BURKE DEVELOPMENT ROAD - KURUMBA

We move onto Kurumba & Normanton.  Kurumba is THE BIG FISHING TOWN.  People book 12 months ahead and stay for 4-5 months.  we were told to book but didn't know when we'd arrive but were lucky enough to get a small spot at the Caravan Park in Kurumba village. ( Which is all Kurumba is.) Being a small vehicle and not needing power we are often "fitted" in.

Of course our first port of call is the Pharmacy as I'm running out of SOOV...( My sand bite salvation cream).  We are told that "Mrs Mac" who owns the pharmacy here and Normanton makes her own concoction...  which is excellent the assistant says.  ( Smart woman this Mrs Mac as the place is sand fly heaven and she must make a fortune) By this time everyone that sees me stops me to commiserate re the bites.  I could not hide them they were up my legs and arms....  However Mrs Mac is SPOT ON.....   GREAT STUFF.   Along with antihistamines and the cool change in the weather helped with the sleeping as well.  I would go to bed with a little ice pack and take  2 panadol.. Then 4 hours on the dot Id wake up and take another 2 panadol.

Parked Fishing Trailers...

More about Kurumba......   It is a very friendly little village full of tourists.  Most men go fishing early and the women stay behind.  ( Some women go fishing too.) They have craft mornings and coffee mornings at the restaurant across from the Park.  It really did have a good atmosphere.   The favourite Tourist Caravan park is "out at the Point"  where you are in a convenient spot to see the Sunset every day.

The town has a Lead,tin and zinc smelter and of course commercial FISHING!!!!. And during the wet is often flooded in for a few months..  ( all tourists gone by then).  Most of their supplies come in by water through a narrow channel through the Gulf.  Around this are the Gulf is quite shallow.

We took the Sunset Cruise with drinks and nibbles....  Great time and also a brilliant feeling of "being on the gulf of Carpentaria.  We have now walked on the beach on eastern side of Gulf ( Kowanyama - Topsy Creek) and now we are sitting out on the water watching the sunset....GOOOOOOD STUUUUUFFF!!!!  

The second night we have fish and chips "at the point" Pub to watch the sunset again but the cool change had come in with cloud cover so no sunset.  Best fish and chips ever....  Every one talks about Barramundi ( Im sick of hearing about it actually) and its good......  BUT the Fish and Chips were some type of White Salmon..... Much Yummier!!

(L) This is parked outside the CVP.

(R) We liked the names of the 2 Bars at Kurumba Pub!!

We stay here 2 days catch up with the mundane washing, cleaning etc etc and swimming in the pool which was heaven on my bites then head off to Normanton 80ks away.

Some people stay Normanton and travel to Kurumba.  Not a lot at Normanton except the PURPLE PUB  and the site of the biggest Croc killed in ?????.  Shot by  woman years ago??  Most impressive.  we stayed there the night of the last State of Origin Game......  The purple Pub was humming. We could hear it from the CVP. Normanton also has the best steaks around.  Recommend the local butcher even tho he gave us "hell" when he knew we were NSW.  We went back next day for another.  Also there is an old Railway Station which is still in operation for tourists and possibly still brings in mail too .. not sure about that??

                                                                  

                                            

   (L)  Life size model of Croc

(R)  Purple Pub...

BURKE DEVELOPMENT ROAD - KOWANYAMA

We were told at Undarra by a Ranger to go check out Kowanyama which is on western coast of York Peninsula approx 300 ks ( as the crow flies from Weipa) and  100k from the Burke Dev Rd. then 100ks out..  Its an Aboriginal Settlement started by a Mission Presbyterian (I think) and is now a dry settlement.  Fisherman Love it going out to the surrounding creeks ( Id call them rivers) to bring in Barra and wotever. Kowanyama is also trying to attract the tourist....  
You must ring beforehand to book a spot on the creeks as this is controlled by the local community.  there are 4 creeks with 4 sites and   only 3 vehicles at each site at any one time.  At 45.00 per vehicle per night!! They are booked out months ahead..  We stayed the first night in the new caravan park.
This has 4 en suite sites with new amenities ....  but the cleaning of same is not in their culture it seems.  this cost 50.00 per night???  Not cheap . Then next night we went out to a fishing spot at Topsy Creek.

