Porcupine, Undara, Karumba

Hi Austravel,
Karumba to Lawn Hill is achievable in one day.
Can't help with the free camps.
Are you staying at Undara? Very expensive. We stayed at Mt Surprise and did a day trip to Undara. Much cheaper.
In Hughenden, the dinosaur centre is worth a look.
Did the Cameron Downs Rd from Muttaburra to Hughenden a few years ago. In places the crown was very high and hid some large gibbers so extra care was needed.
Hope this is of some help.
Jon W

Haven't been to Porcupine Gorge for a few years but you used to be able to camp there free, if not there are lots of spots along the road.
Mt Surprise has an van park right hand side heading west or you could come up via The Lynd, Einasleigh, Forsyth and through to Georgetown or Einasleigh to Mt Surprise(road can be rough). Very dry at the moment but there should be water in the Einasleigh River which is a couple of K's east of Einasleigh.
You could also visit Cobbold Gorge but you have to pay.

Lots of history Georgetown, Croydon areas.

You can free camp at Gregory downs on the way into Lawn hill and just day trip. Make sure you hire a canoe and paddle the gorge.

Include a stop at Winton and go have a look at Lark Quarry.

Porcupine gorge to Undara is easy in a day. No need for a stop in between. Nothing special to see along this road anyway. The campground at Porcupine Gorge is a national park area. You're supposed to go into Hughenden and get a permit but nobody does. We camped there for free a couple of years back.

Agree with other comments re the campground at Undara. Expensive, noisy and packed in like sardines. Camp at Mt Surprise.

Back in 1999 on our Cape York trip we went from Longreach north along the Kennedy Development Rd.

Leaving Longreach we travelled to Hughenden for lunch and then continued north not really knowing how far we would get.

We had a stop a Porcupine Creek and decided that we would have to come back and have a proper look some time, maybe next year.

We camed that night in a roadside stockpile site about 40km south of the Lind.

We were travelling pretty quick and I would recommend not aiming for too much. When we were there the road north out of Longreach had only reopened the day before after being closed by rain for a few weeks. It was also pretty wet just north of Hughenden.

From Porcupine Creek north the road was better even though it was obviously drying out after having been very wet.

In Longreach we quite enjoyed the Pastoral College tour.

Undara was fascinating. But as others have said it was expensive.
It was a bit of a drive but there was a little Caravan Park at Inot Hot Springs that was very welcome to all of us after a couple of nights in the bush. Regulating the teperature in your pool in the creek was an art well worth practicising.

Duncs

You will get from Karumba to Lawn Hill in one day: south to Burke & Wills, west through Gregory Downs. You really need more than one day to do justice to the Lawn Hill area. Suggest you camp at Adels Grove - much nicer than the Nat Park. Definitely hire canoe and paddle Lawn Hill Gorge. If you walk, some good walks there too. Adels Grove runs a guided tour to Riversleigh which gives heaps more info than you get if you go solo - is excellent value. If you are going to be in that area end June/early July, the annual fossil dig will be on, with all the experts staying at Adels for that. They give free talks at night etc - very interesting time to be there, but you might need to book ahead for that time. Agree with previous comment that Mt Surprise is best place to stay and do day trip to Undara - Bedrock Village CP also runs tours to Undara, Cobbold Gorge etc.

Thanks everyone.