QUEENSLAND 2-27 June

2 June 08 CHINCHILLA

Left home at 1:30 with some trepidation.  Rained much of the night, continuing through the morning, at times very heavy.  Could have left an hour earlier if we were convinced that going today was the right thing to do.  The deciding factor for me was weather reports showing no rain from 9am to 12pm around Chinchilla.  We both also felt that bad weather could cause problems anywhere and should not stop our plans.

David drove sensibly as usual through rain for 2 hours.  At that point, a surreal landscape appeared - flat country with high black cloud, a layer of beautiful blue sky below and white thick clouds down to the horizon.  Arising from the clouds were several hazy towers, a power plant west of Oakey.

Our rig coped well with conditions, including a hassle-free pull up to Toowoomba.  We got WW fuel at Dalby, 143.9 for unleaded, but David opted for PULP at 150.

As we neared Chinchilla, the setting sun ahead caused problems for David with reflections off roadside pools.

Crossed our first cattle grid at Brigalow, 20km east of Chinchilla.

Decided to stay in a cabin rather than put up trailer in falling light with possible rain overnight.  Price of our "villa" was higher than expected - $85 - but we got the last cabin and park was almost full.

3 June LONESOME NATIONAL PARK

en route to Lonesome

On to Lonesome NP by 3pm, having travelled through rain much of the time.  No problem getting in and we were the sole occupants. 

Lotus australis

Walked down a bush road for 30 mins; passed by a cheerful pair in truck with 2 caged pig dogs and nets.  Worried that we would have no defence against the dogs if they chose to threaten us.  However, we heard them return around 7pm, presumably after an evening of trapping/fishing.  Nice to be able to wash naked, toilet, but we saw and heard few animals.  Quiet, very quiet night - no bird or other noises.

Dawson R near camp not flowing but green banks.  Saw several grey? kangaroos? and 3 turquoise parrots - callistris and acacia country.

4 June SPRINGSURE

Decided to press on as low natural history interest there.  However, a 500m walk to the Lonesome Lookout on the way out provided a few nice features. 

David & Acacia bancroftii - flower below

Sticky daisy

Pomax umbellata

Springsure Caravan Park looked OK.  I asked for site 8 because there were no immediate neighbours, but I had not noticed that it was the only site without a concrete pad, so we had 2 days with a largely dirt front yard.

Minerva Hills NP - went there and walked a trail built by local prisoners recently.  This on (EPA) Barry's recommendation.  He did not mention that the road in was awful and to be closed for repair on 9 June.  Glad we didn't have the trailer. 

Fred's Gorge Springsure

View from Minerva Hills

Springsure from Minerva Hills

What is this insect?

The area had suffered from a recent bushfire, though the views were thus more expansive than usual.  Well worthwhile going there for views and birdlife.

5 June SPRINGSURE

Had to wait in Springsure for our wireless connection - left at home, Suzy posting it to Springsure.  Not there Wed.  Fortunately post arrives by 9am daily.  Went to library to research Minerva Hills, Salvator Rosa - found Eric Anderson's book on Central Queensland plants and photocopied scientific index.  
In afternoon, walked to town along pleasant bike path beside Springsure Creek.

Later did a driving tour to the only golf course in Australia? with a trainline through it.  Very peaceful at 4pm.

Nearby was Virgin Rock.

    Passed by heritage listed hospital - 2 tiny huts.  Drove into Showgrounds to find a decent looking caravan park, possibly free, with powered sites and only 3 vans.   Home and while I organised dinner, D. drove back to get some wine - had to pay $30 for 2x2l casks, Yalumba and Renmano.  Hope they taste good.

6 June SALVATOR ROSA

To town for shopping, post office (wireless connection arrived!), EPA.  SPAR was quite reasonable in pricing for tomatoes - fresh local @ 4.95 and tin Ardmona on special 79c.  Butcher down the road was even better - rib fillet 18, roasting pork 7.5, marinated chicken legs 7 ...  Another library stop for successful download of Minerva Hills NP species list.

