Showing posts with label freecamping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label freecamping. Show all posts

Sunday, 6 September 2015

queensland: boodjamulla to karumba on the savannah way

It was hard to leave Adele's Grove. It was a relaxing week that we could have extended. 

We broke our rule again, briefly, and back tracked along the road back to Gregory Downs. If we had the time we would have stayed a night by the river like so many were. It looked beautiful. 

Heading north we hit the tiny town of Burketown where we bought a few supplies from the grocery store that had been recommended - in the post office. Some of these remote towns have deliveries of fresh food once a week. We made the most of a delivery. 


We almost stayed in Burketown but opted for the freecamp at Leichardt Falls instead. This must be an incredible sight in the wet or even after a wet wet. So much of the top end has struggled after a dry wet season. 




We do love just pulling up at a free camp for the night. 


The dirt road from Leichhardt Falls to Normanton was the best dirt we've encountered in our lives. There's always talk about the condition of dirt roads and there's a lot to be said about the impact of lots of traffic, weight and speed. 

One of Normanton's claim to fame is the shooting of the suspected largest croc in Australia by a local croc hunter. Obviously this practise isn't condoned or encouraged anymore thankfully. Normanton also housed a teeny tiny public library where the kids went crazy over the books!


Karumba is a town on the coast on the Gulf of Carpentaria. We wanted to see that sea since we had no intention of doing 'The Cape' on this trip. The population is predominantly made up of grey nomad fisherman holiday maker who fill their freezers over a few months each year. 

Tuesday, 18 August 2015

queensland : mount isa, corella dam

Wow. Mount Isa. A town built on mining and which literally is built on the mine. A view from the town's lookout gives you a perspective of the size of the mine with the town sprawled out underneath it. We had a full day of jobs to get done in Mount Isa. The kids patiently tagged along before we took them to the huge playground. Despite sections being closed this park was the best we've seen on the trip with activities for kids of all ages. 


We were quite sure we didn't want to stay overnight in Mount Isa so at 4pm we headed the 60km East to the Corella Dam freecamp. There's so much room by the dam here (which used to provide water for the nearby now extinct uranium mine). It was a stunning place!


But we had to childproof our fire in the morning. 


It was lucky we'd bought that playpen in Darwin. 

Monday, 23 March 2015

victoria: mount franklin reserve

There are some places that we visit that we'll never forget - Buchan (Vic), Boat Harbour Beach (Tas), Bay of Fires (Tas), Cradle Mountain (Tas) to name a few. 

Mount Franklin Reserve is another place to add to the list - a free camp - which we found in Camps 8. In paddocks, just out of Castlemaine, is an extinct volcano and within it is Mount Franklin Reserve. There are toilets but otherwise campers need to take home rubbish & have their own water. 

The sites are under towering pines and it's absolutely beautiful. The kids & J enjoyed a short walk around the top of the volcano and playing hide and seek in the forest. 

I'm sure there'd be times when this is very busy.