Chillagoe to Karumba

It has been a few days without an update as for a couple of days we were at Cobbold Gorge and there is no mobile or broadband coverage there.

So to update the story...

After leaving Chillagoe we hedaded to Georgetown and did a little touring from there. We did a big loop that took us out to Forsayth and Einsleigh, both little old mining towns way back when. Now they have nothing much else than a post office and a pub.

Einsleigh has one notable feature - the Coppefield Gorge. The gorge was once a lava tube many millions of years ago but the continued action of a river flowing through it collapsed the roof of the tube so it is now an open gorge (picture above).

After Georgetown we moved to Cobbold Gorge (picture above) which is found along a 60 klm corrugated road, but well worth the bumpy ride, it is quite a spectacular place. We did a couple of bush walks but the highlight was a boat trip into the gorge. It is very, very narrow in places (about 4 feet) and the boat has to gently squeeze its way along. The cliffs have been worn smooth by the water that blasts through the gorge in the wet season and the cliffs have formed some wonderful curves. There is a little life in the gorge, namely freshwater crocs, birds and various fish.

Cobbold Gorge is a small corner of a working cattle station that covers approx 500 square miles - the gorge itself was not found until the 1980's so that gives you some idea of the size of the station.

From Cobbold Gorge we moved on to Normanton, which is the main centre for the small towns up in the gulf. Yesterday we took a 3 hour ride on the Gulflander (picture above). The Gulflander is a rail motor - it is just like a bus, it has gears, but it runs on rails. It is called the train to nowhere as it is not, and has never been connected to any other rial system and has just celebrated its 120th birthday. It runs between Normanton and Croydon once a week a distance of about 70 klms and drops mail off at various cattle stations along the way. On other days it ferries tourists out on short trips of 20 klms to a place called Critter Camp, so named because the track workers were always attacked by insects at that spot. We stopped for about 45 minues beside a billabong and enjoyed lunch while watching the bird life.

This morning we packed up and move to Karumba only 70 klm down the road. Karumba is on the gulf and is one of the great fishing spots in Australia. Never in my life have I seen so many boat trailers in one place - there are hundreds of them.

The temperature here is a delightful 30 degrees, a gently breeze is blowing, we have just eaten a kilo of prawns, fresh off the trawlers, which cost the princely sum of $15.00 per kilo. Eat ya hearts out!!!

Tomorrow we are heading out to do a little barra fishing - stay tuned for that adventure and stores of the one that got away.