Left town at 10:35.  Destinator gave distance of 111 and time of 2 hours to SRosa, but this was only to the turnoff.  Stopped several times to look at creeks/waterholes/mountain vistas.  Plenty of birds around - raptors, cormorants (at Nandowrie 60km from Spr.), great egrets, little friarbirds, straw-necked ibis, masked lapwings, choughs, apostle birds,usual bush birds. 

Dawson Dev Road

Dawson road had more bitumen than promised and gravel was a bit bumpy but OK.  Cungella Rd was mostly good and grader was and had been working some sections.  SRosa road had a short horrible stretch of black soil - we hope it's dry when we return.  DPS says it's a true dirt road.

Arrived SR around 2pm.  George and Jennifer from Tasmania only other campers, en route to Carnarvon Station as Bush Heritage volunteers.  Rain started just after we set up camp but stopped when we decided to have a walk along the Nogoa Creek anyhow.

Nogoa Ck near crossing

Nogoa Creek area near camp

Sandy banks, fast flowing, mostly shallow.  Superb blue wrens, darter and grey kangaroos - 1 with joey posed for photo near rangers' quarters.

Kangaroos in our camp

7 June SALVATOR ROSA

No rain overnight, though overcast in morning.

Did the washing, cut lunch and set off along road at 10am to Belinda Springs or however far we could get.  Back just after 2 having walked over 11km.  I was tired, probably because we had little rest and by 12:30 the sun was out with blue sky.

Louisa Creek peat bed

However, it was a great walk to the junction with Louisa Ck, acacias in full bloom lining the road.
Many birds were seen including striated pardalotes, cinnamon-rumped, not at all shy and in 2m acacias.  A large flock of possibly tree martins kept me puzzled - creamy underparts, not forked tail, white under wings and on rump, but could not see heads clearly.  Had a really close view of a darter and immature BFCS at Louisa Ck.  On way home I was pleased to see 2 Jacky Winters and a rufous whistler clearly.

Stripped off into swimming togs and washed my clothes before having a "bath" down at the river.  We are now infested with many small ticks and need to be vigilant.

8 June TAMBO

John and Judy left this morning.  We walked up the small hill next to our camp, finding much of natural interest but no view.  Low growth included lomandra, dianella, lettuce-green lichen, a spiky small bush with green and white leaves and pink tubular flowers.

David likes ants

Glider scars

Saw a pair of red-necked wallabies next to the grey kangaroos.

Drove to Major Mitchell Springs and walked to the nearby old cattle yards.  Good spot for Mitchell to rest up with small cliff behind, flat area for camp and cattle and permanent water (which we couldn't see for all the vegetation - looked like a not very wet swamp).

Looked for Homoranthus Hill on the way back - stopped at Belinda Spring and walked a few hundred metres but found no path.  Sky became increasingly overcast and I worried about rain preventing our exit tomorrow.  We did the 150m walk up to the Lookout (= Homoranthus Hill?) and found the view very expansive and well worth the steep uphill walk.

Then David obviously opted out of SRosa because he drove straight past the 400m walk to Spyglass.  We packed up quickly.  The black soil area was far drier and we exited the NP with no problems.  Then we turned left onto the Dawson Development Road to Tambo, choosing this as a shorter option than the road to Alpha.  Very soon we read a sign 'Next 55km boggy when wet'.  Understatement as road was bad for 70km.  However, it was reassuring in retrospect that our rig and driver handled the conditions quite well.

Arrived in Tambo around 5 and booked into a very upmarket motel and van park.  The owner quite nicely pointed out that we could not hose down our rig anywhere in Tambo except at the truck washdown facility some streets away.   We were VERY muddy.  Did not put up awning.  Walked downtown and bought delicious hamburgers at Fanny Mae's. 

9 June BARCALDINE

Rained overnight enough for us to drop quite a bit of mud, which David dutifully spaded off on to the garden.   I panicked about wet canvas when a few drops fell after breakfast.  A pity as my haste to leave put DPS in a bad mood and me later when I realised that I had missed a special birdwalk in the town.

Rain did not follow us as we drove the 100km to Blackall, stopping there for lunch. 

Tambo Masonic Hall

Another sight in Tambo

Tambo Barcoo crossing

Caravans were parked all over an area next to the Barcoo River - a sign said camping ok if you get a council permit.  Dk if free.  Went to the info centre - no help re Forest Den NP. 

