Here we are at Mataranka in the Northern Territory and we finally have found some mobile phone coverage (Telstra only). There's a fair bit to tell since we left Isa....
We made it from Mt Isa to Lawn Hill comfortably in a day and found paradise at Adels Grove about 10km from the national park. Adels Grove used to be a botanical gardens until someone burned it down, but the unpowered camping area is like camping in the Garden of Eden. While the world out side is a sweltering shadeless scrub, Adels is a cool shady haven with the Lawn Hill creek running through it. There is a great swimming hole which is safe for the kids just a short walk from the camp ground as well as good facilities such as showers, shop etc.
We stayed at Adels for 3 nights and took the kids for some bushwalks and canoeing and swimming up the Lawn Hill Gorge....which was spectular!
After heading out of Lawn Hill we headed north up the Great Top Road (part of the Savana Way). This road had only recently opened after some rain and it put Nat through a few 4wd moves. It was OK (fun even!) as long as we took it easy and by the time we pulled into Hells Gate roadhouse to refuel Daz had the sads cost he'd missed out on the best 4wd bits!
Not to worry...Daz was to get his bit of driving excitement at the Calvert River crossing on the NT side of the boarder. A bloke at Hells Gate had told us that therem was a nice camping area on the eastern side if the river, so we decided to make for that for the evening. With Daz at the wheel we found the track to the camp ground and went down it...as a cliff appeared on our left and a 12 foot drop to our right Nat said "I hope this track doesn't turn to shit or we're gunna have some fun getting out of here"....around the next corner the track turned to shit...
So with Nat doing her best Jungle Jim impersonation in weeds up to her chin "Back! Back! No! Stop! You're gunna jackknife! One more inch! Uhhhh I can't watch!" And Daz doing his best Russel Coight "It's right we can make it" he somehow manage to execute a 36 point turn and get us out of there (hats off to Daz!)....I can say that neither of us want to ever see the trailer on that angle again!
We did find a camp spot next to the Calvert River that night....but it was in the western side after crossing the river.
The next day we continued along the Savana way and made it to Lorella Springs. This is a million acre property that runs cattle and stretches right to the Gulf of Capentaria (it takes about 3 hrs to drive to the gulf from the main camping ground and you've got some decent 4wding to get there). Along this road to the gulf is the Rosie River (beautiful big river) and a camp site next to the Rosie for the keen fisherman....but be warned...get a lure through your finger out there and it's a long way to the doc....I tried but didn't quite have the dedication to push the lure in past the barb - so no need to panic this time. We tried our luck for a few hours on the edge of the Rosie and had a few serious hits from baracuda and queenies but we didn't manage to land anything :-(
As indicated by the name Lorella Springs also has plenty of springs...some hot some cold. There is a warm spring in the middle of the camp ground and several others that are a short drive away. If you visit any of these inland springs, take you snorkling gear because it is really spectacular below the water in some places. Also if you're prepared to do a bit of rock hopping there is an awesome water slide down a granite rock face into a pool. Sounds painful...in reality it's not at all and even the grownups were giggling and squealing like little girls.
All in all we spent 4 nights at Lorella Springs and it's on our list of somewhere we'd like to go back to again for a bit longer and with a boat to fish the Rosie. Matilda had her fifth birthday there as well....Nats first ever camp oven packet chocolate cake was OK....after we cracked the layer of charcole off the outside :-)
So the next stretch was from Lorella Springs to Mataranka (still on the Savana Way). Along the way we stopped to take a look at the Southern Lost City (part of Limen Nat Park)....this is totally spectacular...put it on your bucket list!
Continuing on, after dodging some crazy tourists who were swimming in a 3 foot deep, 6 foot diameter pot hole caused by a spring IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD near the roper river (not exagerating) we refuled at Roper bar and got onto some much welcomed tarmac to get to Mataranka....and wouldn't you know it? 1km from the caravan park one of the truck tyres shreds itself...no probs...change the Tyre and book in to the caravan park. Thankfully after a long day, the pub at the caravan park had dinner and live music....and Jess and Matilda won the prize for grooviest dancing :-) .
Today we headed off to Bitter Springs (a few km down the road). Again take the snorkling gear...this place is spectacular under the water...Spec...tac...u...lar!!
