Undiscovered gem or not worth the bother?

GoneTroppo - You could go and stay at Wrotham Park Lodge for a week and tell of your experience.


A J

Being relatively new to remote long distance travel, I was very dismayed when I heard about large and steady streams of vehicles at places/routes I wanted to go to; so much so that the Simpson, Cape Yorke, and probably the CSR are now no longer on my list, at least until I have the experience and confidence to travel the lesser-known routes of these iconic locations.

However, like you I also visit a few not so well known places to enjoy their peace and solitude, and I'm always trying to find more.

By their nature they are difficult to find, and nobody is going to offer up their own special ones to anyone else !

your right GT, we all have our list of "secret spots" and we are shy of sharing them lest they become less than secret - i havnt been out the way you mentioned but willl keep an eye open...

Gone troppo
You certainly raise a very interesting and broad question.
Hmm ….. Why do some places become popular?
Are they intrinsically “iconic”, that is, they represent an easily identified geographical destination – eg, Cape York; or they connect us to an aspect of our history that we want to experience – eg, CSR; or they are especially scenic – eg, Vic HC?
To what extent do places get a reputation because lots of people go there? (the lemming syndrome)
And do some places/journeys attain the status of a “rite of passage”? Allied to this is the question about the part ego/bragging rights might play for some - maybe with the implied message that you really haven’t "done it" until you have been to ….xxx!
For me, “great spots” are more to do with the immediate surrounds – fauna, flora, geography, time of year and weather; the memories associated with them – maybe shared with a few friends; the solitude (and hence the lack of crowds); and finally, the degree to which I feel comfortable – I don’t mean physically, I mean psychologically – the right vibes if you like.
How do you find these? I find that if I start with only a mud map that is a rough approximation of where I might go, slow down, open up to possibilities, listen to locals, get off the beaten track, am curious, follow my hunches and give myself plenty of time, then there is usually no shortage.
Rgds
Andrew

Hi,
Missed your post but I can assure you that the Chillagoe Caves are well worth seeing. The guided tour ones are reasonable value.
Cobbold Gorge to the south near Forsayth is also well worth visiting. You can only see the gorge by guided tour but we thought it was reasonable.
For what its worth.
Jon W

Hi GoneTroppo

A place that is under rated it is likely to be quieter to drive on and enjoy. Sounds like the type of place i'd go to.

Motherhen

good post.

there certainly are alot less travelled spots and alot are also alot closer

Most of my driving is between 3 and 600km from perth and im yet to really see any one on these tracks

most of these areas have been written up at least in part by our local 4x4 mag

which has probablly increased their traffick from hardly anyone to maybe a few

GT

I have a wellknown EX-Exploroz visitor here with me at the moment who has recently towed his caravan along the Burke Development road from Normanton to Chillagoe and he reports that the road is in good condition having had the graders over it. There are nice campsites at Koolatah and Hughes Crossings on the Mitchell River and other places on the route. They saw lots of bird life including the elusive Sarus Crane which appeared in droves along the plains. Hope this helps with your original question.
Ruth