Planes, boats, a train and an automobile - hai Karumba!

[bPeteb]

Forgot the giant croc in Normanton



We're not sure how but I'm worried we're becoming twitchers. We take a lot of photos of birds and here we are, stopped at Mutton Hole Wetlands (that weren't very wet), taking pictures of birds

We've found out what we thought were all brolgas are in fact brolgas (red rig around back of head), sarus cranes, red nearly whole of head, and hybrids of the two

brolgas, magpie geese and ducks (hahahaha, we're very expert twitchers )



more of those geese



and some pelicans



lots of cranes and brolgas on the weird flat road out to Karumba

this is a... sarus crane



we stayed at End of the Road Motel. A couple we'd met at Cobbold had also decided to stay here after we mentioned we were going to be there for a couple of nights. They greeted us as we arrived to let us know the power had just come back on after a five hour outage. Note on reception door letting us know our room number and the keys were in the door

We'd pulled up beside the pool and loved the sign. Is that bombing hooliganism and glass children?



our humungous room







The Anchorage Bar & Grill on the beachside of the motel. We had a fantastic meal here, as in really good. Beautifully presented and delicious. We were sat with other people so I didn't get my camera out. I wish that I had

 

[bPeteb]

So to our first Karumba sunset. We were sat at the Karumba Sunset Hotel (conveniently right next door to the motel). It was just a little spectacular

 

[bPeteb]

Because we travelled so late in the season, most of what Karumba offers from a tourist perspective has closed. No sunset or croc cruises. Even Kerry-D fishing had stopped for teh season. I'd emailed the motel to ask if they knew if there were still fishing tours going out and the recommended Mick's Fishing Adventures and I'd called him from Cobbold. We would have preferred to go out on our full day but instead we were booked for the morning of the day we went back to... Croydon.

That meant this day was a day of not much. We went for a walk up to the boat ramp

noisy corellas in a park up the road









some black necked cranes (not jabirus!)





and into the wetland where there's a path that runs from the point right through to the main township



lots of wobblies in the wetland



We visited the Les Wilson Barramundi Discovery centre that was actually really interesting. Completely forgot to take pictures. Had a very ordinary sausage roll at the bakery but teh lady who ran it was lovely and she had some very funny signs on the walls

 

[bPeteb]

then setlled in at The Sand Bar at the pub for the afternoon





Somehow we ended up sitting with the assistant chef from the motel's restaurant. He was a very interesting guy. What a life.

There's a lot of kites everywhere up north and these ones are the fnq equivalent of the seagulls that pinch chips from your hand. One of these kites took a fish taco out of the hand of a patron at the motel restuarant



They are constantly swooping on tables at the pub. I'd guess it's beacuse there a nest in a tree at the pub



and the chicks grow up not at all scared of people. Time to move the nest?

Literally the first storm of the season decided to roll in and our dinner back at the restaurant was cancelled as they decided not to open



it didn't come to much. There was about 10 drops of rain and a bit of wind so we had dinner at the pub. Herb crusted barra



and curry prawns



and then a stormy purple sunset

 

[Ade]

My shadow stuck

Now, that's a nice way to fly (& to start a trip)

 

[Ade]

curry prawns

The curry prawns & the saffron rice(?) looks nice. But the curry prawns I know (& have seen, never eaten because I'm a vego) is never white in color. It's always red, scarily spicy with sweat beads running down your face as you scoop up the final morsel of the curry ...

 

[RooFlyer]

Fab-o Trip Report!! Very envious. Love der boids.

 

[bPeteb]

The curry prawns & the saffron rice(?) looks nice. But the curry prawns I know (& have seen, never eaten because I'm a vego) is never white in color. It's always red, scarily spicy with sweat beads running down your face as you scoop up the final morsel of the curry ...

Wasn’t quite a saffron kinda pub Ade. The restaurant at our motel would have been that place

It was missing heat of any measure but the prawns were fresh and local so it was ok. I was out on a boat early the next burning so not burning hot was possibly good for everyone

 

[Buzzard]

Queensland Rail have a 6 day package Cairns to Cairns for around $2k.
It includes the Gulflander, Savannahlander and the gorge. I'm waiting for bookings to open for next year. I'll drive to and from Cairns, different route there and back.
I've found this TR quite interesting.

 

[bPeteb]

Up with the sparrows, or corellas as it was, to go fishing with Mick who was picking us up beside the boatramp down the road at 6:45. he was sitting just off sure waiting when we got out there. Technology is so great now. Mick had one of those little 'square' devices that I was able to use to pay. It was $170 each for four hours but we ended up being out for closer to four and a half.

We let Mick know straight away that whatever we caught was his as we were back on the road when we got back and wouldn't be able to do anything with any fish (wishful thinking).