Bird watched beside the Barcoo while DPS sat at a shelter and updated his diary.  I had lovely views of magpie-larks,striped and white-plumed honeyeaters jockeying for position beside a small lagoon.

105km to Barcaldine - booked in at Barc.Tourist Park - free wireless internet! and pleasant grassy sites.  We were given a top spot on the outskirts but near the amenities, with views of paddocks, not caravans.

10 June BARCALDINE

Great weather for clothes washing - fine and windy.  Free washing machines here.  Walked to town for exercise and checked out the local shops and sights.  Lost my pedometer but reckoned it had to be after seeing either sparrows or white-plumed honeyeaters and writing down the info.  David spotted it on the grass when returning.  Lucky! 

Out in car in the afternoon to visit the Botanic Gardens - couldn't find them - only reference was in the 'Outback Qld' book.  Close look at the Masonic Lodge - trompe d'oeil facade so realistic and done on weatherboards.  At Lagoon Creek we surprised a docile yellow-billed spoonbill and 2 excitable little black cormorants.

Finally went to the Australian Workers Heritage Centre and found it quite impressive.  Nice landscaped grounds containing 13 buildings including the Celebration Theatre aka "The Tent'.  I was particularly interested in the railway station, police watch house, displays related to aboriginal work in the area over the years, the 1891 shearers' strike and repercussions.

11 June BARCALDINE

Lazy morning until went to Lagoon Creek at 10.  Saw 15 birds in an hour.  Petrol and shopping. Lovely day, fine and windy as yesterday.  Computer use, packing up, preparing BBQ pork spareribs.  Surprised a mouse under the bed when packing.  Still there - will leave side flap open and ensure no food available - hope we don't take it to Forest Den tomorrow.

Thurs 12 June FOREST DEN

Morning trip to investigate Showgrounds as park owner reported brolgas there a few weeks ago.  No luck, but followed a side track and found some men organising the night's kill of wild pigs into chiller.  Had seen several wild game chiller cargo containers (so labelled) on the outskirts of Blackall and Barcaldine. 

Off to Aramac and Forest Den around ten.  An easy, dead kangaroo lined road to Aramac - a whistling kite and crows at each carcass.  Saw small group of zebra finches.

Aramac had a young girl from London manning the post office - had never heard of Forest Den, can't drive and only been there 5 months.  Walk down wide main street, modelled on Melbourne - good park with pool, young mum with 2 in stroller; good smell from bakery run by young couple with crawling baby - bought sliced multigrain loaf; two young women in council office knew nothing of Forest Den but said, correctly, that main road would be good.

 9km to 4 Mile Campground beside creek. Only people here - seemed a great place to camp. Saw so many birds in 30 minutes - yellow-billed spoonbills, pied cormorants, w wagtail, peaceful doves, white-faced heron (1st for trip), galahs, black-fronted dotterel, grey-crowned babblers, brown treecreeper, little grebe, little black cormorants, striated pardalotes, many white-plumed honeyeaters ....

River red gums Cornish Creek

Lovely evening and to bed by 8pm.

After Forest Den turn, road looked okay but a few tricky washouts - DPS reckoned it would be impassable if heavy rain.  Note that we drove to the camp with trailer attached - easier driving later without trailer.

 Friday 13 June FOREST DEN

Slept in till 7:30 - sun just hitting ground. Walked 3km south along Torrens Ck, sighting 9 extra birds for me at FD. 

Home for lunch and checking species lists on computer and against books carried.  Short walks later east of camp - DPS saw 10 pigs and a small mob of grey kangaroos.  Beside creek, I found a 30cm grey tail with end ring of black, then white - cat??

Drove back along road out, turning back at Corinda and NP sign, then going out towards main road for a few km.  Walked in for 5 mins and found creek again, looking dry but 10 mins later came to waterholes.

Ipomoea muelleri ?

Saw apostle birds for first time on this trip.  On return, found them again close to camp.  Drier areas away from creek gave me sightings of 3 emus, 1 pied butcherbird and double-barred finches.

