And our journey changes, reflections after a year on the road.

Faced with the prospect of heavy rain (severe thunderstorms),  access routes being cut by rising river crossings and several days waiting for things to dry out again, we held a family discussion.  We had been looking forward to heading down to Main Range National Park, but it looked as if the Park would bear the brunt of the oncoming storms.  At times like this, the resident meteorologist (aka Weather Witch) cast the deciding vote.

We took the easy option, packed up in the sun with everything dry and returned to Mama and Pa's.

All packed up

It was a time to pause for a moment as this decision would mark a turning point in our adventure to date.  

The Majestic Bunya Mountains

With Rocky sporting a new rear window, a dashing silver duco (amazing what a wash will do) and four refreshed passengers, we embarked for a few days in the Bunya Mountains, a couple of hours east of the Sunshine Coast.  It was great to be back on the road again, and we wound our way past the Glasshouse Mountains on our way to the Bunyas.  The road became steeper and signs started warning that the road ahead was unsuitable for buses, trucks and caravans - just our kind of adventure.

The hills became steeper and steeper - but thankfully we had plenty in reserve as Rocky sailed up them in second gear.  We soon had risen over 1000 metres above sea level, and paused to take in the view at Fisher's Lookout.

Bunya Mountains - On top of the world

Bunya Mountains - even Rocky made it!

Recoup, Repair and Recharge on the Sunshine Coast

We rolled off the ferry from Fraser Island with sand in every possible place - and if we thought we were bad - the car was worse.  Our garbage bag rear window was more than up for sedate trips around the island, but the highway revealed a monotonous drone - reminiscent of our days owning a soft top Jeep Wrangler.  We needed a place to stop, unpack and wash everything - and decided to return a surprise on Mama and Pa who lived just down the road.

Thankfully they were home - and graciously allowed us in.  For the next few days we appreciated luxuries such as hot running water, inside bathrooms, comfortable couches, and a library of new books to read.  Mama and Pa thoroughly spoilt us allowing us to catch up on a few other odd jobs.

How good is a couch and a new book!

The first to do was to give Rocky and Matilda a thorough wash.  They had received the special underbody wash at Rainbow Beach - which was a good start, but it was by no means sufficient.  After the wash, the Little Helpers were each armed with a can of WD-40 and sent underneath Rocky and Matilda with instructions to sqirt anything that looked like it might need it.  Two empty cans later, it seemed we were starting to get ontop of the exterior.

Fraser Island - Part 2 - The Stunning Inland

We had enjoyed our time at the beautiful camp site at Dundaburra, but it was time to venture inland and explore some more of Fraser Island.  With low water being not long after breakfast, we packed up in the morning and made our way back south on 75 Mile Beach.

One of the most stunning creeks on the east coast is Eli Creek.  Pure fresh water flows in large volumes along this sandy creek bed into the Coral Sea.  Popular with tourists we were the first car of the morning to pull up near the creek - and for a good 20 minutes had this magic piece of paradise to ourselves.

Eli Creek - delightful

We walked up the boardwark a couple of hundred meters, and entered the water.  Being the first of the morning, the creek was pristine, and jungle perch scooted out of our way as we floated down towards the mouth.  

Fraser Island - Part One - The Rugged East Coast

Fraser Island, or K'gari as it was known long before time began by the Butchulla people, is a magnificent sandy island that is nearly all world heritage listed National Park.  There are almost no sealed roads on the island, meaning the only way to get around it is by boat, or four wheel drive.  Half of the adventure is in getting here - with soft sand on the beach landing the first hurdle.  Rocky pulled us through the soft sand to the firmer stuff closer to the waters edge, and before we knew it, we were on the ferry heading on our way across to K'gari.

On the Manta Ray ferry

The easiest 'road' to drive on the island is the eastern beach.  Whilst you can drive it at high tide, the soft sand makes it heavy going.  We elected to wait until a couple of hours before low water, meaning we would easily clear Hook Point and then be able to drive up to our camp at Dundaburra, about three quarters of the way up the eastern beach towards Indian Head.  Our spirits were high as we rounded the point and started making our way north.  The sand was hard, and we cruised up comfortably at around 60km/hr, well under the signposted 80km/hr.  This is a gazetted road, and normal road rules apply, despite the challenges of surf, fishermen, creeks, washouts and swales in the sand.

The famous 75 mile beach - all hooked up and looking forward to our next few days

Due to the tides, we arrived in camp reasonably late and set up quickly.  The beautiful shaded camp-site was fenced, meaning we wouldn't have to worry about Dingos around camp.  Goannas were another story, meaning we still had to follow our usual food and rubbish pack away routine.

