Cover Photo: Burketown, Queensland. Thermal water bore drilled in 1897, it’s 702 metres deep and the water temperature exits at 68C.
- Week 5.
- 8/07/21 to 14/07/21
- Day 29 to 35.
- Darwin, NT to Glenore Crossing, Norman River, Qld.
- 1721kms (total since home, 6751kms).
2/08/21, Hi folks finding it hard to keep up with the blog updates, busy travel schedule, crap phone connectivity in Far North Queensland and slow upload speeds sap your will power. Our trip is still going strong but not without the odd drama here and there. Currently we are camped at the furthest spot we are ever likely to camp at from our home on mainland Australia, it’s been difficult getting here. Nearly time to turn around and make our way back home, that will be an epic journey in itself.
Usually team wiljen take it in turns to blog, on this occasion it seems I am the primary Blogger for this trip. At the end of every day I tap out the happenings and sometimes my thoughts on my mini iPad 4. I also fill in a basic template of distance travelled, spending, weather conditions, fuel usage and other info like camera use that may be helpful in the future.
Primarily Jenny and I write the blog for ourselves, but we’re happy to share the information of our journey with who ever cares to have a read. Often the reader will just skip through the text so we try to upload lots of relevant photos with descriptions attached. Here are the notes for week five of our journey, glad to have you along. Will.
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Day 29, Thursday, Date: 8/07/21
From to where: Darwin (Coconut Grove) to Tindale Comms Tower (35kms south of Katherine .
Distance: 350 kms
Accumulated Distance: 5380kms
Cycling Y/N, KMs: no
Fuel $: 150 @ 149.9cpl
Litres: 100, (=640km , @ 15.5 litres per 100km)
Accom type & cost: Free, comms tower.
Grocery Food $:
Take away food $: 15
Beer/Wine/Soda $:
Other $:
Day Total $: 165
Rolling Total $: 3686
Gopro footage: GP8
DJI Drone Footage: nil
Weather: max temp 33C, sunny, not much wind.
Notes: Back on the road again.
Both of us were up at 6.30am to see off the happy workers, Max and Karen. They hopped onto their bicycles and headed off to their respective jobs at 7am just as the sun was rising.
Once packed up we pulled the camper out from under the carport and I washed it on the front verge while Jenny did some book keeping work. Tilly took Rodgie dog for one last walk, she seems to like Rodgie a lot.
Come 10.15am we’re finally on out way down the Stuart Highway, it’s 35km to the Darwin city limits. There was a lunch stop at a bubbling brook called Coomali. Jenny and I first visited this spot in April 1988 when it was hidden from the roadside and no tourists knew of it. Now there is rubbish lying around and it’s sadly a bit trashed.
Fuel stop in Katherine then our night stop is 35km south of Katherine at a Communication Tower about 80 metres high. We are the only ones here, hopefully it stays that way. It isn’t marked on WikiCamps so there is a fair chance we will not be bothered. There is a smidge of phone reception here as it gets dark that will probably improve.
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Day 30, Friday, Date: 9/07/21
From to where: Tindale Comms Tower to Gravel Pit (Carpentaria Hwy, 58kms east of Hi-Way Inn, Daly Waters, NT).
Distance: 288km
Accumulated Distance: 5668km.
Cycling Y/N, KMs: no
Fuel $: 83
Litres: 49L, @ 168.9cpl
Accom type & cost: Free, gravel pit
Grocery Food $: 10, bread and milk.
Take away food $:
Beer/Wine/Soda $:
Other $:
Day Total $: 93
Rolling Total $: 3779
Gopro footage: GP8
DJI Drone Footage: no
Weather: max 28C, NE wind, sunny.
Notes: Darwin diversion done, back on track for Queensland.
Wow what a relaxing night, there was the occasional banging of a loose cable against the metal of the communication tower but apart from that it was quiet. The birds started up at 6am, Jenny and I were awake at sun up, 7am. Jenny got up with Rodgie soon after that. The Field Artillery at Tindale started at 8am, yes cannon fire, Boom, Boom. So I decided best to make a move.
By 9.20am we are cruising south at 95km/h along a very popular Stuart Highway.The maximum speed limit is 130km/h (80 miles per hour) so we were often past by vehicles not towing. It wasn’t that long ago there were no speed limits (changed in 2016 from memory).
Not much to report on today, a couple of comfort stops, topped up with diesel at Hi-Way Inn, Daly Waters (168.9cpl) as from now on the prices will be over $2 per litre until Normanton, Queensland. We have budgeted on fuel for this tour to average out at $2 per litre or less.
