Going Down

It's almost like theme night at the pub LOL. Yesterday we did the underground mine tour and as you can see had to don all the appropriate gear. Great tour. Today off to the Riverleigh Fossil museum and lab. Finally getting mail after almost 8 weeks and a wine delivery.

Big tks to Steve and Malcolm.

Room with a view

After our somewhat crashing arrival, the next morning Ron dug RT and Miss G out while I quickly learnt the ins and outs of what all the different 4wd things do and between us we dragged the ol' girl out and planted her on the bend of the river. What a great spot and we stayed there for the next five days. We overnighted up at Lawn Hill on the Wednesday and that was still as good as ever, although last year we were there in May and the difference 3 dry months make is quiet evident. Not as lush and the water level is a bit lower, but still heaven. You can see from the top pic that a lot of time was spent jumping in the river and riding the current for about a kilometer downstream and praying that there were only freshies in the stream LOL.

We arrived at Isa yesterday and promptly got thrown out of the first park we had a look at. I check out all the park reports online before we arrive at a new place and there was nothing really good about any of the Isa parks, so as we have done many times before we pull up in sight of the office (so they can see we have a van) and take a quick wander into the park to get an idea of what it's like. Well the management bailed us up wanting to know what we were doing, we informed them we were leaving (the place was a dump) and he promptly told us to "Get out, we don't want you here anyway" to which some Get ------ were thrown around and we sailed off to the Big 4 which is not much better. Will be very happy to put this place behind us.

We're back...........

in the country we love. Welcome to the road to Lawn Hill. This is a particularly good bit. As you can see it's nice and wide with plenty of room to miss the road trains, visibility is a bit of a problem thought LOL.

The week that was. We left Normanton on Sunday with the plan to stop over on our way to Gregory Downs. Our Camps 3 book mentions three possible overnighter freeparks but they were either woeful or had totally disappeared ?? so we pushed onto the Downs. A couple of weeks ago someone in a park mentioned the river at the Gregory Downs and suggested we try to get in there. It is a free park with no facilities but a good overnighter. Well after a long drive and 35+ temps we arrived in paradise. the river is without doubt the most magnificent place we have ever camped and FREE. We drove in and there was about a dozen vans along the banks of the crystal clear river and down the end was a spot just perfect for us. Right on the water at a bend in the river with wonderful views so off we went. We arrived with somewhat of a crunch as it was the loose rocks from the wet season all piled up on the bank. BOGGED

As time was getting on we decided to worry about it in the morning. We said hello to the neighbours to make sure we weren't in their way and they informed us that they were heading off the next day and we were welcome to their site (which was probably the best on the river). So there we camped. More pics and the story continues tomorrow ................................

Gone walkabout

We will be off the air for the rest of the week, today off to a freepark near Burke and Wills Roadhouse, then onto Gregory Down to camp by the river and leave Miss Guided there for a night and head up to Lawn Hill to play in the gorge. Should be back on Saturday.

AAAAAGH the joys of normanton LOL

We met up with Krys of the Savannah yesterday and of course Ron just couldn't resist the temptation to do a dental check. We are reliably informed that this is a true model of the crock that Pam someone or other shot back in 1953. His name was Krys of the savannah and was 28 feet long - that's a big dam croc, apparently the largest croc ever recorded.

Yesterday we went off to Karumba for the day and lasted an hour, why or why is it even there ?????? it makes Normanton look positively civilized LOL. Although it is a haven for "GT's" (Geriatrics with Tinnies) keeps them out of the rest of the country.

Description of a GT:

• Someone who wakes up at 4am
• Someone that wakes everyone else up at 4.05am
• Someone that starts the diesel up half an hour before travelling just to make sure the heavy sleepers are well awake.
• Someone that refuses to oil the winch on the boat trailer so that each turn of the handle makes an agonising screech.
• Someone that always checks their outboard motor before leaving the park (usually between 4.30 -5am)
• Someone whose conversation is always starting with "What do you use as bait ?"
• Someone who washes only on days when the catch will feed the entire family
• Someone who arrives back from an exciting days fishing around 11am, just as you are nodding off to catch up on the sleep you lost overnight.

Time for a quick update on the map

We have finally started doing some bigger mileage as there is not alot between towns up here. We arrived in Normanton yesterday and if we followed our normal pattern (if we can find our way around town without TomTom it's time to go) we would have driven straight out the other end LOL. Last night we hit the town for dinner at the Albany Hotel as it had a choice of three wines. We felt overdressed as we had sandals on and everone else was in thongs except the staff who were in crocs !!!!!!!!! hmmmmmmmmmm fashion conscious place this is LOL. The highlight of the night was the arrival of the cowboys - yep real ones and from the way they walked they had come straight from the horses. (We did pass some working cattle on the trip here, such a good look) As the night went on, the local "Madam" made an appearance with a couple of her girls to show the boys a good time. (Lucky girls). We finished the night at the "Purple Pub" where they have both boomerangs and shotguns in the bar - hmmmmmmmmmmmm I guess that means no crowd controllers required at the door.

and the Qld Govn't have bought a new train

It's so GOOD being back in the Savannah. As you can see from the above pic we have found the Gulflander at Croydon FNQ, unfortunately my back has been playing up so we passed up the opportunity for the trip to Normanton. But, we are off to Normanton tomorrow so if things improve we might do a short trip around there.

