We had a quick look around Mount Isa this morning (didn't take long) and then called into the Tourist Information Centre to get a road report as it was now almost time to decide whether to head directly east along the Barkly Highway to Charters Towers or head north up into the Gulf Country. Previous research had shown there was a lot of single lane bitument up that way even though it was designated as the National Highway 1. After not really getting any clearer picture from them we decided to head to Cloncurry and try to find out more there.
The weather today was cold, windy and wet... not the image I had in my head of Mount Isa.
Along the road to Cloncurry was actually quite scenic compared to the wide open spaces we had become used. Although a few times we had to back off to see which way these mobile steaks were going to move!
This is just one of the river crossing we went over and some of them were quite impressive landscapes.
This photo below is for Dad....did the Leichardt Hotel at Cloncurry look like this back in 1960? I'm guessing it did!
After seeking further advice regarding the roads up in the Gulf from the friendly folk at the Information Centre in Cloncurry we were still unclear and in the end decided to risk it. So we headed off up north for the 400km run up to Normanton. Halfway along we stopped for lunch and fuel at the Burke and Wills Roadhouse.
While stopped there this French guy turned up ...he is travelling around Australia in the opposite direction to us and is planning to do it till the bike breaks...then go home to France..sounds like a good plan!
Of course there were more straight roads to deal with...
And yet more straight roads...just a bit narrower at times.
Eventually we made it to Normanton and saw the famous Railway Station and the Gulflander rail motor.
We decided to go 70km further up and stay at Karumba for the night. This road was good quality but crossed a giant flood plain the whole way. In the wet season it is totally submerged and Karumba is cut off for up to 4 months at a time.
It is a popular spot for barramundi fishing and we had a little trouble getting accommodation but eventually found a cabin in a caravan park run by what seemed to be a bunch of little old lady pensioners. Afters watching the impressive sunset we settled back in the Karumba Lodge Hotel for drinks and dinner. Went down to the boat ramp at end of street but failed to find any of the elusive crocodiles down there.
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