Saturday 14 June WHITE MOUNTAINS

Pandorea pandorana, Torrens Ck

Left FD around 9:30 and drove on good road most of the way to Torrens Creek.  The 90 or so km of gravel was OK to good and and in the process of being sealed most of the way.  Torrens Creek is one pub with nothing to recommend it.  Stopped there for petrol at 166.9 (reluctant to sell us much as waiting for tanker refill) and a cold drink.  Decided against an overnight stop in the attached, powered yard.  No drinking water available.  Lack of fresh food and water meant that we would be restricted to 1 or 2 nights at White Mountains NP.

 Very hard to find entrance as not noted on NP brochure ! and obscured by road train parking.  However, first few km into park were a spectacular blaze of colour from 3 species of grevillea - orange, white and red, acacias and a pea flower, daviesia, I think.  Saw several honeyeaters including brown, singing and rufous-throated plus white-winged trillers. 
 Campground was 10km from entrance in an unattractive area at first glance, though it had a new toilet.  David walked up an embankment expecting to find evidence of a quarry or mine.  Instead, he found that Cann Creek had carved a spectacular path through the sandstone, leaving some cliffs about 8m high.  Creek was dry but bordered by lovely grevilleas in flower.

Cann Creek

David in Cann Creek

Grevillea pteridifolia

Grevillea decora

Scarlet (northern) jezebel

Grevillea sessilis

Acacia sp

Daviesia sp

Grevillea glauca - bushman's clothes peg

Sawpit Gully

Note scratches on trunk

Attractive tree - query species

Thought we had the place to ourselves, so I stripped off to bathe using bucket and cup. 

Just drying myself when I heard a vehicle - this at 5pm.  Got inside trailer in time while David greeted the newcomer, who happens to be the locum pharmacist in Hughenden, gave me a tube of Celestone and expects me to turn up on Monday for some more medication to help with the kangaroo ticks.

Sunday 15 June HUGHENDEN

Up late again around 7:30; temp -1, though soon got up to 8 degrees.  Packed up and drove to turnoff for Sawpit Gorge Lookout, 2.3km away.  Walked there for the exercise and saw few flowers and birds, but interesting nevertheless for the sandstone outcrops, solitary budgie, variegated wren, white-winged triller and rufous-throated honeyeater.  Actual walk was 5.8 km.

Arrived in Hughenden around 2pm. 

Flinders River

Hughenden park

An odd town because so many main roads converge - there are businesses on the Winton, Mt Isa, Charters Towers exits.  Showered early to get all our clothes washed in the machine.  Excellent drying here as brought in nearly all the washing at 7:30pm, having hung it out 3 hours earlier.  Spectacular sunset - very red.  Chinese meal for $30 was OK - doing a brisk takeaway but only one other diner.  Able to change TV there from Gladiators to SBS - first TV since 2 June.  Not missing much!

Monday 16 June PORCUPINE GORGE

Morning priorities were shopping, petrol, emails.  Decent supermarket and good butcher.  Got Itcheze plus cream from chemist.  Astonished to find that neither the library nor the local technology centre would allow us to use our laptop.  So didn't send the prepared email to family.  Probably should have used their facilities to check our incoming mail, but $3 hour for possibly nothing put us off.  No wireless connection in Hugh. according to tech centre.  Then tried to use our new Telstra Next G phone - no service available, it said, despite showing a good signal.   Aarghh!!

Black basalt rocks en route

View from Bottletree Lookout

After leisurely drive from Hugh., stopping at every marked spot of interest (lookouts, graves, artesian bore), set up camp, then walked down to Gorge, 1.2km below campsite.  Pleased that we took 20mins down and 30 mins back, instead of 30 mins and 1 hour as advertised.

Turned right towards Pyramid and walked about 20 mins past it.  Returned at 4:30pm to cook stew.  Annoyed by talkative computer-background neighbour, who invaded our privacy (=our kitchen/dining area) for over an hour.  He was in a caravan - much easier for him to have a private situation. 

Tuesday 17 June  PORCUPINE GORGE

Turned left after reaching bottom of gorge in 20 mins.  Walked for 5 hours along PG = 9 km of somewhat difficult walking - 2.4 up and down and much over deep sand.  Pretty scenery with good specimens of red callistemon, white melaleuca, 3 figs (coronata and ..), casuarina cunninghamii, small eucalypts and much more. 

