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Alan Barra Fishing
Keeping well back from water's edge.Blog by Jim.
Friday 25th May Freezing cold today – the wind is still blowing from the south – reckon it is straight from Victoria. Went fishing off the beach – hoping to catch a Barra as a 1 metre one had been caught a couple of days previously. No luck. Alan was concerned that I was taking a risk when I waded into the water to retrieve a lure. “Croc” country!!!
Tonight we went to the Sunset Pub for a few beers and a meal. Pity about the sunset as we haven’t seen the sun for a few days. At least there has not been any rain to speak of. Not like the rest of Queensland where some other caravanning friends of ours have been suffering from the effects of the wet weather.
While our plan included a trip to Lawn Hill NP and Adel’s Grove we have found out that we will not be able to get in there for a few days as a Road Train is bogged on the road and it will take some drying conditions before access is returned.
Saturday 26th May Free Fish Dinner
Karumba Caravan Park on a saturday night. Saturday night at the Karumba Point Caravan Park is free fish BBQ night and one of the reasons we decided to return here. Not because it is free but for the entertainment. Again this was an entertaining night, with park guests performing some acts.
Sunday 27th May Departed Karumba today and headed back up the road to the Burke and Wills Roadhouse where we turned right and eventually stopped at Gregory Downs. Following wind from B&W returned 16 l/100km.
Directions to “Free Camp” took us to a spot that was not that inviting. After chatting to a bloke who was camped there we discovered there was another area that people used as a camp. Headed for this spot but confronted with “No Caravans Beyond this Point” sign. Well when we looked passed the sign we saw a number of caravans camped on the banks of the Gregory River – so it must have been OK.
All 3 caravans went down a track and we picked out suitable sites beside the river. The ground conditions were river gravel deposits.
Before we set up we chatted with some
NOT one of us!!!
Karumba C/van Park - Saturday night. other campers who advised us that the police had moved on some aborigines that had camped under the bridge a few nights previously. They had told the caravanners to enjoy their stay – so that confirmed that it was OK to stay.
That night I made a fire from wood lying about and cooked our steaks on a BBQ plate over the fire. Later the Leckies and Hartners joined us around the fire for toasted marshmallows.
Monday 28th May Last night we again discovered the disadvantages of camping beside a road – more road trains travelling passed and one in particular who tooted his horn at 5.00am. These road trains are carting gravel for road works.
The Hartners have had more than their fair share of annoying problems with their van, including their 12 volt fridge that is noisy and seems to run all night and only switches off for a few seconds before starting up again. This has caused their batteries to be run down quicker than they should. The solar panels that they have are not keeping up with the drain on the batteries so it was time
to crank up the Honda generators.
I also set up my portable water pump in the creek so that we had water on demand in the van. The creek is used by the “town” for their water supply.
Today we find out that the bogged road train has managed to get out – so we will be able to get through to Lawn Hill.
We decide to just take a day trip tomorrow – rather than risk towing the vans in.
Tuesday 29th May Wayne offers to take all of us in his Landcruiser to Lawn Hill – 100 odd km.
There was some sealed road to start with which turned to a gravel road with some sections of “black soil” and an obvious stretch where the road train got bogged.
Both Adel’s Grove and Lawn Hill were disappointing, but I guess, as we did not do the canoe trips up the gorge (which are the centre of attraction) due to time constraints, we are probably not best placed to comment.
After we return to our riverbed campsite Ryan’s In-laws (Dave and Deb) arrive. We were
Perfect Campsite
On the banks of the Gregory River. hoping to catch up with them but were unsure when. They too were planning to visit Lawn Hill.
That night we all walked up to the Gregory Downs Pub and had a few beers. While there a couple of the local landowners came in to pick up supplies by helicopter. They stayed the night and we heard them take off the next morning.
On the way back to camp there was 3 road trains parked up and we chatted with them. And those of you who know Jane will understand that she is not backward in coming forward. Well Jane (light heartedly) had them on about the noise during the night and the driver who tooted his horn at 5.00am. It was all in good fun and we joked about it with them. Well needless to say we got blasted by the horn the next morning.
Wednesday 30th May Deb and Dave have been on the road for a number of years now and are ready to settle down for a while. They said that they had not seen a better Free Camp in all their travels. We thought it
was good too.
Discussions are had over the condition of the road from here to Camooweal and we all decide to take the short route – the road is open and there has been no recent rain. Dave has been told to take a left turn after about 130km and the road will then be sealed and miss a particularly bad section – but a little longer.
Well Alan and Jane & Wayne and Gaile head off about an hour ahead of us. At the point of no return the road turns into 2 wheel ruts in a paddock of black soil. It had obvious signs of vehicles being bogged previously. 15km of this at 20km/hr was slow going – but driving to the conditions there was no danger. A couple of times we came across vehicles coming the other way and checked on the progress of Alan and Wayne.
At one point we came across evidence of their progress. In the middle of the road was what looked like a base plate for a Trailermate Jack. I stopped and went back to check and sure enough it was identical to the one on our caravan. Sue
and I were discussing whether it was from one of our friend’s vans as we were proceeding along when I spotted a pipe in the middle of the road. OK I stop again and go back suspecting that is another component of that Jack. I don’t have to tell you that it was – do I? With all the luck that Wayne was having with his van it had to be Wayne’s. We decide that we will not say anything about the jack until we hear their story first.
After arriving at Camooweal the first thing we were greeted with are statements from the girls that they didn’t want to travel on those sorts of roads again. I guess Sue and I are more used to this sort of driving conditions. While it was slow there was no danger. You just have to drive to the conditions – which the boys did.
Then we see that Wayne is spewing about some issues he’s had. A puncture on the van just as they pulled into Camooweal and they had bent the jacking point on the caravan when using Alan’s Trailermate Jack. Why didn’t he use his own jack? Oh
Road to Lawn Hill
Road Train was bogged here for a few days. – seems to have fallen off on the way today. He had taken the tyre to the garage to get repaired and had also asked if they could fix the jack.
I could not wait long before I produced the jack components. Wayne’s comment – “You’re kidding me”!!!!! He couldn’t believe it. Wayne Alan and I had a great laugh about it.
Camooweal Pub Caravan Park was our rest for the night after we had washed the dust off the vehicles and Vans. Then it was a few beers in the bar and a meal.
Thursday 31st May Fuelled up at Camooweal and a short drive through to the Barkley Roadhouse.
Initially there were some road works with speed restrictions but no activity. Just as well I work for a construction company and are very mindful of observing roadwork speeds as there was a radar trap operating and I got pulled over. While there was no issue with my speed even though I was a little over you never know. So they got me to blow in the bag – no problems at that time of the morning either.
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Chris Leckie
non-member comment
Thank you
Great to have the next instalment, thanks. All in an envelope to be posted to Nancie! x