Looking at Topsy creek from camp


On the Gulf...  walking back to camp..








Campsite with the Sandflies


The directions to these places are Hilarious....  Vague if you ask outright as apparently their culture doesn't ask direct questions but once you hint at it you get soooooo much info it is confusing.
However we made it to Topsy and had a great relaxing time......  Until 5 pm when I realised I had not sprayed for sandflies...    OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH @#$%^&   I have bights and blisters up and down my arms and legs... ITCHING NEARLY DROVE ME CRAZY..  thank goodness I had the antihistamines and SOOV AND PANADOL.   I slept in 4 hours blocks.  As soon as the panadol wore off   I was awake.  And to make it worse the nights were HOT!!!  However it was a great experience and we walked on the beach on the western side of Cape York...  Yahoooooo!!!!!



Chris Henry the artist who painted the mural the on the amenities   came and spoke to us telling us about their town . he also painted the Post Office Bank etc giving a message to all re no drinking , violence etc.  Quiet impressive....

 It is a dry town and there is a fine of 75,000 if caught.  B & I stashed our alcohol in the bush ( 100ks away) on the way in as we thought they would be entitled to search the vans... ????  But they didn't. There was certainly enough warnings and signs.  Apparently the DRY community is supported and some people come from other areas to dry out.  A great experience
  I'm cooking dinner outside  the night we were in town and we had 8-10 kids talking to us and trying to help???  Telling us we should eat 5 veges and 2 fruit every day!!  Pleased something is getting through to them.
Kowanyama means many waters  and we could see why??  We saw numerous natural dams and  creeks as we approached the town.  We were also warned when I rang the day before  not to hang around the creeks on the way as a Croc had been sited about 1hrs out???  We're still waiting to see a crocs in the wild..


Way out of Topsy

Billabong Flowers

Along the Burke Development Road....!!!!!!

Barry has received a more or less OK from his last test results and we (he) decides to continue along the Burke Development road and all it's adventures promising the wonderful Dr in Cairns that he will have another test in a week..!!!!!!   OH YEAAAAAH.  Not too sure where this is going to happen at this point. But Hey who am I to argue....  (I'm good at driving by myself  now????  Seriously all appears to be OK.)

We leave Chilligoe feeling excited (a little anxious  that's me) as there is nothing for 560ks.....    NOT so...  4x4's are everywhere and road construction crews are along the way and plenty to see.
                                                


(l) Over crowding..!!










(R) Beginning of water crossings





Some photos of our journey to overnight camp spot ... we found this beautifully graded spot in the bush next to a billabong.  We thought all our Xmas's had come at once.  We set up camp,




(r) Kite/Hawke checking out our lunch from above



Brolgas doing their thing??


                                                          Looking Down a Water Crossing








Checking out all the bird life and  in comes a Road Train with 4 trailers???...  the Black drivers pulls up and says.." I bet it was quiet before I arrived.. Hey!!!"  Only the Aussie can make such understatements.  He said they were bringing their road construction camp to this site in the morning.  It was OK to stay overnight but they would be there at 7.30 next morning.  We left at 8 am next morn and still no sign??  Great little spot to camp..Hey!!!!!


                      Pelican at te Billabong












Our Perfectly cleared camp spot!!!!

                                                                                      
                                       Travelling along we begin to see all these little naturally occuring "dams".  We thought  the Road constructions guys must have done this as they go...but NO..  Its all natural We see heaps more going to Kowanyama                                                                                                                                                                      
        

ATHERTON - MAREEBA - CHILLIGOE

 Weeeeellllll   Away we go back towards the coast and more tests at Atherton and do some minor repairs on the Camper. Barry is determined he's not going back to Cairns!!!!