Mick's very cool boat (taken when we got back). Rod's and bait provided and Mick rebaited our hooks most of the time. Neither of us had any issue with baiting up but he had to do something. We eventually told him he should get a line in as well.



I wish we'd worn our thongs. We thought we'd get wet feet so didn't but we wouldn't have due to him just lowering the bow ramp. The rubber matting Mick had in the boat eventually got very uncomfortable on our feet.

It was a beautiful morning and we had a great time







No idea how many gay couples Mick has taken out but he was a really nice guy.

You can see the matting in this pic. I can't remember what this was (bAl's first fish of 12) but it would be used for bait. I managed eight I think that ranged from a few grunter about 20cm up to one just under legal size. It was maybe 36cm. I only missed one decent fish that Mick thought would have been anotehr salmon.



this blue salmon was Mick's fish but bAl landed it as Mick had to net it



Mick blooded each keeper and then chucked them in his cold box



bird's nest way out on a channel marker

 

[bPeteb]

Lunch at the cafe across the road from our motel, and the pub. It was an excellent barra burger





then we headed off for Croydon, for the third time

The flat flood plains on the road to Normanton



more brolgas



and a whole lot more



before we checked into the Croydon Club Hotel we called into the visitor centre as we had a releative of a friend to research. They thought he was born in Croydon but their records indicated he was Georgetown born. The visitor centre has an interesting sculpture garden, some house replicas, and bits of the original trains that they are slowly piecing together.

 

[bPeteb]

then across the road a heritage walk though a number of old buildings that have been nicely restored/rescued



the court had an interesting audio presentation that simulated a court case. It was really well done and gave us a good laugh









then it time for a cold beer at the only pub in town





Our room was yet again gigantic, and definitely one of only two that had been completely rebuilt (renovated doesn't go close). The rooms were in two blocks behind the hotel. The rest, in the same building and one other, looked very original. From our block you could walk across the grass to the pool.

 

[bPeteb]

The pool and an old petrol pump in the gardens





we sat outside and watched not much. So little traffic





Our options for dinner were the pub and. No, the pub was our only option.

Another storm rolling across the area. No rain, but some lightning and thunder





It was the raffle night for the local RFS. We bought piles of tickets but came up blank. We would have got them to redraw in any case. Not much we could have done with a meat tray or a chook

Dinner was barra, again, and it was fresh and delicious. Not sure why on earth we bought the fries. We ate about one quarter of them



last sunset from the west

 

[bPeteb]

The highlight of the trip to Undara was seeing three wedgetail eagles on the road snacking on roadkill. This is the only one we managed to get a picture of. They are magnificent



we stopped at coughberland again. Not much about this time



cough road



and roadworks to try and make some of the coughness less cough



and stopped again at the Georgetown Roadhouse for another sanger. This time I went crazy and actually had a bacon and egg roll! It had half a pig on it



loved this bit of road that rose up above the savannah. It was spectacular from the other direction





the lowlight of the drive was a lowlife not slowing down as he approached and flicking a stone onto our windscreen. Our Cairns friends had said to make sure we had windscreen cover and they also gave us some patches in case we got chipped. As soon as we were hit we pulled over, cleaned the crack and applied the patch. Avis were very surprised when we got back. The 3cm crack didn't budge

 

[bPeteb]

Savannah Way sign



and a great 100kmh capture by bAl of a very cool water tank for the cattle





Before going to Undara we visited the Kalkani Crater (on the same road).







Great walk around the crater edge



but sadly some nearby fires that were a little concerning



yep, another rosella



and then we also walked down into the bottom of the crater

 

[bPeteb]

Some more from Kalkani







like most every park there are cattle grazing



Undara was excellent - the place, the staff and the food. When we were checking in we were advsied that the railway carriges were not airconditioned and could be hot. Undara is all about them but we were given the option of changing to the brand new homestead rooms.

Our room

 

[bPeteb]

the pool was calling and it was great. It even had entertainment - lorikeets playing in the waterfall and wallabies and kangaroos coming to visit









the 'hub' of the resort has a roof that mimics the shape of the lava tubes



this pork cutlet was terrific

 

[bPeteb]

looking back at the resort as we walked to breakfast. Smoke was hanging in the air





we pre-paid for the outback breakfast ($26 each) and it was excellent



making toast







then we did the Telegraph walk

 

[bPeteb]

more from our walk that we added another track onto that gave us a look down over the resort

 

[bPeteb]

It was then time for the lava tube tour. We both loved this. A warning. If you have any trouble with stairs this trip possibly isn't for you. Even though we didn't think there was enough to worry about, and both of us have lower leg issues, one guy made it down the first lot and that was it. For him it was a long slow walk back up.