Sandstone cliffs

weevil query

Series of long pools, varying in contents from clear, fishy (one had plain brown and zebra-striped fish about 7cm), green algae, brown plants.  Stripped off and had a bathe in one sandy bottomed pool - very refreshing. 

After some hours, gorge narrowed and walking on cliff shelves freaked me - vertigo. 

Footprints on sandy parts reflected recent annual run - PG Challenge - and it would have been a hard run because of deep sand and many large pebbly sections.

Very tiring walk back in heat of day.  To get up cliff to campsite, I poured water on my head, back and chest.

Still climbed up in 35 mins, not 1 hour suggested in brochure.

Able to laze around on bed for 2 hours on return - not too hot thanks to 'picture' window beside bed.  Luxury!!

NB Still suffering night itches from kangaroo ticks. David found a live tick on my shoulder!  Why am I so attractive??

Wednesday  18 June  RICHMOND

 

Arrived back in Hughenden around 12 after a stop at Porcupine Gorge Lookout - quite spectacular.  Checked out our Telstra phone at Retravision, the local Telstra agent.  Found our SIM only worked for Brisbane, sold and installed another SIM for $30.  Competent girl.  And yes, we could then ring Suzie (not answering) and speak to Peter. 

Not happy to drive hours to Julia Ck so just went one hour further to Richmond.  Good choice.

  Caravan park charges $24 but is only one in town,good amenities and view over countryside, golf course and lake.  Also bought de Bertoli cask for only $1 more than Brisbane, put on roast beef bought in Hugh. and then walked around local man-made lake.  Tourists and locals were out circling lake which includes water ski ramp, boat ramp and beach.  Also appreciating it were several birds - black cormorant, pelican, magpie larks, willy wagtails and 3 small black water birds, just like coots without white 'noses'.

 Visited Kronosaurus Korner set up by Queensland Museum - very interesting displays of marine fossils.

Ate a good roast beef meal, cooked in Sunbeam while bread finished in breadmaker.  Bought local bread in Aramac - that cured me of commercial bread.  David's product is much superior, even though it's hard to get thin enough slices using the Rhino knife.

Our outdoor kitchen attracts other men.  One came from a cabin, drawn by the smell of our meal, so he said.  Quite a nice chap, waiting for "Home and Away" to start at 7pm.

Thursday 19 June  CLONCURRY

Last night I got David to put Celestone on all tick sites I couldn't reach.  Had far fewer itches.

Countryside flat and full of Prickly Moses.

Stopped in Julia Creek to use internet at new library/info centre.  No problems plugging in our laptop.  Tidy, pretty town; nice little park; 2 supermarkets with high prices and limited range; good newsagency.  Excellent info on birds in shire.

As we neared Cloncurry, native acacias in bloom and could see distant hills.  Our caravan park on edge of town with hills nearby - jagged red rocks.

Found a sister trailer - new Cub Escape Supermatic, Continental pack, owners from Tamworth.  They had installed a shadecloth curtain to reduce use of zipper door - had similar worries about strain on zip.

Shopped for next 6 days at first country Woolworths - even has WW garage.  Able to get another 5kg Laucke wholemeal flour for $12.  Also another cask de Bertoli for $21.

Town is rambling, not attractive.  More aboriginal faces - a surprising absence of them in other towns.  They looked just as prosperous as whites; no sign of drug or alcohol problems.

Had all the electrics going for last time on power for a week.  D. made a second loaf; I made another Allbran loaf in Sunbeam - used plain flour and forgot to add baking powder; looks rather flat.  However, I did make a nice Thai chicken and bean curry.

Friday 20 June  LAWN HILL

First night without itch problems though very spotty still.  Left Cloncurry in fine clear conditions, 18 degrees at 9:30. Started on good 2 lane bitumen; tall white-trunked gums for 50 km until Quamby, a one-pub place all tidy for visitors.

Country changed to red dirt, stunted gums, termite mounds, no water in creeks.
Became more bushy within 100km of Burke & Wills - some brigalow. 

