Townsville to Cloncurry via Normanton

After the wedding we left Townsville for Mount Surprise and the Undara volcanic National Park
Mt Surprise – here we explored another fascinating geological wonder the Undara Volcanic National Park, the cooling molten lava of an erupted volcanic flow of lava 190,000 years ago forming 90km of hollow underground lava tube from a single volcano. The lava quickly cooled and crusted, while the interior lava drained beneath to leave long, dark, hollow tubes at a length of over 160km. We also walked the eggcup-shaped crater on the 2.5 km Kalkani crater circuit. The guide took the time to explain the science first before taking us below ground to the lava tubes. This was a great approach as it allowed us to understand what we were seeing.

Kalkani crater

Next we went to Forsayth, an old mining town which is one of the few remaining towns of a large number which existed on the Etheridge Gold Fields. For anyone who wants to try their luck detecting there is still some gold and relics out there.

We went on a guided boat tour through the rugged sandstone formations of Cobbold Gorge. This gorge is very narrow, closing to 2 metres wide in places with 30 metre high cliffs on both side, and some the native wildlife that we got to see included freshwater crocodiles, heron and many different fish. Again we walked to the top of the gorge first before descending to the bottom of the gorge so we could understand what we were about to see on the boat.

Back onto the Gulf Development Road at Georgetown we stopped at Croydon for a picnic lunch in the park and that we looked through the Croydon general store which has been trading since 1894.Then on to our next camp at Normanton.

Normanton is a historic town at the centre of the Gulf Savannah grassland. Here we spent the day doing a self guided walking tour of the town that included the original artesian bore that supplies "hot" water to the amenities in the caravan that we stayed in.




Artesian Bore, Town well/ Light pole



With crocodiles prevalent here we saw a replica of the largest one ever shot in 1957 measuring 8.63m.




Krys the Croc - the Savannah King

 Our walking tour finished at the Railway Station, museum and home of the famous Gulflander Train, just in time to catch at short train ride on this historic 140 km rail line but we only went out to Critters Camp and return. It was interesting as the camp is a transhipment point in the wet season where road trains load their cargo onto barges. It is the only guaranteed way that the town can be resupplied in the wet.

Gulflander Train

Before we packed up to leave Normanton we out took our breakfast out to Burke & Wills –camp 119, it is the most northerly camp site of the Burke and Wills expedition party crossing inland.

Burke & Wills Camp 119

Whilst in Normanton we heard of the fantastic sunsets at Karumba so we decided to have dinner at the pub on the beach at Karumba Point. The locally caught barramundi was great and the sunset didn't let us down and they were at least 30 or 40 people ready to capture it on film.

Karumba Point sunset

We then travelled south about 400 kms to Cloncurry. We visited the Mary Kathleen Museum which told the story of the abandoned mining town and the Rev John Flynn Museum which provided information on the founding of the Royal Flying Doctor Service.



The next day we went to McKinlay and the Walkabout Creek Pub, home of the Crocodile Dundee films.

We continued south to Kynuna and the Blue Heeler pub, the location of the first public recital of Waltzing Matilda. It is an amazing pub and even has its own surf life club and boat even though it is over 1,000 kms from the ocean.




Blue Heeler Hotel famous hotel with illiminated blue heeler statue on the roof.  Waltzing Matilda Exhibition


We finished the day by a trip to the billabong that is generally accepted to be the setting for Waltzing Matildas. It is about 23 kms from Kynuna and is incredibly peaceful.

Combo Waterhole Conservation Park the events described in "WaltzingMatilda" occurred in this conservation park.