Millaa Millaa

30 September

We awoke again to a fine morning and so were yet again lucky enough to pack the trailers up dry.

Leaving Undara today but checking out Kilkani Volcana first.

We did the crater rim walk which took us up to the top of the crater and then around the rim, with amazing views over the surrounding area, dotted with lots of volcanoes. We could also see where the lava tubes are – shown by the broken line of dark green vegetation contrasting with the paler green surroundings. The line marking the underground path of one of the rivers of lava that erupted from Undara Volcano about 190 000 years ago.



Stopped off along the way at Innot Hot Springs and Millstream Falls before reaching Ravenshoe.

They had this interesting sign outside the Visitors Centre in Ravenshoe showing the annual mean rainfall of towns as its height from the ground. – note Cairo at the bottom and Tully at the top.



As we were unsure of our destination or where we were going to spend the night we called in at the Information Centre for some advice. The advice was that there was still a lot of rain about along the coast so we decided we would stay there and spend the night at Ravenshoe seeing as it wasn’t raining there. However, checking out the local caravan park, which was up for sale and looking very neglected as we have seen with a lot of places on our travels, we decided to push on to Millaa Millaa.

We checked out the Wind Farm at Windy Hill on the way.



Although it was raining along the way to Millaa Millaa it wasn’t raining when we arrived at the caravan park. So yet again we were lucky enough to set up in the dry. Not only that, but the park had a very welcoming camp kitchen so we were able to eat in the dry when it did start to rain.

The park also had a washing machine AND a dryer so we were able to catch up with some laundry as well.

Undara

29 September

Fortunately the rain had dissipated in the morning, although it did continue on and off throughout the day.

We did a couple of walks in the morning. One to Atkinson’s Lookout and then on to The Bluff following the circuit via the swamp on the way back to Undara Lodge.

Saw plenty of Wallabys and Kangaroos along the way, especially in the swamp area.



The highlight for the day though was the afternoon tour to the Lava tubes made more interesting by our jovial young tour guide who was also a whizz with photography and took some amazing shots for us with our cameras as well as giving us an excellent tour of several of the tunnels and caves in the Undara Volcanic National Park






We decided to eat at the restaurant at night as there was the threat of further rain, plus we arrived back from the tour quite late and exhausted, plus the restaurant was serving Emu, Crocodile and Kangaroo.

Where to from here we aren't sure as there still appears to be a lot of rain about............

To Undara

28 September

There was further rain in the night but it had cleared by the morning so that we were able to dry out the trailers, ready to pack up to move on, whilst going for a walk into the deep gorge to Pyramid Rock.



Before leaving the Porcupine Gorge National Park we drove back along the main road to the Porcupine Gorge lookout as we hadn’t had time the evening before to visit it. Interesting view looking right down into the gorge.



We continued north along the Kennedy Development Road to meet with the Savannah Way.
Sections of the road had been surfaced but other sections were gravel and slippery mud as there has been a lot of rain in the area. There were also several sections where there were roadworks, some with deviations. It seems as if a fair bit of funding was being put into the upgrade/upkeep of this road.

We had a late lunch beside the Einasleigh River after the Phillips vehicle had become bogged trying to find a spot in the shade to have lunch



Short stop at The Lynd (junction of the road to Charters Towers) before pressing on to Undara, arriving just in time to set up camp before the sun set.

This time we didn’t quite get the dinner over before the rain set in. This time it was a heavy downpour that lasted into the night. We did have an unusual visitor at our dinner table though – a Bettong

Fossils

27 September

What a night with all the comings and goings in the rest area, and the on and off rainfall, the semi trailer decided to start up and leave at 3 am so we did have rather a disturbed night.

Also early in the morning a police car came past with its lights flashing and warned us not to leave yet as a house was coming along the road.






It wasn’t raining at first light so we got going as quickly as we could and did manage to get the trailers packed away in the dry, although we did have to pack them away wet.

First stop the pretty historic town of Richmond with its moon rocks and the Visitors Centre where an excellent Fossil display was housed.

All the fossils were well presented with an audio guide to explain each display. The exhibition included a vast range of fossils found in the region – Ammonites, turtles, squids, belemnites, Minmi – the 100 million year anklylosaur, plesiosaurs, Kronosaurus and an ichthyosaur mother with baby














After a quick look at the other tourist spots in Richmond and the purchase of some redclaw from the local redclaw farm at Julia Creek we pushed on to Hughenden where the countryside suddenly became greener.

We looked through the fossil centre at the Visitors centre there but it wasn’t a patch on the one at Richmond although it did have a reconstructed Muttaburrasaurus



We looked through the town of Hughenden at the various interesting metal sculptures, and the main rotunda constructed from old windmills, and after a picnic lunch headed north along the Kennedy Development Road to Porcupine Gorge where we set up camp for the night.

It rained quite heavily on the way there so the road was a bit muddy and it also rained when we arrived but the rain soon passed over and stayed away long enough for us to cook and have our dinner out in the open but not long enough for the clearing away and washing up

Bye to Mt Isa

26 September

Fortunately the threat of rain and thunderstorms didn’t eventuate so we were able to pack everything away dry again.

Our route for today was to travel East to Cloncurry on the Barkly again and on to the Flinders Highway to Julia Creek and beyond with the plan to go north from Hughenden to the Undara Lava Tubes. There is still rain about so watch this space....

