Sitting comfortably in Fannie Bay, Darwin, its time to recap on the wild ride across the remote country just south of the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Not far along the road from Normanton to Burketown is the Burke and Wills Monument.
The trees at the camp were scarred as proof of the camp.
The last camp of explorers who perished in an attempt to explore this harsh land.
There were in the exploration party. Only one survived because he was found and saved by local aborigines.
The monument to this day is a warning to respect this land.
Travelling west along this section of the Savannah Way land is dry and dusty and the rivers, torrents in the wet season are just strings of waterholes that as summer progresses will disappear.
This can be seen clearly at Leichhardt Falls.
Where I stood on the dry rocks over which only a few month ago water roared and photographed the waterhole no longer flowing and turning green as it stagnates.
Arriving Burketown I’m again reminded that water in the desert comes from the ground as well as the sky.
Water has been bubbling out of the mound spring in Burketown at a temperature of 68c since before history.
The hot water and the minerals it carries from deep in the earth painting the mound and surrounding landscape.
The old post office is now the tourist office. Unfortunately, there were no places left to do the balloon ride over the desert so I had to settle for the sunset river cruise.
Gregory Downs is little more that a hotel
And a small shack that sells dry good, some locally grown vegetables and …
Espresso coffee and home made apple and cinnamon muffins!!!
What an oasis!
As was finding the Gregory River. A spring fed watercourse in the desert and my first introduction to the spring fed rivers of North West Queensland.
More about those next blogs.
What a fabulous journey. I can just see myself sitting outside that pub with a drink and some apple pie, completely forgetting that a Victorian Premier, Chief Medical Officer, Assistant Chief Medical Officer, ‘Health’ Minister and rules exist.
Yes all that seems a world away