Tomorrow we're off to Katherine for a few days to check out Katherine Gorge and pick up a new tyre for the truck...
We made it from Mt Isa to Lawn Hill comfortably in a day and found paradise at Adels Grove about 10km from the national park. Adels Grove used to be a botanical gardens until someone burned it down, but the unpowered camping area is like camping in the Garden of Eden. While the world out side is a sweltering shadeless scrub, Adels is a cool shady haven with the Lawn Hill creek running through it. There is a great swimming hole which is safe for the kids just a short walk from the camp ground as well as good facilities such as showers, shop etc.
We stayed at Adels for 3 nights and took the kids for some bushwalks and canoeing and swimming up the Lawn Hill Gorge....which was spectular!
After heading out of Lawn Hill we headed north up the Great Top Road (part of the Savana Way). This road had only recently opened after some rain and it put Nat through a few 4wd moves. It was OK (fun even!) as long as we took it easy and by the time we pulled into Hells Gate roadhouse to refuel Daz had the sads cost he'd missed out on the best 4wd bits!
Not to worry...Daz was to get his bit of driving excitement at the Calvert River crossing on the NT side of the boarder. A bloke at Hells Gate had told us that therem was a nice camping area on the eastern side if the river, so we decided to make for that for the evening. With Daz at the wheel we found the track to the camp ground and went down it...as a cliff appeared on our left and a 12 foot drop to our right Nat said "I hope this track doesn't turn to shit or we're gunna have some fun getting out of here"....around the next corner the track turned to shit...
So with Nat doing her best Jungle Jim impersonation in weeds up to her chin "Back! Back! No! Stop! You're gunna jackknife! One more inch! Uhhhh I can't watch!" And Daz doing his best Russel Coight "It's right we can make it" he somehow manage to execute a 36 point turn and get us out of there (hats off to Daz!)....I can say that neither of us want to ever see the trailer on that angle again!
We did find a camp spot next to the Calvert River that night....but it was in the western side after crossing the river.
The next day we continued along the Savana way and made it to Lorella Springs. This is a million acre property that runs cattle and stretches right to the Gulf of Capentaria (it takes about 3 hrs to drive to the gulf from the main camping ground and you've got some decent 4wding to get there). Along this road to the gulf is the Rosie River (beautiful big river) and a camp site next to the Rosie for the keen fisherman....but be warned...get a lure through your finger out there and it's a long way to the doc....I tried but didn't quite have the dedication to push the lure in past the barb - so no need to panic this time. We tried our luck for a few hours on the edge of the Rosie and had a few serious hits from baracuda and queenies but we didn't manage to land anything :-(
As indicated by the name Lorella Springs also has plenty of springs...some hot some cold. There is a warm spring in the middle of the camp ground and several others that are a short drive away. If you visit any of these inland springs, take you snorkling gear because it is really spectacular below the water in some places. Also if you're prepared to do a bit of rock hopping there is an awesome water slide down a granite rock face into a pool. Sounds painful...in reality it's not at all and even the grownups were giggling and squealing like little girls.
All in all we spent 4 nights at Lorella Springs and it's on our list of somewhere we'd like to go back to again for a bit longer and with a boat to fish the Rosie. Matilda had her fifth birthday there as well....Nats first ever camp oven packet chocolate cake was OK....after we cracked the layer of charcole off the outside :-)
So the next stretch was from Lorella Springs to Mataranka (still on the Savana Way). Along the way we stopped to take a look at the Southern Lost City (part of Limen Nat Park)....this is totally spectacular...put it on your bucket list!
Continuing on, after dodging some crazy tourists who were swimming in a 3 foot deep, 6 foot diameter pot hole caused by a spring IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD near the roper river (not exagerating) we refuled at Roper bar and got onto some much welcomed tarmac to get to Mataranka....and wouldn't you know it? 1km from the caravan park one of the truck tyres shreds itself...no probs...change the Tyre and book in to the caravan park. Thankfully after a long day, the pub at the caravan park had dinner and live music....and Jess and Matilda won the prize for grooviest dancing :-) .
Today we headed off to Bitter Springs (a few km down the road). Again take the snorkling gear...this place is spectacular under the water...Spec...tac...u...lar!!
Tomorrow we're off to Katherine for a few days to check out Katherine Gorge and pick up a new tyre for the truck...
