Forsayth to Lawn Hill

CATCH-UP #2 - 14th-21st April 2016 - a precis of our travels after leaving Cobbold Gorge -- Warning : There is a "jump break" inserted as this post has many photos and may take awhile to upload. 
-----------------------------------------

Free Camp at Gilbert River

After such an exciting start to the day the rest of the day seemed a little "ho-hum". Our planned destination today was to be Croydon back on the Savannah Way. Didn't quite make it there!
We had a short stop in Georgetown for fuel, lunch and a stop at the post office - which proved very fruitful as we found a new wi-fi device for just $45 - much to the delight of the OWO after all the hassles back in Atherton!! Whilst in Georgetown I took the time to visit the gem display at the Info Centre.  Wow! What a magnificent collection - over 4,500 items on display.
On the outskirts of Georgetown, 25kms west, there is a tall brick chimney known as The Cumberland. Built by Cornish masons it is all that remains of the gold crushing plant from the goldrush days. There is also a lovely lagoon here and we had planned to "free" camp for the night but unfortunately the area was closed off so we continued west towards Croydon.

Funny how we Retirees tend to Ramble along the way and often find little "gems" to add to our adventures.  This little gem was a "free" camp alongside the Gilbert River. We set up about 2.30pm in 39 degree heat and half an hour later another off-road van pulled in.  OWO, as per normal, went to chat with the fellow traveller, Dave, and an hour later we were all enjoying a lovely cool soaking in the Gilbert River. Another unusual experience as this river is usually DRY at this time of the year!

Gilbert river flats

Cooling off in the Gilbert

Gilbert River in April 2016

AJ Bond Bridge, Gilbert River

Croydon
Leaving the Gilbert River we arrived Croydon mid-morning and chose to stay in the Council van park.  Caretakers here offer a discount for Defence Force veterans so if any of our DF retirees are staying there don't forget to mention you are ex-defence.

Only hotel in Croydon

Once a busy town there is very little here now with one pub (there were 64 in the town's hey days), a couple of local stores - one being the oldest general store in Australia still operating since 1887! -- an information centre, and an historic precinct that has some wonderful restored buildings.  There were some wonderful murals around the pub verandah.

Murals at Croydon

Oldest General Store in Qld

This is also the end of the line for the Gulflander train that travels from Normanton to Croydon once a week (unfortunately not running whilst we were in this region). The station was full of historical memorabilia .

As I was finding the heat a little "draining" (high 30s during the day and 28-30 degrees at night) we decided to stay two nights in the park so we had power to run the air-con for a few hours. On our second day we met up with fellow travellers, Gary and Marilyn, who had been camped next to us at Cobbold Gorge!

Leichardt Lagoon

Really???????

Happy Travellers at Rest

And we found another "gem" just east of Normanton - $16 per night camped beside a lagoon filled with waterlilies and hundreds of Magpie Geese and their young.  Sunsets were awesome and the sighting of a white bellied sea eagle delighted the OWO.

Afternoon light on the Lagoon

OWO's delight - White-breasted sea eagle

Magpie Goose in Flight

YES!! I did see a snake!

Rajah Shelduck

Leichardt Lagoon

And they WERE SUPERB!!

Family of Magpie Geese

After dark at the Lagoon

Dusk at the Lagoon

Superb?!

Glorious sunsets

Superb Sunset

Sunsets at the Lagoon

When we left the Lagoon around 9.30am it was already 32 degrees. We had planned to go to Kuranda from here but the road conditions were still questionable so we decided to continue onto Lawn Hill NP via Burketown and Doomagee.  The road from Normanton towards Burketown and Doomagee was mainly dirt.

Sarus Cranes

Road to Burketown

Sarus Cranes at the waterhole

Ada resting on the road to Burketown

Burke & Wills memorial near Normanton

The highlight of this part of our adventure was the many sightings of the Sarus Cranes and Brolgas around the waterholes and a visit to Burke's camp just west of Normanton (of course, Theodore had to have his photo taken at such an historic site!).

Burke's camp

LH via Doomagee?? - maybe not!

An overnight stop at Tiranna Roadhouse - very good amenities and reasonably priced at $12 per night - gave us time to decide the direction we would take to get to Lawn Hill NP.  Originally we had planned the back road from Doomagee but after a few investigative questions at the roadhouse we were informed the back road might still be closed . Water on the causeway confirmed our decision and we trekked towards Lawn Hill via Gregory Downs.

Go away - this is MY lunch!!

Mighty Wedgey

Taking flight

Along the road we had a wonderful photographic opportunity with six wedge-tailed eagles enjoying a midday snack. One refusing to leave his tucker until we drove right up to him!

The road into the NP as far as the Mine entrance was very good, with only one very rough section. However, the unsealed section was extremely dusty.

Dust, dust, dust - no escaping it!

A B-double carrying heavy equipment passed us and there was so much dust we had to pull over and wait for it to clear before progressing on. Couldn't even get a photo! Poor 'Ada' will never be the same after this trip around FNQ!!!
 

Lawn Hill NP
Our time at Lawn Hill was far too short and it would have been nice to stay for more than two nights.  We had a lovely camp spot - despite a very "dysfunctional" family on a site behind us that continually argued, with parents ranting at their young teenagers! It was only a short distance to the water and we did, of course, take 'Clarrie' out along the Gorge to the waterfalls. We spent a lovely quiet hour swimming under the falls until the noisy "dysfunctional" family arrived.  We returned to 'Clarrie' and rather leisurely paddled back to the campsite.

Colours of the Gorge

Peaceful waters

The OWO and Clarrie

Cooling off at the falls

At the campsite we spent time photographing birds and chatting with other campers.  To the delight of the OWO we spotted the rare purple-crowned wren but sadly did not see the crimson finch. Maybe we need to return to Lawn Hill for a longer stay!

Our "Adventure of Exploration" to FNQ and the Gulf was almost at an end. The next seven days would be spent visiting friends before arriving at Nairana on 28th April for our annual four weeks as volunteer caretakers. It has been a wonderful Adventure with many, many happy memories and many, many more photographs to remind us of this beautiful State of Queensland.

NB: More photos in the Photographic Journal Pages