Hervey Bay and a night at Inskip Point

After our adventure at Kroombit Tops National Park, we were looking forward to returning to the coast.  Sea breezes by the sand was what it was all about, however we found out that there was plenty to see on our way to Hervey Bay.

After morning tea at Mount Perry we continued on towards the coast on this road less travelled.

Not far our of Mount Perry we turned off on the unimaginatively named Tunnel Road.  We soon found ourselves on the old railway embankments heading towards the Boolboonda Tunnel - the longest unsupported man made tunnel in the southern hemisphere.  I was nervous that we wouldn't fit through the tunnel, being a rather broad car, with plenty on the roof.  I was worried that if we couldn't fit, I might not be able to turn around with the trailer on.  I needn't have worried - a huge F250 ute with a tinny on top had just come through - meaning we would have plenty of room

And we did.

Boolboonda Tunnel Entrance

As we drove through the tunnel, we paused to look at the Bent Wing Bats that make this place their home.  The hand hewn rock was full of crevices and nooks of all shapes and sizes - perfect place to make your home - except for all the tourists driving through!

Kroombit Tops and Beautiful Betsy

After being told that Kroombit Tops had received 750mm of rain over the past three days, I must admit to feeling that we would not be able to visit the tableland on this trip.  That said, it did seem like an unbelievable figure - after all it is more than our annual average rainfall at home, and there was no evidence of widespread flooding.

Our camp hosts suggested we drop in on the National Parks base nearby and ask them directly.  We did, and were told that a crew had been up in the park the previous day, and all tracks were definitely open!  There was no mention of biblical downpours, and I believe that our information source may have made a error involving the placement of a decimal point.

So we went.

If you haven't heard of Kroombit Tops, we hadn't either until we were talking with a couple from Gladstone a two of weeks earlier.  Of similar geological formation to Blackdown Tableland, it too was opened up for logging from the 1960's until 1995. Its cool tableland provides the northernmost range for many southern dwelling plants and animals, as well as the southernmost range for many northern dwelling plants and animals.  It really is a unique place to visit, and we were looking forward to heading up there ourselves.

Getting there was half the fun.  We wound north from Cania Gorge, on a dirt road that at times resembled a farm track.  There were numerous creek crossings, farm gates and cattle as we traversed this isolated part of the country. 

The drive in had plenty of gates

Agnes Waters, Deepwater National Park and Cania Gorge

We thoroughly enjoyed our four nights at Agnes Waters.  It was supposed to be a quiet rest time savouring the cool of the coast.  After the weekend passed, we had the campsite in Deepwater National Park to ourselves and things were becoming really peaceful.  

Of course the beach was glorious, but we decided to spend a couple of mornings in town visiting the library and getting our tyre repaired.  

In-between catching up on school at the library, we manged to try out a few new moves down at the beach.  We have lugged these boards since home, but they hadn't been used for a long time.  After taking about a hundred photos on the GoPro camera, I settled on these couple as the best shots of a couple of glorious days in the sun and the surf.

 

Surfs up!

Our dash to the coast...

We left Carnarvon Gorge with a couple of options open to us.  The first entailed heading west to the mountains above the gorge, around 300km, or the alternative was to head towards the coast.  The votes were cast, and with the temperatures due to soar into the 40s in the central districts, the outcome was a foregone conclusion.  The coast it was.

We diverted past Lake Nuga Nuga.  We had considered camping here, so were curious to see what was here.  This is the largest natural lake in Queensland yet the lake was full of dead timber which puzzled us.  That said, it was a haven of birdlife and it would have been stunning at sunset or sunrise.  Unfortunately we were enjoying our morning tea and the temperature was well above 30 degrees, so we retreated to the comfort of Rocky's airconditioning and continued up the Arcadia Valley.

Lake Nuga Nuga

Lake Nuga Nuga and Mount Warrinilla

We continued driving east and seriously considered camping near the Krombit Tops National Park.  Unfortunately the tracks in the park are not trailer friendly (very steep and windy), so we continued east through towns such as Banana and Biloela.

Carnarvon Gorge - Or There and Back Again

We arrived late in the afternoon at Carnarvon Gorge, and checked in to the nearby private Takarakka Campground.  We found ourselves nestled in a beautiful bush campground with local wallabies, bettongs and kangaroos to keep us amused.  That said, a particular small furry animal captured Jo's heart - a delightful platypus who lived in the creek near the camp kitchen.  Each evening and morning he came out and foraged up and down the creek, enthralling the handful of campers who were willing to wander down and stand still for a few moments.