After we had travelled 20kms from the Stuart Highway we checked out a couple of overnight free camping opportunities, but they were average and since it was early in the afternoon we continued on. At the 58km mark from the Stuart Highway (2.30pm) we found a half decent gravel pit so decided to call it home for the night. May even have a small camp fire later. My guess is we’ll end up with neighbours tonight but fingers crossed they all decide to keep on moving.
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Day 31, Saturday, Date: 10/07/21
From to where: Gravel Pit Carpentaria Hwy to Booraloola
Distance: 337km
Accumulated Distance: 6006km
Cycling Y/N, KMs: nil
Fuel $: 113
Litres: 68L @ 166.0cpl
Accom type & cost: $30 McArthur River Caravan Park, Booraloola
Grocery Food $:
Take away food $: 18 at Heartbreak Hotel, Cape Crawford.
Beer/Wine/Soda $:
Other $:
Day Total $: 161
Rolling Total $: 3940
Gopro footage: GP8
DJI Drone Footage: no
Weather: 32C fine, SE winds
Notes: Keeping it brief.
Depart 9.20am
Stopped at October Creek and Heartbreak Hotel.
Arrived at Booraloola 2.30pm
Met Joel and Sharon who have a Reconn4 they’re very happy with.
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Day 32, Sunday, Date: 11/07/21
From to where: Booraloola to Robinson River free bush camp.
Distance: 112km
Accumulated Distance: 6118km
Cycling Y/N, KMs: no
Fuel $: 0
Litres:
Accom type & cost: Free bush camp Robinson River (Wollogorang Rd).
Grocery Food $: 61, Booraloola, not much for your money.
Take away food $:
Beer/Wine/Soda $:
Other $:
Day Total $: 61
Rolling Total $: 4001
Gopro footage: GP8 , new SD card first thing in morning.
DJI Drone Footage: no
Weather: 30C fine and sunny.
Notes: Rough Dirt Roads Again.
So far the Savannah Way section between Booraloola and the NT/Qld border is heavily corrugated, possibly as bad as the Gibb River Road in the Kimberley. We are only travelling at 20km to 60km/h. More often than not our average is 40km/h.
Booraloola is a rough town, no dramas, locals friendly but it is a tough place, you’d want to be a hard core fisherman to live here. We were on our way out of town at 10am. We stopped for lunch on the banks of the Wearyan River and arrived at the Robinson River around 1.30pm. 3 hours to drive 112kms.
Nice spot to camp, only moderate traffic today but most of the vehicles are hammering along and they are generally towing. Guess they don’t worry to much about breakdowns, flat tyres or damage. Also met cyclist Jeff from Mareeba Qld.
We’re now deep into crocodile country so when we got our feet wet earlier we made sure it was safe, think shallow rapids with very good vision around you.
Tomorrow team wiljen and Rodgie dog will cross into Queensland.
Jenny, Rodgie and I have a walk around Robinson River, NT.
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Day 33, Monday, Date: 12/07/21
From to where: Robinson River NT to Hell’s Gate Qld
Distance: 209kms
Accumulated Distance: 6327km
Cycling Y/N, KMs: no
Fuel $: $80 @ $2pl
Litres: $40
Accom type & cost: $24 Hells Gate campground.
Grocery Food $:
Take away food $:
Beer/Wine/Soda $: 44
Other $: 50 dinner
Day Total $: $198
Rolling Total $: 4199
Gopro footage: GP8
DJI Drone Footage: no
Weather: 30C max, Fine, easterly wind
Notes: Back Door into Queensland.
Biggest news for the day is the Queensland side has a decent road, combination of very good gravel and some extended sections of bitumen. The Northern Territory side from Booraloola to the border (300kms) is extremely crap and I wouldn’t recommend driving on it with a trailer. You have been warned !
We stopped at the Calvert River for lunch, nice spot, happy to arrive at Hells Gate around 3pm after such a shit road. Hells Gate is your typical outback Roadhouse, quaint, they try hard to please, bit pricey but hey it’s the middle of no where out here. Oh and we’ve run out of beer, wine and cool drinks.
Tomorrow Burketown but only for one night, it’s packed out apparently and two night aren’t available.
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Day 34, Tuesday, Date: 13/07/21
From to where: Hells Gate to Burketown
Distance: 180kms
Accumulated Distance: 6507kms
Cycling Y/N, KMs: no
Fuel $: 100 @ 196.5
Litres: 51L (unsure of economy, didn’t fully top up at Hells Gate)
Accom type & cost: $28 at CV Park, Burketown.
Grocery Food $: $21
Take away food $: 26 fried crap & ice coffee from Doomadgee.