Frequent knobs en route

Galahs

 Termite mounds, some over a metre tall.

Stopped at pub for icecreams, then on to a single lane bitumen road for Gregory Downs - road trains to contend with - all other traffic just left road to them.  Saw several herds of cattle past Morella - and one camel near a water trough.

I found Gregory Downs depressing - pub was full of DONT signs; amenities and 'official' free camping were near pub, out of sight of pretty river.  Many travellers were camped beside river, ignoring DONT signs.  Just 87km to Adels Grove and I urged DPS to continue, as only 2pm.  Tried to ring from public phone outside pub but needed Telstra card.  Hoped we could find a camping place 2 days earlier than booking.

Road to Adels was wide and being prepared for bitumen.  Conditions much better than we expected.  Road deteriorated once past the Zinifex Century mine turn - still wide but corrugated.  No problems with campsite - told to walk around and choose what we liked.

Very pleased to pick site 4, just above Grove, close to amenities, quiet, shady.  Found we were next to neighbours from Richmond!

Saturday 21 June  LAWN HILL

Sunrise is not until 7:15 and takes a bit longer to reach us, so not surprising that we didn't wake until 7:30.  Walked along creek at Adels Grove - very pretty until we came to an area with trees down - storm??  Packed lunch and drove the 10km to NP.  Campground there almost treeless, very dusty, red earth.  Glad we chose Adels.  Walked to Rangers office - closed.  Attractive path there.  Good signs.  

 Did the 1.5 hour Wild Dog Dreaming walk, through palm groves, little creek crossings with some tiny rapids; waterlilies just coming out.  Emerged from creek area into shrublands, bordered by cliffs with aboriginal paintings and etchings.  Yellow arches = rainbow and/or ceremonial headdress shape; 10,000 yr old circles with central dot etched into cliff-face; white figures with red net ? shapes.  Many snappy gums. Some labelled plants - Terminalis  Buchan  Could not find any of the labelled plants in the EPA Lawn Hill list.  Saw many white cedars - not on EPA list.  Bird list from EPA site does not match well with those listed for Adels Grove - eg no mention of Varied Lorikeets or Great Bowerbird on EPA, though both species prominent.

Lawn Hill Creek at National Park

Went on 1km walk to Lower Gorge and Cascades, both very pretty.  Many fish of different sizes and species at Cascades.  Saw Pied Cormorant at Lower Gorge.

Near Cascades

Back to afternoon tea at Adels - nice and shady.  Before tea, walked up to Lookout - not very inspiring though saw many kid-made rock arrangements, some attached to termite mounds.  Man-size termite mound near there.  Think we saw big over-burden from Century Mine.  Home via 'Nature Walk'.  Very pleasant.  Came upon some 'professional' bird watchers looking for purple-crowned wrens and arguing about title for a grey fantail ("Arafura?").

Sunday 22 June  LAWN HILL

Got up early - 7:15!! sunrise- to do a 3 hour walk at NP, lunch at Adels and time to try out kayak at Adels.  All went according to plan.  David suggested the 7km, 3.5 hour, Upper Gorge walk.  Started well with sightings of crimson finches in camping area. 

First part was through spinifex bordered by sandstone cliffs, then an easy climb and entry to creek via Indarri Falls.  Very beautiful walk - emerald water, red cliffs, pandanus, cabbage palms, figs and myriad other plants.  Accompanied at times by white-browed robins, behaving as Eastern yellow robins do, quite unafraid.  Great bowerbirds crashing around, bar-shouldered doves calling, white-gaped honeyeaters everywhere.  Saw not one water bird.  Went to many lookouts, all worthwhile.  Came back a different way; partly by accident did a
somewhat steeper route via Dowarri Lookout.

Indarri Falls

Grevillea wickhamii

 After lunch, drove with kayak to launching area in Grove.  Pump was embarrassingly loud in that quiet place.  My bum got wet as soon as I sat down - later discovered that a cock had been left open.  We  paddled around in rather erratic fashion, often doing 360 degree turns.  David figured out how to join the 2 paddles only once back at camp, so he had to put up with my peculiar style.  However, we were not deterred from trying it out at the NP gorge tomorrow.  Hope I don't regret it.