A typical photo of a shy platypus

The following morning we had planned on doing the big trek into Carnarvon Gorge, but everyone was a bit weary, so we decided to book in an extra night and walk a couple of the shorter tracks that are nearby.  We figured we would save ourselves for the big hike the next day.  

Unexpected Treasure - Blackdown Tableland

We departed Sapphire bright and early with the hope we would find somewhere cooler to stay the next night.  We thought that Fairbairn Dam near Emerald would be the perfect place to cool off and spend a night or two.

After a quick shop at Emerald, we made our way to the dam.  We found the camping area - and decided to have a bit of morning tea before we checked in.  As we sat sweltering in the shade, we realised that this was not the place we were looking for.  The water was well down, meaning any swimming or fishing would be without shade, and the caravan park was exactly that, a regular caravan park, set well back from the waters edge.  It was decision time.  

Rocky at Fairbairn Dam

A family conference was held and based on all the information we had at hand, the unanimous call was to head somewhere cooler - and that meant the coast (or so we thought).  We wrapped up our morning tea smartly, and jumped back in the car ready for another 350 kilometres on the road.

The Queensland Gemfields nearly gain four residents!

We left Longreach early in the morning and started heading east.  We were basically following the Tropic of Capricorn towards the coast, but there are some interesting things to see on the way.

We stopped at Barcarldine at the famous 'Tree of Knowledge'.  Under the branches of this tree in the 1890's, shearers gathered to protest the poor pay and conditions offered pastoralists.  There were many shearers camps in this area from the Great Shearers Strikes, however it is believed that it was here that the genesis for what was to become the Australian Labor Party was formed.

Move forward a hundred years and it is rumoured that in 2006 someone poisoned the tree - and the resultant sculpture around the dead tree trunk (opened in 2008) is stunning.  Regardless of your political pursuasion, this is an interesting place.

Tree of Knowledge at Barcarldine

We continued on our way east and made our way to a small community called Sapphire.  In the heart of the Queensland Gemfields, this area is famous for its sapphires funnily enough.  To be honest we weren't sure what you could fossick here, as down the road is Rubyvale and Emerald is about 50km further east. 

Longreach - the heart of the Outback

We pulled into Longreach Tourist Park rather exhausted after the previous two days of travelling.  Not only had we driven nearly 900km, but we had also visited all of the main attractions on the Dinosaur Trail from Hughenden to Richmond and Winton.  So why had we driven like madmen?  It was all to do with another part of Australia's history, but this time much more modern than our hundred million year old dinosaur friends.  We were moving forward into the 19th century at a gallop.

Friends had recommended to us a ride on a Cobb & Co Coach - and we had found out that the last run of the season was on Friday - hence our haste to get here.  We had booked on the last coach of the season - and considered ourselves extremely fortunate to gain a seat.  The coaches are run by Kinnon and Co, a family run business that diversified into tourism after a drought in around 2006 nearly sent them to the wall.  Richard Kinnon has expanded the business into so much more than a Coach Ride.  Part history lesson, part adrenaline ride, we signed up for the full deal.

The Cobb and Co coaching empire at its peak had a network of runs across the eastern part of Australia, from Normanton in the gulf to Victoria.  With some 60 000 horses travelling some 45 000km per week, it was an incredible network, that was started by a young man (he was 19) who came to the Goldfields to make his fortune and realised that digging for gold was a pretty hit and miss way to achieve it.  He did recognise however that there was a desperate need for transportation.  His business model is now called franchising, and it made young Mr Cobb extremely rich, however he lost all his money gambling on river boats in the United States - and the business slowly folded in the early 20th century due in no small part to another enterprise that started just down the road - as we shall come to later.

The boys check out our fine steeds for the morning's ride.

Australia's own amazing Dinosaur Trail

We left Charters Towers behind us and started heading west.  We knew we were heading the right direction as the roads were straight, and the soil dry and dusty.  We were planning to spend the next week or so touring Australia's very own Dinosaur Trail, encompassing the towns of Hughenden, Richmond and Winton.  Little did we know we would be journeying back in time to different landscapes, from ancient sea beds, to rainforests and muddy shorelines, and we would be meeting some of the creatures that ruled these environments.

We had been denied our Australian Arms lunch with Mash Potato (Kangaroo and Emu) at the Prairie Hotel Parachilna as it was closed when we passed through the Flinders Ranges, so we couldn't pass the Prairie Hotel Prairie without passing in.  We had a good poke around the old memorabilia in the pub, and the publican (not a backpacker!) on hearing we were off on the Dinosaur Trail, showed the boys some fossils and coprolite (dinosaur poo) from his own collection.  We enjoyed our paddle pops in the 42 degree heat, and continued on.

