01 July 2011 - Barkly Highway, N.T. Australia.

The endless Highway



Brolgas at Camooweal Billabong

 Leaving Katherine we finally got to see what the annual migration of nomads was really like.  July 1st seems to be the opening of the real season even though many are already ensconced in their chosen area in the Top End long before.  Most of the caravan parks in Darwin are fully booked through till August now - unbelievable!  Anyway, we set off down the Stuart Highway once again, & were absolutely amazed at the number of vans coming north.  Some will head for W.A. from Katherine, some to Darwin & others will be heading to QLD.  We stopped at Bitter Springs once again for another lovely swim in the thermal pools, then again at Daley Waters for lunch.  The caravan park there was absolutely jammed with a queue of vans waiting to get in even at that time of day, unlike our previous visit heading up when it was pretty quiet.  We decided to count the caravans going north, & incredibly there were 62 in the first hour, not counting motorhomes & camper trailers etc.  In the afternoon there were 82.  It at least gave me something to do as it's pretty boring retracing steps down a highway you have already done.  We aimed for Newcastle Waters hoping that the road to the old town had now been opened as it sounded rather interesting.  It was opened, but was a total waste of time, so we headed for the overnighr rest area which was jam packed.  Luckily we knew of another unsigned area 2 kms further on, which we are sure must have been the original rest stop.  Obviously no one else knew about it as it is very hard to see from the road, so we snuggled ourselves in there for the night - great!  UNTIL it went dark & we were besieged with every insect imaginable.  Stu is very sensitive to mozzies, so he was going out of his mind trying to get these things out of the van, then crickets started to come in too.  We had no idea where they were getting in with all the flyscreens, but suddenly found it, & managed to settle down again to a good night's sleep.  If that wasn't enough, the


