, we lazed around and explored the area - The Coastal Drive, Wetland's Drive, fishing at Caiman Creek (no fish).  An Interesting sign on the track just near our camp informed us "Caution Crocodiles Crossing".  We didn't see any though.  

Garig Ganak Barlu National Park

23rd June:  Garig Ganuk Barlu National Park (Coburg Peninsula)

At the rangers office, there was an interesting display of the history of the area.  This is where the first settlement (Victoria) was set up in Northern Australia.  It failed after ten years, mainly because of sickness and damage from cyclones.  Banteng cattle were bought over from Indonesia when the settlement was set up and are still found on the peninsula today.  We did see some but they are pretty shy.  Was great to see Jabirus, Brolgas and Red Tail Black Cockatoos.

24th June:  Garig Ganuk Barlu National Park (Coburg Peninsula)

Garig Ganak Barlu National Park

25th June:  Garig Ganuk Barlu National Park (Coburg Peninsula) to Kakadu Lodge Caravan Park

This morning we head back from Cobourg to Jabiru where we stayed at Kakadu Lodge Caravan Park.  

Arnhem Land

Cahill's Crossing

There is a swimming pool at the caravan park which is much appreciated seeing it is not safe to swim elsewhere.  The sea at Cobourg was very inviting but there are signs up everywhere - Be croc wise - no swimming.

26th June: Kakadu Lodge Caravan Park

Today's activity is a one hour flight over Kakadu.  Quite spectacular.  We flew as far south as Jim Jim and Twin Falls and flew quite low for much of the time.

Kakadu National Park

On the way back we flew over the Ranger Uranium mine and followed that up with a mine tour that afternoon  - very informative.  The mine certainly is a scar on the environment.  Not sure what one thinks about it being here blotting the countryside as opposed to the benefit it brings to the local and national economy etc.

Ranger Uranium Mine

Tomorrow we are off to see aboriginal art at Ubirr and Nourlangie Rocks.  From there it's off to Litchfield Park and then Darwin.  Life is busy.

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