Prairie Hotel - Prairie!

Long straight to Hughenden

Townsville and Charters Towers

From Airlie Beach we backtracked north on the Bruce Highway to Townsville.  We had given ourselves all day to travel the 280km journey - so it gave us time to explore some of the sights on the way.

Our first stop was Bowen.  We had never pulled into Bowen on previous trips north and south, so we decided to head to Flagstaff Hill and check out the signposted Interpretive Centre.  The Interpretive Centre consisted of a couple of information billboards in a café.  It might have been a stretch to call it an Interpretive Centre, but the view from the top was very pleasing.

Towards Gloucester Island from Flagstaff Hill

Bowen - from Flagstaff Hill

Airlie Beach and the magical Whitsunday Islands

After arriving late the previous day, we were up early and keen to check out Airlie Beach.  Once a sleepy town you passed through on your way to the Whitsunday Islands, it has grown into a destination in its own right.

We enjoyed a relaxing morning around camp, catching up on school work. After lunch we headed into town to check out the Main Street and the Lagoon.  The Main Street is full of the usual tourist shops, aimed squarely at the backpacker market.  There is also a good selection of pubs claiming to be the number one party place in town.  In a way nothing much has changed here since my first visit here back in 1999 - except this time we fit into a very different demographic!  

Main St, Backpacker Central

The most significant change, the Lagoon has turned the waterfront area from a quiet grassy park and uninviting beach into a delightful safe swimming area.  Unlike the Cairns Lagoon, this one has deep water (2.0 metres at its deepest).  Just like Cairns, this one is often surrounded by young people worshiping the sun.

Enjoying the Lagoon!

Wallaman Falls and the first time the boys refuse to get in the car!

From Mount Surprise we took a scenic cross country route to Ingham via Valley of the Lagoons.  Crossing through dusty cattle stations, before passing Mount Fox Volcano and descending down the range to Ingham, we took great pleasure in traversing the road less travelled.

Lunch Stop - Valley of the Lagoons

The Pelican Lakes in the Valley of the Lagoons was a completely unexpected change in scenery from the dry savannah woodland.  The headwaters of the Burdekin River, this area was explored by Leichardt in 1845.

Pelican Lakes

On the road again, Undarra and Mount Surprise

With Rocky passing its first test, the Kuranda Range, with flying colours, I felt confident in hooking up Matilda and resuming our great adventure.  It took us a little time to reorganise ourselves so that everything was back in its proper place, but it was all part of a process to ensure we had everything we needed.

We bade farewell to Mama, Pa and Chris and Shelly and headed into Atherton to refill the fridges and pantry.  The IGA had one of the best selections of fresh food we had ever seen - and the large carpark meant even we could get an undercover park, keeping everything nice and cool. 

Store ship!

Full of food, fuel and water, it was time to head west.  With every passing kilometre the landscape became browner and dryer as we moved from rich dairy farms to open savannah woodland.   We pulled off the road to check out Millstream Falls, reputedly the widest single span falls in Australia.  During World War II, nearly 100 000 troops were camped in the vicinity, and some of the evidence of their traning camps could also be seen in the surrounding countryside.

A relaxing break with family, then Rocky returns

After being completely surprised by Jo's parents at Chris and Shelly's block, we enjoyed a wonderful few days catching up on family news and enjoying the serenity of their piece of paradise.  It was truly wonderful to relax and enjoy time together.   It was also a good time to take stock of all our gear and make sure we were ready for the imminent return of Rocky...

A wonderful picnic at the future house site

Making new friends - the adorable Millie enjoys a bonus cuddle from The Little Fisherman and Mum

Kuranda Sky Rail, Port Douglas, Low Isles and a wonderful surprise

Whilst Rocky was still in at the Dealer's, we were still in a holding pattern within a short radius of Cairns.  Thankfully this didn't affect us too much as we had a rendezvous with some friends from Sydney that had been put in place months before.  

In fact Nic and Dave, along with their beautiful two year old daughter had shared the start of our adventure in Tassie, and we were very much looking forward to catching up with them.  This time though they would not be hiring a camper trailer.  Instead of sleeping under the stars, they had chosen their Port Douglas Resort by the stars - and whilst we were camped down the road at one of the local caravan parks, we might have snuck in to enjoy some of the good life for a couple of days.

With a relaxing catch up being the main priority, we still managed to visit a couple of the most popular tourist attractions in the Cairns region.  In fact we had been looking forward to visiting these attractions for quite a while now, and I am pleased to say they did not disappoint.