 We go out to Tinaroo Dam for the week end while we wait for Monday  and pathologist and minor repairs to be done..  Tinaroo Dam is a beautiful spot but we had continuous light misty rain.  Not cold and we still walked around in it most of the time but made things miserable.

On a bush walk we saw flowers coming out of this truck  Its the way they grow!!!!  
 And of course the friendly Python.

Harmless they say but I suggested we walk back via the ROAD!!!!


Sunday afternoon it all cleared and was beautiful but Monday morning it was back again.

No worries we headed back into Atherton.  I was able to show Barry the sites as the road was the same one I traveled by myself.  Very picturesque!!!!!!

  Our Camp fire Atherton







We head to Mareeba and check out the Museum behind the Information centre and wot do we see  An Old Ambulance... I mean Old...   We found it very interesting in the "light" of our  previous experiences.

  From here we call into The Coffee Works...   A Chocolate & Coffee Factory also selling teas.   The Ultimate Tourist attraction.  I think there was every conceivable souvenir on sale.  The Chocolates were good tooo..  (Lemon Myrtle in dark choc...MMMMMM Yum)  As were the Teas.  Haven't tried the coffee yet??  The complex was so big you could spend all day in there tasting teas and coffees as well as having lunch. ( sorry no Photos.. too busy trying chocolates...  Hope the family enjoyed their food parcels??)

We continued on to Chilligoe ...  the last stop before heading WEST on the Burke Development Road which is unsealed but supposed to be in good condition.  Also no fuel for 560ks unless you take a detour of 100 ks to Kowanyama .... Which we did but more of that later...!!!!!!

Chilligoe was an interesting little town.  Originally commenced due to mining of tin, lime and quarrying marble.
And of course Tourism with the Limestone Caves...  Lime and marble is still crushed here today.  we enjoyed the town staying a couple of nights having a drink in each Pub  ( 2 of them...we showed no favouritism )

Barry looking through balancing rocks on one of our walks






Barry also found an old gentleman
who collected old cars and did them up.
 I've never seen such an assortment
of  cars, trucks, WW11 vehicles... and they all work.  It was hard to leave as the gentleman LOVED TO TALK!!!!!!!!!!!

As we head out of town I take my last look at civilization for several days>>>.so I think!!!!   But in reality people are everywhere doing exactly what we are doing travelling the less popular treks.  Sometimes we are by ourselves but not often.

Undarra Lava Tubes..

Undarra Lava tubes were amazing...  It's hard to believe that after an eruption the lava flowed and cooled on the outside enough to solidify while the molten lava flowed underneath forming tubes/caves.  there are guided tours which we took or you can go caving by yourself in some of the caves.  In reality a Guided tours works best..

The resort is made from Train Carriages as is the Restaurant.
                                                                      Looking out of the tube

Colours on on the roof of tubes..
                                                 
We decided ( or I did) to eat in the restaurant on the second
 night and the 2 guys on our tour asked us to join them.  Great to have different company..

                          

(l) Restaurant        (R) Bar

 Cabins

 The resort was beautifully set among the trees allowing a complete blend with the environment.

We enjoyed it but for us  Cobbold Gorge was better.  Of Course our mental state is still a little fragile  at this stage

On the Road From Cobbold to Undarra Lava Tubes

These are a few random photos which I thought may give you some idea  of the roads we travel and general atmosphere???  Here goes!!!

Ant Hills on way out of Cobbold Gorge...  They are everywhere and of varying size...

 

The next 5  photos are the changing road coming out of Cobbold Gorge.  Never  boring...

    

                    

The water crossings get better as we went along...MORE   TO FOLLOW !!!!

Looking into Cobbold Gorge at the Entrance

It Fascinates us how the houses are in middle of Cane fields.  Cane is within 1-2 mtrs of house and most of the houses are immaculate......   Hope they like snakes....Yuck!!!

I hope these have given you a feel of what we see...