Just a very short blog today following an easy 450km "transport section" from
Cloncurry to
Karumba on the eastern side of the Gulf of Carpentaria. No rain today, just sunshine, a few clouds here and there, easy bitumen and lunch at the Burke and Wills Roadhouse. A real pleasure after yesterday's 700+km marathon from
Birdsville through the rain, gravel and dark. It was worth it, there aren't really many
places to stop between
Birdsville and
Cloncurry.
So a short blog today for a short trip. Not far out of
Cloncurry we found our first abandoned car for days, an old VW Kombi sitting forlornly in a field, probably where it finished up after a crash. When the radio reception ran out we listened to old Roy and HG shows from their Triple J halcyon days, a brilliant laugh even if the sport they are talking about happened in 2008.
Possibly an abrupt end to someone's adventure
Lunch at the Burke and Wills roadhouse
Amazing clouds above the road between Normanton and Karumba
The landscape slowly changed to tropics, trees more abundant - lots of gums and bushes; a riot of bird life - galahs, finches, hawks and eagles. Also lots of road kill - kangaroos, cows and an unfortunate horse.
Normanton appeared mid-afternoon, the photo of the big crocodile a must. It’s okay, we didn’t get out of the car so no nobody saw us.
The road to Karumba
The Big (fibreglass) Crocodile. Lame
Brolgas feeding by the side of the road
When Pete tried to log our position and condition with VKS-737 on arrival at
Karumba he couldn't get a response. Even though we had Charters Towers base loud and clear they couldn't hear us. Pete suspected a microphone failure so pulled the mic apart and, sure enough, a broken wire. This is the first trip ever Pete hasn't packed a soldering iron, so naturally the first time we have needed one, So it was an email to the VKS-737 head office to advise them we were alive and
well and to log us off. Pete will get hold of a soldering iron in
Cairns and hopefully fix the problem.
Sunset over the Gulf of Carpentaria
Karumba's Sunset Tavern, at sunset
Not a selfie, someone offered to take our photo
We are at the End of the Road Motel (very nice accommodation) about to enjoy sunset, beers and a meal at the Sunset Tavern next door. Tomorrow we are taking the
Bourke Developmental Track and probably a night in the tent as we make our way towards
Cairns for a couple of days R & R.