Kuranda Scenic Railway and Sky Rail

We booked in for a train ride up the Kuranda Scenic Railway from Freshwater Station to Kuranda, with a return trip on the Sky Rail cable car.  This railway opened up Cairns to the tablelands when it was commissioned in 1891 - invigorating the small town of Cairns and allowing it to grow into a major centre.

The rail line was a major engineering challenge, its climb to Kuranda comprising of 37 bridges and 15 hard carved tunnels up the Barron Valley.  Some five thousand workers toiled to build the railway at its peak, but today we enjoyed riding in tastefully restored carriages past abandoned sidings that in their day had not just tent cities, but in some cases hotels and even breweries!

All aboard the Kuranda Railway... 

Some highlights of the Atherton Tablelands

We returned south after our adventures at Cooktown and Laura at a relaxed pace.  It was time to check out some of the things to see and do in the Atherton Tablelands, and (re)discover why this area is so popular with tourists and locals alike.

We saw some magnificent timber work at the Tolga Woodwork Gallery.  These places always showcase incredible craftsmanship - and the gallery here was no exception. Beautiful timber had been turned into exquisite furniture - and we all enjoyed walking through the gallery.

Tolga Woodwork Gallery - I had hidden Jo's credit card just in case...

Our next stop was Crystal Cave in Atherton.  Rene Boissevain has put together an amazing collection of crystals - and displayed them in a unique quirky cave.  It was fascinating walking through the crystals - many of them able to be held and touched.  

Inside the Crystal Cave

One of the most amazing specimens is a huge Amethyst Geode, standing over 3.5 metres tall. It is simply spectacular and takes your breath away when you walk into the room.  We thoroughly enjoyed our time checking out all the crystals here - even more impressive was that the vast majority are able to be held or touched.  Some of the specimens are extremely rare, others are simply beautiful. This was a fantastic place to visit.    

  

North to ancient lands and where it all changed..

With Rocky still laid up at the dealership waiting for a new cylinder head, Volkswagen had agreed to upgrade our rental car to one with a tow bar.  We swapped the Kluger for a Pajero, and started getting ready to hit the road again.  The only problem was that the new car didn't have electric trailer brakes fitted, so the solution was to fit a brake controller to the trailer.  It took a couple of hours to fit, the extra time being due to the fact I wanted to make sure we could unplug it quickly when we get Rocky back.

Installing brake controller

The following morning, we hitched up the Pajero and started making tracks north.  It was a great feeling to be on our way again, but we missed the comfort of Rocky, and our extra creature comforts that having a massive storage area also brings.  The Pajero towed Matilda easily - but the rear door was difficult to open with the trailer hitched on - and despite our best efforts, the rear of the car soon became a jumble of camping gear and food.

Woo Hoo - outta here 

Still in Cairns, but the end is in sight.

With Rocky laid up at the dealers awaiting a full diagnosis, we got stuck into rediscovering Cairns.  Cairns is a tropical city that relies heavily on the tourist dollar.  That also means that for people like us, there is plenty to see and do.  

We were also extremely fortunate to be holed up in my brother's house - so we were also rediscovering the joys of living in a house. The simple things like running hot water, a full kitchen and comfortable couches were certainly appreciated.  That said we also were doing chores like sweeping the floors and cleaning the bathrooms that we hadn't done for a long time...  there are two sides to every coin.

The boy's continued their routine of cooking dinner for us on Saturday night - necessitating a visit to the famous Rusty's Markets for the fresh food supplies.  The boys did a pretty good job, not just with the shopping, but also the cooking too!

Rusty's Markets

Tourists in Cairns - well sort of...

With Rocky broken down and there being absolutely nothing I could do about it, I felt as if a great weight had been lifted and slept soundly for the first time in ages.  Keeping the show on the road, trying to stay a day or three ahead was obviously more stressful than I realised.  It was time to take a holiday from our holiday!

We treated ourselves to dinner at the Bamaga Resort - and were pleasantly surprised with a delicious meal and great service.  The following day we caught up on some school-work and kicked around the pool before taking an evening flight to Cairns.  We had been hoping to catch the full moon from the some outback camping area, but as it was we saw a magnificent sunset and moon rise from 21 000 feet!  As glorious as it was, even the iPhone couldn't capture an image through the pexi-glass windows!

Not quite our planned form of transportation

We had planned on taking two weeks to rattle our way back to Cairns.  It felt like we were cheating a bit by taking a two hour flight - but there really wasn't anything we could do about it - and so we sat back and relaxed.

Volkswagen continued to look after us with a hire car waiting for us at the airport.  The rows of dazzling cars in the car park reminded us we have been 'out bush' for a long time indeed.  In no time at all we dumped our bags at he hotel and headed to the Night Markets for a leg stretch and bit of supper.  The city was busy - which was great to see - and seems to be shaking off its downturn of the last few years.