Monday 23 June  LAWN HILL

We had a wonderful experience kayaking through both Lower and Upper Gorges.  David did all the paddling which suited both of us, although he had to battle a headwind both ways.  Portage from Lower to Upper was easy and I had no problems boarding or disembarking.  The morning was fine and pleasant temperature.  It was very quiet and peaceful on the water, a bit too much as we saw few birds, no turtles or crocs.

Big fig

Booked into the Riversleigh guided tour for tomorrow morning - $60 head incl. am tea.

Spent the afternoon cooking - D. bread, me stew, curry, baked apple in Cob, custard.  What a wash-up!

Repeated the local nature walk at 5pm but saw nothing and I was too tired.

Tuesday 24 June LAWN HILL

Off at 8am on the Adels bus for Riversleigh. Driver and guide was manager and part-owner Rod Low Mow, amusing and knowledgeable.  8/16 on bus were from Melbourne, a Toyota Landcruiser group with Gulf to Arnhem Land T-shirts.

Rod showed/told us more than we expected, making frequent stops to point out:

agile wallaby

Adels = 80 acres freehold surrounded by Lawn Hill Pastoral land

NP created when Brazilian Sebastian Mayo donated land  in 1980s to sweeten Joh who was campaigning against foreign ownership

bustards

red-winged parrot

silverleaf box (hollow, used for didgeridoos) and cabbage leaf box, both with opposite adult leaves

bloodwoods - sap antiseptic

native bauhinias

Louis Ck, dry for 1st time in 30 years

river red gums

ghost gums

site of Sam Ah Bow's market garden, named Hong Kong Downs - married Aboriginal midwife Opal

area around there once dotted with silver and lead mines

coach tracks

Lawn Hill = 1100 sq miles, 11000 cattle

Riversleigh = 500 sq miles, now 12000, but can carry 25000 cattle

past the grid from Burke to Mt Isa shires, oldsilver mine workings from 1800s - ore was sent by camel to Burketown

Mt Isa largest shire in world; boundary 300km from Isa - joke that Camooweal is suburb of Isa and Isa thus has world's longest main street.

1927 silver/lead ore sent to Mt Isa for transport to Townsville, not Burketown

Red kangaroos - no mature male sighted.

Century mine - pit 350m deep.  Ore crushed and sent to Karumba as slurry via pipeline 2m deep.  One pump, downhill most of way.  Ore dried at Karumba and shipped out.

1200 workers there, on fly in, fly out basis, usually 2 weeks on, 1 wk off.  Many planes - 7 commercial jets per week to Townsville, plus workers flying in/out to Cairns, Perth ...

Have 65 payload dump trucks.

3 road trains of fuel per day = 250,000L fuel daily

900 for breakfast on Thurs mornings.

5 years left in mine; original lease by CRA in 1986.

Riversleigh has lost 4 bores because of water taken by mine - hope is that pit (20?m below sea level) will fill and replenish groundwater.

Powerline to mine from Mt Isa only for Century; optic fibre cable within 5km of Adels.

NP boundary runs atop Constance Range.

If you look from 20km west of Adels, area looks like rolling grass-covered hills, hence Lawn Hill.

Pointed out old dingo fence built after WW2.

Much prickly Moses - danger to stockmen mustering.

In watered area grows grey box (fine leaf) and snappy gum.  Latter makes good clean-burning firewood.

Saw spinifex pigeons,tree full of budgies,emu

Guttapercha - passed around hardened latex and samples of wood - said it was Aborig. chewing gum.

Riversleigh

Main site

Our guide, Rod, at Riversleigh

Turtle remnants of shell

40 sq m - 200 different creatures; fossils 15000 yrs old.  Calcium deposits lead to preservation and responsible for grey scum on water in Lawn Hill Ck.  In 1901 Cameron found diprotodon, but already found on Darling Downs so scientists not excited.  1967 first scientific investigation.  Problems because bones set in solid rock - no attempt to extract whole skeletons - look for teeth, jaw, skull to identify - use light explosive to get chunks - take back for acid baths to isolate bone. 

