Katherine to Mt Isa

Katherine -  Mt Isa (9^th – 22^nd August)

Now to Mt Isa

Leaving Katherine took us a long time as we stopped at a market and remembered we hadn’t done the required dump. We stopped at the Highway Inn at Daly Waters before heading along the Carpentaria Highway. This proved to be quite narrow in places and we had to get right off the bitumen to allow the LONG Road Trains (FOUR trailers) to get past us. For those that haven’t experienced a road train, they are massively long trucks – mostly with three, but occasionally (usually fuel trucks) four trailers. When they are on the move, they don’t stop, and they can’t veer to the side because the load would get a sway up that would prove disastrous for all. Mid afternoon we decided to pull over into a wayside stop for the night. There were table & chairs, a fireplace and a watertank. When we arrived there were lots of finches and honeyeaters feeding from a container someone had left underneath the tap – great to watch. 

Goanna Creek Stop

Carpentaria Highway

Another couple pulled in not long after we set up and when we sat around the fire that night we were delighted to hear that we had done the right thing when we decided not to drive through the Reynolds River when we did the 4x4 drive in Litchfield. They had tried to cross it, got bogged, and spent an hour sitting in the water waiting for someone to help them out – the inside of their vehicle is now quite clean!

We continued on through Cape Crawford (nowhere near the coast) and on to Borroloola where we spent two nights. On the way to Borroloola we stopped at Caranbirini Conservation Area - another Lost City. We spent an hour or so wandering around the large rock formations.

Lost City formation

Lost City

Passageway through part of the Lost City

In Borroloola we spent some time in the Old Police Station (Museum) and found some great spots for camping down by the river (although there was too much sand on the track for us to take our van down there.

We also drove out to the coast (Bing Bong – yes that’s it’s name) to look at the loading docks for the mines in the area  - the tide was out, so we took a walk around the area (with Sonja carefully dipping her toe in the Gulf waters and David keeping an eye out for crocs)! 

Sonja dipping in the Gulf of Carpentaria at Bing Bong

We drove to King Ash Bay (27km dirt road) where the Borroloola Fishing Club has an extensive setup. There were lots of sites, both powered and unpowered, and lots of vans there. We had lunch here and spent some time checking out sites, including driving out to Batten Point where there were quite a few vans (this is the free camp area). If we were really keen fisher-folk, this would be a great spot to be, although when we were there, all the good riverside places had been taken.

When we left Borroloola we headed down the Tablelands Highway. The initial part of this was quite poor condition. Most of this Highway is single lane, with the occasional double lane section where you hope to meet the road trains (or any other on-coming vehicle). The first section was lots of ups and downs as well as a few kinks and twists in the road camber, making it a drive to keep you alert at all times. 

Tablelands Highway - single lane - needing lots of concentration

There was also quite a large amount of wandering cattle along the road. Fortunately, we were in reasonable spots when we did meet on-coming vehicles (a number of 4-trailer road trains) where we were able to get off the road and let them pass.

Our first night was at a roadside stop at Brunette Downs. There was a water tank and a barbeque pit, but more importantly, a track that took us well back off the highway. We settled down and, after a lot of fiddling with the fridge (the ignition switch to allow us to use it on gas doesn’t want to work properly – will have to try to get it fixed in Mt Isa, or we might not be able to do any more free camping or risk losing the fridge contents – might also reach the stage where we can just use the Engel as a fridge) we sat back and watched a glorious sunset.

Sunset at Brunette Downs

Our second night took us onto the main highway (Barkly Highway) heading towards Queensland. We stopped about 60km from the border at Avon Downs (water tank, barbeque pits and toilets) so that we would only have a short drive on the following day. We have learned that you need to get in early if you want to have a reasonable place at roadside stops as they prove to be very popular (mostly because they’re free).

Lots to see along the Tablelands Highway

Sometimes a bit difficult picking the Highway

Our stop officially sanctioned!

Our early stop proved to be fortuitous as it meant we avoided the masses of red mud that was being created by the water trucks on the roadworks near the border. All the vehicles coming in from Queensland pulled in to our stop and belted/dug off the thick layers of mud that had built up on cars and vans. When we went through in the morning, they hadn’t started with the watering, so we just had the dust to put up with – not that you could tell where any new dust had been added to either our car or van!

We spent three very pleasant nights camped beside a billabong just west of Camooweal. A very pleasant outlook as we watched Jabirus, Brolgas, Herons, Cormorants, Egrets, many varieties of ducks and other water birds as well as Kites, Crows, Mudlarks, Miners and others in the water just in front of our van site. We also had to deal with the afternoon rush from the cattle that came down to feed and drink along the billabong. Our only problem was the coolish wind that blew for the weekend (at one stage causing Sonja to don a long-sleeved top and trousers for the first time since Alice Springs)!

Our view at Camooweal - a wealth of birdlife all day

Daily afternoon visitors

Sunset WITH CLOUDS (unseen in the north for a LONG time)

Whilst at Camooweal we visited the Drover’s Camp. A tourist attraction set up to give information about droving and its influence in the area. This was quite a good effort (run by volunteers) and is the hub of community activities (population 310). We had lunch at the sausage sizzle and listened to the country and western singer after we had the 90-minute tour.

Arrived in Mt Isa (after dodging roadworks and bushfires) and managed to find an ignition switch for the fridge and David put it in – now up and running correctly, so we can free camp without any worries!

Roadworks with all the dust

A little close to the fires which had a  20+km front

It was great to be in the camp park – showers – clean hair – clothes washing!