The following morning we found ourselves in the unusual position of having nothing planned - so we walked around town like real tourists.  Both Jo and I have lived in Cairns previously, and it was wonderful to introduce our boys to some of our fond memories of the city.  

Cairns Waterfront, delightful, when the tide is in!

Returning south was not so easy - our first major breakdown

After fuelling up an Bamaga we had a little family discussion.  Rocky had a problem.  Admittedly it was a slight problem - the tensioner pully on the serpentine belt looked slightly out of alignment.  

Is that pulley out of alignment?

It didn't look right - and I rang VW Assist to seek their advice.  Their google map based software had no trouble finding us - but finding someone who could help was another story.  As we were still technically mobile (i.e. hadn't broken down yet) they were really unable to do any more for us, other than recommend we take it to the nearest dealer (some 1000km of mostly corrugated dirt road away in Cairns).   Their other recommendation was to turn off the air conditioner to reduce the load on the serpentine belt.    I also isolated the camper's batteries so that they weren't charging off the alternator either.

We had planned to stay nearby at Umagico - but I was worried about the car - and we decided we were better off commencing our journey south... now.  We had two options - 400km to Weipa where we had friends who could help us out, or 1000km to Cairns where we would be able to lean on family as well as friends if we needed.

We held our little discussion - and put the options to the kids.  Bless their little hearts but they agreed to commence a long drive without a moments notice.

So we left.  Air Conditioning off.  Music and any other electrical decvices we could find also off (to reduce electrical load).  Windows down.  Old school road trip.  Only 970km to go!

We arrived at the Jardine Ferry just in time for their lunch break - so after a nervous look after the bonnet, we relaxed by having our lunch and kicking a ball around.  I sat down and wrote out on a piece of paper all our NRMA and VW Assist details, just to make sure we had them handy - a sound piece of planning as it turned out.

All seemed well - or rather no worse - under the bonnet - so we continued.

We made it just 10km when the car stalled, Check Engine Light came on and everything just stopped.  We coasted to a stop on the side of the road.  The inevitable had happened - the belt had shredded itself.

Cape York - The Tip

From our camp at  Sams Crossing we intended heading north on the Bamaga Bypass Road, over the Jardine Ferry and on to Punsand Bay.  Total distance was only 113km, but again our navigation app was suggesting over 9 hours travelling.  In the end we made it by lunch time - including breaks!

The rough plan - It took us three hours, not nine!

The Jardine Ferry cost $145 for the return journey - but includes all permits for the lands on 'The Tip'.  It is a short crossing - and the river is reportedly full of crocodiles, but we didn't see any.

Heading north from Weipa...

From Weipa we made good time back to the Peninsula Development Road (PDR).  Our intention was to camp overnight on one of the creeks between Bramwell Junction and the Jardine Ferry.  Much as the little boy in me wanted to drive the Old Telegraph Track, this is very much the domain of the foolish or heavily modified vehicles.  

Still, we decided it was worth a look - and stopped for a photo at the start of the track.

The start of the Old Telegraph Track

We decided to drive the first couple of kilometres to Palm Creek - where we stopped and had lunch.  The track looked absolutely awful, with a massive drop in, carefully widened with countless  door panels and wing mirrors, before a near vertical winch out the other side.  A good spot we decided to turn around - after lunch - and we returned to the PDR to continue our run north.

A relaxing few days at Weipa

From Coen we continued north along the Peninsula Development Road to Weipa. We had been warned the road was rough and corrugated - and it was, but it was no better or worse than many of the roads we have travelled thus far.  The dirt was still red, the countryside basically woodland and the temperature outside around 30.  The real change was in the sky - we were seeing our first real clouds in what felt like months!

Peninsula Development Road

We pulled into Weipa just before lunch, and enjoyed fresh sandwiches down by Evans Landing Boat-ramp.  Some blokes from Cairns were cleaning some of the largest fish we had seen - Threadfin Salmon.  The Little Fisherman was impressed - but also ensured they heard about his successes in the NT a few weeks earlier.

Normanton, Karumba and a fantastic short cut via Dixie Road to Coen

From our camp at Leichardt Falls, our handy navigation app suggested allowing 31 hours and 20 minutes to travel the 224 kilometres to Karumba.  We expected to be at Normanton by morning tea time, with only another 80km of sealed road to Karumba.  Did the GPS know something we didn't?

This could take a while

Turns out there is a whole heap to see and do in this part of the world.  We stopped at Camp CXIX (119) for a quick history lesson.