Beer/Wine/Soda $: 72 block of beer and bar drinks at pub
Other $:
Day Total $: 157
Rolling Total $: 4356
Gopro footage: GP8
DJI Drone Footage: no
Weather: 30C fine, easterly wind.
Notes: Homesick Blues.
Currently not feeling the love for the tour, but we know that from past experience it’s not unusual. Especially if you’re travelling too fast and hard, week 5 is the do it or go home week of long tours. You’ve just settled into some sort of routine but find yourself missing “home”, it’s a weird feeling.
Jenny and I even had our first (low level) barney while trying to reverse the camper into a very tight spot at the Burketown Caravan Park surrounded by multiple helpers. Argh ! That was interesting .
Our day started off slow, due to the 30 minute time change. The sun isn’t coming up until 7.30am so by 8am all the other campers have packed up and headed off, team wiljen are just getting out of bed. Still after a cooked breakfast we were on the road leaving Hells Gate by 9.45am (EST), so not to shabby, in our opinion everyone else is just too anxious to get going.
Only 178kms to drive today, we didn’t reinflate our tyres after the arduous Booraloola to Hells Gate road because there was suppose to be another 100km plus of dirt roads. That turned out to only be 12kays, so Hema Maps need to update their act. Our tyre pressure aren’t to low at 33psi on the car and 37psi on the camper so we were satisfied to sit on 80km/h as the risk is minimal.
Some other travellers are surprised (shocked) that we’re just running OEM Dunlop Grand Treks highway tread tyres out here on the big Landcruiser ! Compared to them we’re travelling slower on the dirt, carrying much less weight in the car and camper. Contrary to popular believe we’ve both cut our teeth driving & riding on a vast array of gravel roads since our late teens in everything from, Falcon XC Panel Vans, V8 Ford Fairlanes, F100’s and Landcruisers, so we have a few clues.
Finally around noon we arrived at Burketown, fuelled up (196.5cpl) and booked into the local caravan park. It’s very busy and we got handed the last available site. Later we went to the Pub, they even let Rodgie dog come into the main bar today which was a crack. FNQ, gotta love it !
Only one night here in Burketown, we will have more of a look around before we head off tomorrow.
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Day 35, Wednesday, Date: 14/07/21
From to where: Burketown to Glenore Crossing, Norman River.
Distance: 244km
Accumulated Distance: 6751km (1350km p/w, get to 1000km p/w will save ~$100 in fuel).
Cycling Y/N, KMs: no
Fuel $:
Litres:
Accom type & cost: Free camp Glenore Crossing, south of Normanton.
Grocery Food $:
Take away food $:
Beer/Wine/Soda $:
Other $:
Day Total $: 0
Rolling Total $: 4356 ($871 per week, over 5 weeks. $171pw over budget. More free camping, no more takeaway food,less booze, slow down travel too spend less on fuel).
Gopro footage: GP8
DJI Drone Footage: no
Weather: actually Hot and somewhat humid. 32C max, build up clouds, not much wind.
Notes: The Gulf County.
Departed Burketown Caravan Park right on 10am after way to much jibber jabber. Jenny walked Rodgie down to the artesian bore, 702m deep, water temperature 68C, drilled in 1897 and has been pouring out mineral rich water ever since. More jibber jabber with fellow travellers then back on the road.
Combination of bitumen and very good gravel roads today. Much of the dirt road had been recently graded. Still slow going for us, we stopped at Leichhardt Falls, Burke and Wills camp 119 (very historic, basically there last staging post for the final push to the Gulf).
Checked out a couple of possible free camps on tidal rivers after stopping at Camp 119 but eventually settled for the Norman Rivers, Glenore Crossing. One side of the road is Leichhardt Lagoon, a payed camping area at $10 per person with showers and toilets. The other side is free, but rough. There are also large salt water crocodiles in the area, we haven’t seen any but heard some strange noises and large splashes early in the night. Very hot and humid for July.
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Epilogue for week 5: Thanks for reading, it’s been one unusual trip so far, travelling during the time of Covid. People are generally still helpful and friendly but there is always an insidious undertone of fear. We have been asked if we’re vaccinated, our honest answer is not yet, we’ll think about it once we get home. Often we’re asked how are we going to get back into Western Australia, we will figure that out at the appropriate time. This trip has certainly been a lot different from our past multi month tours, lots of free camping, not much stopping at Outback Pubs, we seem to be keeping to ourselves a lot more. If it wasn’t for Rodgie I doubt we would hardly interact with anyone. Rodgie dog has a knack of making new human friends. Back soon enough, Will, Jenny and Rodgie.
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