CAPE YORK TRIP DAY 14

29 June 2014

31km East of Riversleigh Heritage site, Riversleigh Rd – Adel’s Grove (73km)

After a windy night and a cool brisky morning the day was nice.  

After breakfast I walked around with Flora trying to locate the budgies in the trees.  I cold hear them but couldn’t see them.  We have named Flora ‘hawk eyes’ as she can see and identify birds and animals at a great distance.  I finally captured some birds on film.

We had an interesting drive to Adel’s Grove.  

Three River Crossings and one creek crossing added an interest to the drive.  One of the crossings over the O’Shaugnessy River had very fast flowing water.

We stopped at the Riversleigh Fossil Fields, a World Heritage Site.  It is the place of significant fossil deposits of animals that lived in the area in lush rainforests 15-25 milion years ago.  Important discoveries and being made even as we speak.  There are volunteers and professionals working there currently.  This is one of the most significant and important fossil site in the world.

A well signposted self guided walk took us past fossil deposits of crocodile, turtle, thunderbird,

some interesting rocks,

 to the top of the limestone outcrop from where there was a great view of the surrounds. 

We then continued on to Adel’s Grove past rolling hills with stunning tall termite bounds that from a distance looked like sentinels.

Adel’s Grove was just lovely.  Our campsite was a little distance away from the grove as we wanted sun for our solar panels.  The grove by the water was very shaded and beautiful.  Paperbacks, ghost gums, red gums, pandanas provided a lovely environment.

CAPE YORK TRIP Day 13

28 June 2014

Mt Isa – 31km East of Riversleigh Heritage site, Riversleigh Rd (241km)

We left somewhat later than normal as we knew we didn’t have that far to travel today.  We could have gone all the way to Adel’s Grove but had only booked from tomorrow night so we had time up our sleeve.  After filling up with fuel we set out towards Camoweal by driving out through the back streets of Mt Isa. 

There was a interesting WW11 site along the way on Barkly Highway.  Due to the need for strategic defence of the northern part of Australia a sealed road was built from Mt Isa to Camooweal in 1942.  A new road is now in place parallel to it but to commemorate 50 years post WW11 part of the original road was preserved as a testament to  the fortitude, memorial to the persistence and sheer hard work of those who built the road.

We started to see the odd burnt out car along the way and small termite mounds.  After turning off onto Thorntonia Yelvertoft Rd the good bitumen soon ended.  We seemed to alternate between corrugations, good dirt road, a bit of bitumen.  We dropped our tyres and the ride became much smoother.

There was a section where the termite mounds were grey not reddish brown.  I couldn’t work out why as the soil colour had not changed that much.

After turning onto Riverslegh Road we only travelled about 4km before making camp. It was a lovely spot amongst beautiful trees and very interesting termite mounds.  There were lots of budgies softly serenading us as we cooked and ate dinner. It was too windy to light a fire.  We kept hoping in anticipation of it dropping off and got a campfire ready if not for today for tomorrow morning.  The wind didn’t let up.

CAPE YORK TRIP DAYS 11-12

25 June 2014

Upper Limestone Creek Rest Area north of Boulia – Mt Isa (255km)

We made our way into Mt Isa by lunchtime after another interesting drive. 

I play musical chairs between vehicles.  So I tend to alternate between going in the Oka and going with Flora.  As the Oka is the lead vehicle and the Range Rover is tail end Charlie, Flora’s Skoda is safely ensconced in the middle and I get some good shots of the Oka in front.

It was a little more hilly the closer we got to Mt Isa. 

Termite mounds started to appear.

As we were having morning tea and interesting vehicle rambled slowly up the road.  It was a tractor with a van on the back all decked out.

Luckily I had booked in at a caravan park for us all from Boulia as it was booked out by the time we arrived at 12:30pm.  We set up and everyone went every which way as we all had things we needed to sort out.  Instead of housekeeping we all needed to do ‘campkeeping’.  Bob and Žydre needed to have their car looked at as every time they went to lock it they would set off the siren.  They also had an oil leak they wanted checked.  Min was off getting our batteries tested as in the last several days they were not charging as well as they should be.  One battery proved to be 7 years old and had started to expand.  It had to go.  He was also concerned with how the batteries were set up.  My new mobile wifi was not working properly so after two hours at Telstra it was thankfully all sorted out. 

The first evening was we were sitting outside enjoying happy hour I looked up and saw a pair of birds in the tree directly above us. 

A little while later there were quite a few of them serenading us from above.  After a barbeque dinner at the camp kitchen we all dispersed as we were all tired.  It was noisy in town as I tried to go to sleep.  I could hear the traffic.  After being in the bush these sounds seem to amplify themselves.

The next day was taken up with laundry, shopping, cleaning and the day just flew.  Our two men were rather tense until everything was resolved with the vehicles.  Flora spent considerable time ferrying one or the other to various places.  Min bought three replacement house batteries and put them in.  Bob had the car checked and there were no serious issues with it. 

Min laughed when he saw the four of us with out IT gadgets all furiously typing away, sending messages, writing, sorting photos. 

By early evening everyone was relieved as the pressure was off and we are all ready to roll on towards Lawn Hill in the morning.