Camp 119 - history lesson

It was from here that Burke and Wills made their final dash to the Gulf in 1861, leaving Gray and King at this camp. Burke and Wills were thwarted by the monsoon (it was February), mangroves and clay pans, and never saw a vista of the ocean stretching out before them. It was a bitter disappointment for Burke.  Whilst we now know how ill prepared they were for the perils of their journey, it is honestly amazing that they made it this far at all.

Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park and Riversleigh Fossil Field

Any way you look at it, Australia is a huge country - and occasionally you just have to bite the bullet and drive.  With the weather up here starting to warm up and get more humid, it is a sure sign the build up to the wet season is approaching - and if we want to get to Cape York before the rains come, we needed to get cracking.

We left Bitter Springs early, with the aim of getting as far down the Savannah Way as possible before we all needed to stop.  We decided to take the blacktop to Borooloola - some 550km from Bitter Springs.  From Borooloola the road turns to dirt, and as we had made good time, we decided to push on to the Foelshe River.

Back on dirt roads again - Rocky was made for this sort of touring!

I am going to miss some of the road signs of the Northern Territory,  This sign is found everwhere the road turns from bitumen to dirt.  This example was found in the middle of a long dirt section - with dirt roads stretching for many miles in either direction.  Just in case you'd forgotten I guess.

Nitmiluk National Park and Bitter Springs near Mataranka

All of us were deep in thought as we hit the road again.  Our past few days had been an incredible rollercoaster and we needed time to stop and process it all.  We therefore decided to push past the famous Litchfield National Park and go somewhere a little quieter.  Now don't get me wrong, Litchfield is beautiful, but Jo and I had been before, and it is close and accessible to Darwin.  Sometimes you just have to make the call to stop and let the dust settle.

The perfect place for a couple of nights to clear the head was Edith Falls.  The falls are in the Nitmiluk National Park, just north of Katherine.  A massive plunge pool with clear water was just the ticket to wash off the dust of the road.  It also doubled as swimming lessons for the school diary.

Swimming Lessons - Edith Falls

Our rest day at Edith Falls started slowly with a good old fashioned sleep in.  In fact it was the first time we had slept properly in days.  We caught up on some school work, and I tinkered with a couple of little odd jobs that had been neglected for a while.  It was lovely.

And now for something completely different

The next part of our adventure was not particularly far from Darwin as the crow flies, but it is a long 400km journey by road.  Almost half of the drive is on an unsealed corrugated track, littered with burnt out cars.  We were visiting a part of Australia that is far from the tourist circuit - indeed it is an area often singled out by the politicians and media outlets for all the wrong reasons.

Unsure what to expect, we were nervous about making the journey here.  I was concerned for not just our safety, but for the impression this place would leave on our boys.

I came away with a strong feeling of hope.  

Our destination was a former mission that was established in the 1930's, and relocated to its present location in 1942.  It became a meeting place for many people, with land assigned for each family group within the mission boundaries. This has created an extremely diverse community undergoing a massive cultural change, and this upheaval hasn't always gone to plan.  Our destination was Wadeye (Port Keats).

I wont pretend to even attempt to understand the challenges or issues here, suffice to say they are extremely complex.  There is no simple solution.  

We were visiting Chris and Emily, family friends who had taken a two year contract to teach at the school here.  They are 18 months into their contract, and are considering extending their contract for another two year period.  Chris and Emily played the part of gracious hosts, tour guides, chefs, and translators.  We were extremely fortunate to have such wonderful friends to visit here, who went out of their way to ensure we all got the most out of our visit.

The road in was littered with burnt out cars - because the cost to recover broken down vehicles usually exceeds the vehicle's value.

Darwin - a city transformed

I was looking forward to returning to Darwin after a long absence.  Darwin is a city that for its whole existance could be described as a modern city.  Established as a settlement in 1869 it was soon Australia's link to the rest of the world with the first overseas telegraph station opened in 1872.  The city was rebuilt after being bombed in 1942, and then again after being destroyed by Cyclone Tracey in 1974.  In the past 15 years the rebuild has been more gradual, but we found ourselves in a city we barely recognised - and that is not altogether a bad thing!

We had decided to come a day earlier than planned into Darwin, and spend a day relaxing after our busy tour through Kakadu.  We were all a little weary of travelling, and a bit of caravan park luxury (and washiing machines) was very much in order.

Our first stop was the Rapid Creek Markets.  The tropical fruits and vegetables on display, coupled with the aromas from the food stalls was vaguely reminiscent of a South East Asia market - without the enthusiastic haggling!  We enjoyed a fruit smoothie - first treat of the day.