The weather is fantastic 34 every day and yesterday we saw a cloud (Yippy). The plan for the next couple of weeks is to go from Normanton to Gregory Downs and leave Miss Guided there and head into lawn Hill for a couple of days cruising up and down the gorge chasing turtles and crocs. From there onto Mt Isa for a mail and wine pick up and then onto see Peter and Mat in Katherine via Arhnem land.

Hans your fan club (scary thought) is wondering why you are being so quiet ????? I have now been contacted by several people wondering where you are ??

It's dinner time............

Another grotty ol' Muddie LOL. We got three of these very large Muddies from the wharf at Cooktown and had the J and J show over for dinner. Have to admit Ron excelled himself with the Chilli Mud Crab and a very good night was had by all.

We're in love

We found this jewel called the Barron Valley Hotel in the middle of Atherton. It is recognised as one of the most intact Deco buildings in Qld. It is amazing, virtually no renovation has been done to the place, the bars, lounges, dining rooms, function rooms and bathrooms are all original. Wonderful place and we got on like a house on fire with one of the owners and she ended up asking us if we would be interested in pub sitting for them when they take off for a holiday and of course we said YES YES YES, can't wait.

Last look.

Well, time has come for us to leave the coast and head west. Tomorrow we head off to Atherton for a couple of days to stock up for the drive through the outback to Mt. Isa.

This is what happens if you cross the tribe

This is one of my favourites, a very very very old picture of a member of the tribe that has had a curse put on him. Apparently whenever someone is painted upside down, they have been cursed. But this poor guy and yes it is a guy if you look closely, was also painted on a very uneven surface which indicates that he is to have a particularly cruel and painful death - charming. Great painting, about 4 - 5 feet high and wide, very impressive.

I am sure I have seen this guy outside the Laird at 3.30am.

It's a horse

We stayed on at Laura another day and spent it out looking at more art and there is some fantastic work around here. I will put up some each day for you to have a look at. The story with this one is that in the early 1800's the first white surveyor arrived up here on horse back and had a not toooo friendly meeting with the locals. This is a painting of his horse and next to the horse is him supposedly dead ?? More to come tomorrow.

I'm the good spirit

Yesterday we spent all day climbing over rocks and hills in search of those pesky art sites and had great success with the aide of an aboriginal guide who knew exactly where to go. Things up here are still very much the way of aboriginal tradition as our guide had to ask permission from the spirits to allow us to visit the sites. A bit strange when you are climbing over rocks and he is calling out strange things in another language. Could have been calling us anything for all we knew. LOL Off again today to the BIG mushroom rock.

We're back with a new friend at the Cape

After 5 days at Cape tribulation we are back in the land of communications,but definitely not civilization. LOL.

The cape was fantastic, 28 - 30 every day, mostly blue sky but a weee bit windy but that didn't stop us. We have been putting off the snorkeling trip to the reef for weeks waiting for the weather to get its act together and on day 3 everything looked right so off we went. I have dived and snorkeled the Barrier Reef several times before and was never as impressed as you are led to believe it will be, but I was just going to the wrong place. The reef off the cape is amazing. Ron managed to hitch a ride on the life buoy and was towed around the reef for hours by one of the crew (female). Clams - HUGE clams 1 - 2 meters across everywhere, we had lots of fun making them close up as you snorkeled past. Schools of sea bass 4 - 5 feet long cruising past and not in the least worried about us. Millions of multi coloured fish and coral to die for. All untouched and untrampled by the hordes that go to the reef around Cairns/Port Douglas.

Yesterday we left the Cape and headed further north to Laura which is about 200kls west of Cooktown to see some spectacular rock art. Hopefully pics tomorrow. Temp this morning 29 and not a cloud to be seen. So far we have only seen one other white person in town, but they have 5 bars of signal for both the phone and internet.

Spooky isn't it ?????

El Erich hotel (and it's for sale)just up the road from Mission Beach and yep we felt right at home, almost walked behind the bar and started serving LOL.

We have finally arrived at Port Douglas and spent the first day checking out main street, having the most amazing seafood lunch at the "Tin Shed" and house/villa hunting. I love it up here but he is a bit on the "What is the wet season like" side of things. Oh well we will see. The weather is much better today so we might even get to go out to the reef tomorrow for some snorkeling. Plan for the next couple of days is Mossman gorge on Tuesday and Cape Tribulation on Wednesday if all goes well.