Dusk at Camooweal Bilabong





Clem Walton Dam Rest Area

 next morning turned out to be one of frustration.  Calling into Elliot for refuelling, we found that the tanker was refilling their pumps & we couldn't get access from that direction, so Stu had to do several circles with very little room & was becoming quite cross.  Eventually we got the fuel & headed on.   On arrival at 3 Ways later on, we  had to turn off onto the Barkley Highway  & knew there were few service stations, so Stu decided to top up again. You would NOT believe it, but just as he was about to drive in, there was the tanker again,  & again he had to drive round in circles to gain access.  You can imagine his mood?  Finally on the Barkly Highway &  the landscape is really flat & so easy to drive.   The roadside has lots of golden wattle which has deepened it's colour even more & looks truly beautiful.   From a distance it looks a lot like kowhai in flower but a lot more bloom.  Beside it the lovely Mistletoe Grevillia is showing off it's red flowers too.  Eventually even that dies out & the landscape is covered in light honey coloured grasses (Mitchell Grass), just begging to be cut for hay.  We laughingly decided that it was even too  boring to play I spy as it was all the same.  In actual fact it was quite nice but never ending.    It is scenery in which you feel minute.  The sky isn't so blue down here & I think because of the flatness the clouds seem to be really low & are huge, big, fluffy strata cumulus.  Some are quite dark & obviously dropping a little localised rain, but when we drove through it, the windscreen didn't even get a wash (unfortunately).  After a frustrating start to the day it seemed a good idea to stop earlier than usual, so we found a nice rest area at 41 mile Bore about 2.30pm & relaxed in the shade for the afternoon.  On arrival there were probably about 7 vans, but by the end of the day there were about 50!  Unbeknown to us, the area was much larger than we realised & had several entries & there were vans snuggled in everywhere.  We had found a nice secluded bit, so it was great for us.  There were lots of birds, mainly I think because there was a small waterhole there.  Many of them little finches, which were very hard to photograph, but also honeyeaters, willy wagtails & of course the inevitable black crows which seem to be anywhere & everywhere we go.
Although next morning we are away smartly, we discover lots have beaten us to it, & we have to follow along in a bit of a convoy behind some rather slow vans.  Today I see lots of trees with off-white fluffy flowers, which I think MAY be woolly butt trees.     They are rather lovely so I must find out if I am correct.
The Barkly is cattle country, where the stations are gargantuan in size, where the cattle are mustered by helicopters & aeroplanes, & is abundant in legends of ringers & drovers.  Along the highway we spot a rather large striped snake a python of some description),  not sure if it was basking on the warmth of the road, or had been run over during the night.  Either way, we couldn't stop to even take a photo.  Later on we were to see another one, though not sure it was the same variety.  The wind has whipped up a bit which is apparently quite common along here & there are signs warning of crosswinds.  Luckily it's not too bad & we are soon out of it.  Our next overnight rest stop is a much smaller one & opposite a Police Station out in the middle of nowhere.  At least we felt safe.  Nice sunset though not up to Mindil Beach standards.
Again we set off early & again we are in a convoy of 6 vans for some time.  At 8.30am we cross the border into Queensland & enter the little town of Camooweal for another fuel stop.  Stu had already chosen our next overnighter some 300kms away, but we happened to get into conversation with another couple who had just stayed the night in what they described as 'the most beautiful free camp'.  Although we had seen it in our 'bible' it sounded as if it was difficult to get to, but remarkably we had just passed the unsigned entrance a few minutes before.  Being told the birdlife was fantastic & even included brolgas, I persuaded Stu to turn around so that we could at least get some photos.    I was so excited when we arrived there & was running around like a chook with no head.  There were lots of beautiful brolgas, herons, whistling kites, ducks of many varieties, egrets large & small & all in a beautiful  river billabong setting .  Result was an overnight stay.We were able to park the van right alongside the river so we could sit there all day on the bank watching the birdlife come & go.  It was better than Kakadu in that respect.  Couldn't wait for sunrise next morning to see what eventuated.  Sadly the sunrise was mediocre & the birds nowhere near as plentiful as we had thought, apart from the most amazing aerial acrobatic display by two white necked herons.  Hopeless to try & photograph but Stu suddenly reminded me I had a video option on my camera, but all too late as they disappeared as if they knew.
On the road again towards Mt Isa which is a fairly large mining town whose population is an exuberant mix of people from many cultures.  The town began rising out of the desert in the 1920's & today is one of the biggest cities (in area), with 41,000 sq kms.  The population is 23,000, & they consider themselves the unofficial capital of the outback.  It is  one of the fastest growing areas in  QLD, now attracting 1000's of tourists throughout the year.  Apart from the mining associated attractions, one of the most interesting to me was the underground hospital which was built during the war in 1942 just after Darwin had been bombed.  Fortunately it never had to be used for that purpose, but did  provide  a cool, quiet place for nurses to use on night shift throughout the rest of the war as well as being a storehouse for the above-ground hospital.  We had decided not to stay in Mt Isa, as that means a caravan park which costs, so we travelled further along to another recommended free campsite.  If we hadn't been told about it we probably would not have found it as once again it was unsigned & there was a gate which at first appeared locked.  Fortuntely it wasn't so we drove down the dirt road, over a dry, rocky riverbed which turned out to be the spillway for the dam - wouldn't  want to get caught in it when the dam was overflowing!  On arrival there were already quite a few vans parked but we were able to find a great spot overlooking the dam itself which was like a lovely large blue lake & wetland area.  There is another campsite further in along the road, but it is not recommended for larger vans, but Stu & I took a walk along there after we were settled in & the road condition got worse as we got further along.  We were glad we hadn't risked it, but it was indeed a lovely site, with shady trees & a lovely clear, running river.  Serveral men were trying their luck at fishing & it was a most peaceful setting.  It had been nice to get a walk for an hour & stretch our legs before returning to relax back at the dam.  The sunset was not one to rave about, but with it's gentle colours & cloud formations was a lovely way to finish the day.  The following morning we were woken by the tuneful song of a little black & white magpie lark with a marvellous repoirtre. 
tIt was time to continue along the Barkly Highway to Cloncurry, which was named by the explorer Burke during his illfated journey in 1861.  However, the town was not founded tilll 1867 when copper was discovered in the area.  It has really large wide streets & the heritage buildings are all in beautiful condition .Today it's main industries include grazing, copper, gold mining & transport.  It was here that Qantas  was conceived & the original hanger is still in use at the aerodrome.   Also the Flying Doctor service began here in 1928.   Leaving Cloncurry the landscape changes & becomes undulating with rocky hills which seem to have erupted like pimples, surrounded by a large escarpment.  Needless to say it is lovely & sunny with blue skies AGAIN.  We do our usual 300+ kms & another free rest area, the 6th in a row which is a record for us & extremely helpful for the coffers.  This time it is a roadside one but still quite large & we tucked ourselves in as far from the road as possible in case of road noise, but we need not have worried anyway.
Along the road towards Normanton there are still lots of  small termite mounds, some like a community of red gnomes, & others like grey tombstones .  The conditions of the highway deteriorate & it becomes a single lane, sealed road which meant that when we met oncoming traffic, both vehicles had to have one wheel off the seal.    It is called a 'developmental' highway & now & then we are lucky to come across a length which had been widened.  Fortunately it is not as busy as most of the roads we have travelled, but we are glad to reach Normanton & a caravan park for two nights where we can catch up on washing etc.