Mmmm... Rapid Creek Markets

Our next stop was Casurania Shopping Mall, a typical mall with all the same shops you find everywhere - but we weren't here for the shopping.  We had a little surprise for the boys up our sleeves.  We told them we were looking for a new pair of shoes or some such guff.  When we went up the stairs to the cinema, the game was eventually up, and we took the boys in to see a movie.    They didn't know the movie until the opening scene - and were thrilled with the choice.  How to Train a Dragon 2 was extremely well received.

Kakadu - a definite must do!

Kakadu is one of Australia's largest National Parks.  It is an impossibly large area that requires years of exploration to see all of its features in all its seasons.  All we had was a week - and after our big few days on the road getting up here, taking it easy was a big priority.

We came in from the south on the Kakadu Highway, and stopped at the Park Entrance Station to pick up a pamphlet on the park.  

I don't pretend to be a historian, but the history of Kakadu is tied up closely with Aboriginal custodians coming to stand up against mining interests who threatened to destroy their land.  One way or another there is a lot of uranium, lead, mercury and arsenic in these hills - and the Aboriginals knew much of this area as 'Sickness Country'.  Interestingly as geologists mapped the area, the areas with the highest concentrations of those minerals correlated strongly with the sickness story.  

The small display at the entrance station did a good job to introduce the many eras of Kakadu's history, from the ancient geological processes that formed its landscapes, the Aboriginal history here, and then the pastoralists and miners.  It is a complex story with many chapters.

Relics from the Uranium Mining at the Park Entrance Station

Our first camp for the night was at Gunlom Falls.  A good gravel road deteriorated into a rough track leading to the camping area.  A stunning plunge pool at the base of the falls looked inviting.  We had heard that the active monitoring and trapping process for keeping Estuarine Crocodiles out of this pool was assisted greatly by a big male crocodile nick named 'The Gate Keeper' who lived downstream.  The irony that a crocodile kept this pool crocodile free wasn't lost on us, and we chose not to go for a swim that evening after we set up camp.

On the road north - Stuart Highway Alice Springs to Pine Creek

We pulled out of Kings Canyon early in the afternoon, with the intention of staying at the Henbury Meteorite Craters, a couple of hours down the road on the 100km long unsealed Earnest Giles link road.  This road is the shortest route back to the Stuart Highway from Kings Canyon, but is recommended for 4WD only.

We were now about to return north - and head to the Top End.  Our minds were looking forward to warmer weather and water holes we could swim in.

We pulled into the dry and dusty camping area at the Henbury Meteorite Craters around 4.15pm - a good time to be pulling up for the night.  However the wind was whistling though the campground creating a most unappealing proposition for the evening.  

We decided to check out the craters, before making up our minds for the night.  The Little Helper indicated his preferences by sitting down in the car park before we even set off... he was over it before we even started.  

Jo and the Little Fisherman at the Henbury meteorite craters

The craters were formed when a meteorite broke apart just before impacting the ground.  There is a series of craters of various sizes, that apparently were studied by NASA before sending astronauts to the Moon.  Unfortunately after our visit to Wolf Creek Crater, these were a poor second, and we regrouped a short time later at the car park with the decision made to press on.

A few kilometres later we pulled back on the Stuart Highway, the major north-south highway.  A few kilometres north and we stopped at the Finke River Rest Area.  Several other people were set up for the night, and we found a spot to park.  The first priority was to cook dinner - however as Jo was cooking the meal about 5 road trains rolled though shattering the peace.  I decided this was the last place I wanted to stay for the night, so with dinner cooked, we put it in the Thermal Cooker and pushed another half hour north to the Redbank Waterhole at Owen Springs Reserve.

And what a great spot we found.  About 6km off the highway, we found ourselves a fantastic camp near the waterhole on the Hugh River.  It was blissfully quiet, and we soon had a nice litte fire going whilst we ate our dinner.  

The following morning we decided to take it nice and slowly - and I enjoyed my morning cuppa before the family got up.  There is nothing like a freshly brewed cup of coffee whilst camping to set everything in order for the day that follows.

The Jolly Swagman never had it this good.

The unforgettable Kings Canyon Rim Walk

We made good time out of Yalara and soon pulled off the road at a free camp, just south of Kings Creek Station, nestled at the foot of the George Gills Range.  It was a fantastic spot to set up for the night, sheltered, well off the road, and plenty of firewood to keep the chill out of the night air.

Ripper free camp

It didn't take long for the boomerangs to come out and practice to commence.  It didn't take much longer to figure out why the Aboriginals didn't use returning boomerangs in areas with lots of trees - as ours were soon stuck and almost lost in the branches of the Mulga.

Boomerang Practice