First stop the Mary Kathleen Uranium mine,



then the town



then to Clem Watson park on Lake Corella. Very pretty spot to have in mind for a future camp site. The park is named in honour of Clem Watson who, with Norm McConachy discovered the ore body at Mary Kathleen in July 1954. The mine was named Mary Kathleen in memory of Norm McConachy’s wife.

Stopped to look at other tourist spots along the way such as the Burke and Wills memorial and spent some time in Julia Creek checking out the Dunnart Habitat Sanctuary where they have built a special fenced enclosure next to the airport.



Also spent some time at the new Visitors Centre. Although it was closed there was still plenty to see an hear.



We then finally encountered some of the stormy weather that had been hanging around, although didn’t get much rain out of it then.



We pulled up at the Maxwelton rest area for the night where we were lucky enough to set up camp and cook dinner and eat it out in the open, watching the storm in the distance



before the rain set in again

We originally were sharing the rest area with two Israelies who turned up on bikes and slept on the tables under the shelter, a couple of Austrians in a wicked van, but then a semi trailer pulled up right next to us for the night too + a few other vehicles rolled in and out during the night.

Belated updates

We have been out of range for a few days now so these updates are a wee bit belated, in fact it was on the cards that we wouldn't be able to do any updates now as there is a very week signal here but we have managed to boost it enough with an aerial

Exploring Mt Isa

25 September

Although we couldn’t do an underground tour of the mine and the surface tours weren’t available today we still drove around the mine to see the enormity of it.



And up to the lookout to look across to it.



We looked over the Riversleigh Fossil Centre at the Outback at Isa in the Visitors Centre



We visited the underground hospital








And drove along Rodeo Drive.



Mt Isa’s version has plaques along the pavement for all the famous Rodeo champions.



Decided to go out for dinner as there was threat of rain so we enjoyed a meal and entertainment at the Irish Club

The 50th time

This is the 50th time we have put up our camper trailers on this trip!!!!!

Back into Queensland

24 September

Cloudy night but we were still able to get a glimpse of the full moon.



Back onto the Barkly Highway heading east again in the morning.



The information board at Barkly Homestead described the landscape well. 464kms of it



It was windy enough without this too



We reached the Queensland border in time to have our picnic lunch at the Georgina River in Camooweal. We sat and watched the abundant bird life there, including Brolgas.



We reached Mt Isa in time to call in at the Visitors Centre before it closed and to set up camp in the Mt Isa caravan park before sunset.

Our plans for the remainder of our trip and the route we were going to take were yet again thrown into disarray as we were planning to go on the Diamentina Developmental Road to Diamentina Lakes but unfortunately the area is flooded so we are having another rethink as to which direction we go next.

Barkly Highway on the Overland Way

23 September

We didn’t leave Tennant Creek until very late morning as we had a few housekeeping chores to do – more washing, email, phone calls, sorting out finances, paying bills ......

After refuelling we headed back north towards Threeways to look over the site of the Old Telegraph Station. Very interesting with informative boards and a self guided tour sheet to follow.

This one is for the bikkies

We realised that it was well and truly lunch time so we went back towards Tennant Creek to have a picnic lunch at Mary Ann Dam before heading out on the Barkly Highway towards the Qld border.



Overnight stop at the Barkly Station camp ground. Another very windy night

Tennant Creek

22 September

Apparently the water here at Banka Banka is plentiful and we were told we could use it to wash our cars, so we did. So nice to be able to get rid of all the red dust from the cars and trailers.

Back on the Stuart Highway south, stopping off at a few historic sites along the way and detouring along the old Stuart Highway where we could to see sights such as Churchills Head Rock.



We stopped off at the John Flynn memorial just outside the Threeways road house then on to Tennant Creek where we ended up setting up camp at the Outback Caravan Park because there was so much to see here.

First stop the Bill Allen Lookout with views across to the various points of interest, then onto the Visitors Centre,
next lunch at the Jajjikari Cafe at the Nyinkka Nyunyu Art and Cultural Centre and a look around the centre then on to the Battery Hill Mining Centre

This is a battery stamp

for an underground tour



and a look over the Battery Hill Mineral museum with minerals from all over the world on display.

Quick shop to top up some supplies, before the shop closed, in the only grocery store in town.
Then back to camp for a big catch up with the laundry.

Where the Buchanan meets the Stuart

21 September

Out on the dirt again on the Buchanan Highway crossing the Alice Springs/Darwin rail line.



Then just over 100km further we hit the bitumen joining the Stuart Highway, just north of Dunmarra.

Refuel there at the friendly welcoming roadhouse with some historical photos and some pets – 3 snakes (pythons) and a couple of blue tongue lizards and a chat to the proprietor.

We stopped again just south of there to look at the Sir Charles Todd memorial and the Old Telegraph Line



Then onto the historical town of Newcastle Waters where we checked out old Jones’s Store and the Pub. We thought Harry would be interested in the comments on the attached information board about Harry the barman.



Just north of Elliot we were stopped by the police for a breath-test. We were turning off the highway to have a picnic lunch at the Longreach Waterhole, so we got breathalysed again as we came out again!!



The waterhole was pretty with plenty of bird life and green grass, a nice place to camp

We didn’t camp here though, we pushed on to Banka Banka Station where we camped on beautiful lush green grass and had warm showers.

We found out here what can be done with old baths