Lake deposit on Cambrian layer

Cambrian rocks like pancakes. Pointed out chert in one; tapped it with another rock in different places - could hear different notes.

Chert

'Big Bird' leg and gizzard stones

 30 people at Adels come in together for 10 days scientific work, 5 or 6 scientists, the rest volunteers.  We heard a talk from some scientists at Adels - very interesting.

Dry grass smelled like lemon = cymbopogon sp.

Spinifex smells like incense when burnt - dig up, b

urn to get resin for fixing spear heads.

Bush banana vine - pods; taste like peas.

Wallaroo

Asked about furry leaved shrub = terminalia, a plum

Took us to Gregory River for late morning tea - beautiful.  Then crossed Gregory, did a u-turn and crossed Cahill R.  Pointed out silver-leaved melaleucas.

Morning tea spot beside Gregory River

Back at our camp for late lunch, then walked to LH Ck. for swim.  Quite deep and cold,so didn't stay in long but felt refreshed.  Even happier when we strolled along the bank and happened to ask people coming back if they'd seen any crocs.  YES, two.  One lady took us to the spot where we saw a 2m+ croc along a log on the opposite bank, mouth open (to cool his brain, someone said ??).  Before we could get a photo, along came 2 canoes and he slid into the water, leaving no trace.

Had a last walk to the right of the swimming hole, just near the bar.  Saw white-winged triller, double-bar finch, black-faced woodswallow, PURPLE-CROWNED WRENS (but not purple as out of season) in reeds, brown honeyeater

A wonderful end to a great episode.

Wednesday 25 June MT ISA

Left as usual at 9:15, heading for Mt Isa.  Slow van ahead, no chance to overtake until he stopped at Gregory R.  We then stopped at O'Shaunessy R and saw zebra and long-tailed finches (latter's range given with Mt Isa most southerly spot).

O'Shannassy River upstream

David took a risk with fuel and we were on the reserve tank for the last 60kms.  I was not happy.

Drove straight to Top Tourist park after refuelling only to find no powered sites available.  Damn!  Sat outside and rang other 3 parks.  Only the cheapest one, Mt Isa Caravan Park, had a powered site.  We took it reluctantly and spent the rest of the day doing 2 loads of washing, showering, shopping. 

First town with large Aboriginal population.  Several Aborigines had odd faces - birth defects?  A few were obviously drugged or drunk, but not creating any nuisance.  All seemed clean and many were very middle class, judging by clothing and car.

Busy place.  Has WW, Coles, KMart, Harvey Norman, etc, mostly spread out with only one plaza/mall.  Many traffic lights.

Thursday 26 June MT ISA

Did not sleep well - noise from mine, highway and women talking loudly around 1pm.  Park itself was clean but dusty - too close to the centre of town.

Went to the Riversleigh Fossil display at the Tourist Centre.  Quite well done, worth the $9 entry.  Drove up to the Lookout which offers a sobering panoramic view of the town, with the mine dominating and spreading far more than you otherwise realise.

More shopping.

Friday 27 June BARKLY HOMESTEAD

Intended to stay at Camooweal Caves NP if possible.  Halfway to Camooweal we came upon a road-train accident with several dead cows beside the road.  Police controlled traffic and we were not held up for long.  Later in Camooweal David spoke with the policewoman who had attended.  She said the first road train had overturned its 3rd 'carriage' and 40 cows had to be shot.  The second train was not involved.  She also reckoned this happens once a week.

We checked out the 2 caravan parks in Camooweal and did not like either, so set off on a gravel road 40km round trip to Caves NP.  Country was red, very dry, spinifex, unpromising as campsite.  We hoped the NP would be better.  It wasn't.  Nice new picnic shed and toilet beside an almost dry riverbed.  Had lunch there.  Saw diamond doves, 3 white-necked herons, long-tailed finches, magpie-larks and a songlark (?brown).

Forgot to mention the odd disturbing noise from the trailer as we drove to the NP.  One leg dropped down to walk a short distance.  David could not straighten it so we had to be careful of approach angles, etc as it was some 30cm below normal.

So at 2:15 we found ourselves entering the NT, facing 130 kmh speed signs, 2 lane good road.