Cardwell and Hinchinbrook Island.

On to Cardwell for the night. Stopped at my fav caravan park just a bit out of town on the north side. Its quiet and never very busy. You get what you pay for here, lush grass, shade and hot showers. No jumping pillow, swimming pool or kids playground. Only one rule "Don't swim in the creek". Crocs.

In a corner of the park are two graves of children who died at 2 years and one at 5 weeks. Sad but not uncommon back then in 1871.

Up behind Cardwell less than 10km is a really good lookout. A great view of the town and the islands. Well worth the drive and the 800m hike.

Elizabeth 2 years
Robert 5 weeks.

View looking SE to
Hinchinbrook.

View looking NE to
Hinchinbrook..

Townsville and Paluma Range National Park

Townsville. Stopped a couple of days and tripped around. Been here before and not many new places to see around town. Washed the car, swam in the pool, did a few walks at Pallarenda and The Strand and up to Castle Hill for a bit of a diversion.

Took a trip out of town to Rollingstone and Paluma Range Nation Park. Paluma is a small town up a very windy road. No facilities here, sticky buns or coffee. The average speed up the range would be below 40km/h as there are lots of blind corners and steep gradients. No place for a caravan! About half way up is Little Crystal Creek and a car park and walking tracks and stairs to the water falls. Well worth a stop over to clammer about the rock pools.

Approaching Paluma, McClelland's lookout is short hike on a good trail that affords a great view of the coast, on a clear day, not my day! But another trail about 1km long, again a good surface, called Witts is much better. And as my luck would have it the clouds lifted for me. 

Castle Hill - down town Townsville.

Little Crystal Creek falls.

McClelland Lookout. No view :(

Witts Lookout, excellent :)

Julia Creek, Richmond, Hughenden, Charters Towers and Townsville.

Back to Four Ways stopping for smoko. On to Cloncurry for provisions and fuel. Ducked under the water spouts in the water park for a wash. On to Julia Creek quick stop then looked for rest stop. Maxwelton, not much here but it will do.

Smoko and walk about at Richmond and then a cold shower at Hughenden and lunch.

Quiet in town? It's show day in Hughenden and it was show day the last time I was here. On to Homestead rest stop for the night. Good reviews but just OK, I think.

Cloncurry to Hughenden the shire councils do not encourage camping road side, it would seem. I respect that and what the locals think about who stops where etc. But can't help wondering if they are missing out on commerce, tourist spend?

Stopped in Charters Towers to make some phone calls. Reid River rest for lunch. Townsville provisioned at Woollies Fairfield Central and the BP servo across the road will be tonight's sleep spot. Tobruk swimming pool, on The Strand, for laps and a hot shower. The Strand and Pallarenda are fav daytime hangouts.

Parked up on the Esplanade and watched a very disappointing game of NRL on Kayo. The Storm went down to the Cowboys, played here in Townsville. I had toyed with the idea of going to the game but last minute plans foiled. Glad I didn't  get there. Looks a really impressive stadium a huge upgrade from 1300smiles. 

Maxwelton sunset.

Richmond.

Silo art - love it!

Gregory Downs, Burketown and Lawn Hill

Gregory Downs is a bit further west. I was thinking of going into Lawn Hill but the talk around was don't bother. It's not going to be a good season for those folks. The floods trashed the place and the roads apparently. 

Not much more than a Pub and council depot at Gregory Downs. Two options from Normanton. The Normanton-Burketown Rd a mix of gravel and bitumen or via Four Ways and good bitumen all the way. Again, I was talked out of going to Burketown.

Gregory Downs has a good free camp down by the river bridge, spectacular in fact. Birds galore and the fishing can be good as well. The camp site, on the banks, is river gravel and small rocks, 4x4 have no problems. But the VW has traction control that cannot be disengaged, well not that I could work out how. So loose rocks makes life very difficult! 

I just camped the one night but many stay much longer with some elaborate setups. 

Gregory River.
Crystal clear water. 

That's me parked back there somewhere.

Sounds like fun.

Gregory Pub

Yep, can't help myself...

Winton, Cloncurry, Normanton, Karumba and Burke and Wills Camp 119.

Stopped overnight in Cloncurry and had a swim in the public pool just before it closes for the season. Unheated 18deg, two quick laps. Bloody cold, pink skinned, hitting the hot shower. Slept in the street near the pool and public toilets.

The Cloncurry to Normanton road was OK some roadworks all but complete. The narrow single lane bitumen flood plain areas still remain but are OK if you don't encounter a 50 meter long road train.

Karumba road open and good.

Slept in the street in front of the Sunset Tavern. Quiet night. Drove around Karumba Point and the township of Karumba a few kms away. Karumba reminds me of Tin Can Bay. Tin Can Bay reminds me of Papua New Guinea. Places where you find misfits and dropouts. Lots of rusty stuff in the yards of the residents as well as the mandatory boat. You're not in town unless you have a boat.

Not sure if I'm early but tourism seems to be down atm. The last time here the place was overflowing with tourist. Now caravan parks with lots of vacancies. Can't be good for a community that is all but closed during the summer wet season.

A short drive down the Normanton - Burketown Dev Rd is Burke and Wills last camp. Camp 119. In 1860 they left Melbourne and were intent on making their way to the gulf and all but made it. There are still blazed trees at the camp site proof they were there.

Normanton IGA - street art.

Interesting.

Harry did it as well in 2018.

Blazed tree @ Camp 119.
The last camp.