Camooweal

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Geo: -19.9218, 138.119

Here we are sitting by Lake Francis in Camooweal soaking
up the tranquillity but we didn't get here without some issues, it appears
issues are a common thing for many travellers some have more than others.

We left Charters Towers and headed for Hughenden and
arrived safely without any issues. The RV camp is a massive $6 per night in the
dirt carpark alongside the showgrounds, oval and alongside the very dry Flinders
River, one of the locals claims he hadn't seen it flow in about 3 years.
Porcupine Gorge was 73kms out and well worth the drive, the tourist brochure
describes it as a mini Grand Canyon. Spectacular rock formations carved out by
the Flinders River (when it flows). It was a 1.2km walk down into the gorge
where we found a nice little swimming hole for a dip, the water was freezing it
took your breath away when you first get in, even saw a wild boar at another
hole. Rode our bikes around town a few times. Went to Mt walker Lookout to
watch the sunset which was spectacular. Visited the fossil museum at the
information centre, the Hughenden, Richmond, Julia Creek area is a rich fossil
area as it was once part of a large inland sea and now the source of many Dinosaur
finds.

Next in line was Richmond upon arrival I noticed a blister on one of the van tyres!
RV Camp right on the edge of town was dusty and windy, not a lot to offer in Richmond.
Has a manmade lake on the edge of town and that's about it.
Replaced the blistered tyre with the spare and ordered 5 new tyres for the van to be delivered to Mt Isa from Brisbane so we could replace them there.

Then we travelled to Julia Creek to camp at the free RV
Camp on the edge of town which had been recommended by a number of travellers.
Pulled up at the Info Centre and inspected the tyres only to find a blister on
another one! Drove out to the RV Camp and signed in with the Camp Hosts and
decided to have lunch before we set up site. After lunch we rode one of the
free bikes supplied by the council around the small water hole and chose our preferred
site. The van was facing the wrong direction so it was decided to reverse up
then drive around the water hole to our site, Caroline guided me back then
asked if I wanted her to come and help guide me, “no I'll be fine” were my
fatal words. At one end of the water hole I was avoiding a low tree on my right
as I entered the bend and did not swing wide enough to make it around the
corner and stopped when I noticed the left hand wheels of the van getting very
close to the edge. I thought to myself “I'll just back it up a bit then swing
wider” as soon as I started to move back the wheels slid off the edge and down
about 400mm to the edge of the water, now I couldn't go forward or back DOH !
Caroline in the mean time was wondering why it was taking so long and came
around the corner and immediately panicked. While some of the other campers and
I were assessing the situation and trying to work out a resolution one of the
lady campers who we had met at Hughenden suggested she take Princess Caroline
away for a calming cup of tea “Great Idea” I thought to myself. The Camp Host
suggested he call the council as we needed a backhoe or forklift to help out, Greg
from the council arrived in 15 minutes and a front end loader 5 minutes later.
We hooked up a snatch strap to the back corner of the van and the bucket of the
loader. The loader took the weight of the van while I reversed back and we were
out of trouble. Tried to pay Greg and was told it's all part of the service.
Set up camp and headed to the Camp Hosts site for a few beers and a game of
bush skittles.

The next day it was back to the blistered tyre, drove
into town to see if we could get a tyre there only to find out the 5 Toyo's I
had ordered to be delivered to Mt Isa were the last of that size in Qld and
were travelling up through Longreach so couldn't be diverted to Julia Creek.
The decision was made to purchase a cheap ($234) Chinese Sunfull tyre and hope
we could make it to Isa.

Surely that's enough issues for now?

Julia Creek is an interesting town with a lot of history
mainly as a sheep and cattle region and also for the Julia Creek Dunnart, a
marsupial which is only found in this region. The information centre is well
set up with videos and photographic displays depicting the past and present.
The water supply is from Artesian Bores and the water comes out of the ground
at about 50 to 85 deg so there are no hot water systems required here, instead
they have cooling tanks to reduce the temp for their cold water taps. The annual
Town v Country Football (thugby) match was on Friday night so along with the
rest of the town, campers and station workers who were all dressed up for the
occasion we attended this and had a burger and a few beers. Town won 32 to 26
in a willing affair, Town was comprised of the local Footballers and Country
were the Station Workers. We went for a drive out to Punchbowl Water Hole with
a couple we be friended, it's part of the Flinders River and was as dry as a
bone, then out to Eastern Creek where they hold the swim leg of the annual triathlon
then back into town for a beer at the Top Pub which had been moved here from
Charters Towers in 1906. A few sick looking locals (had celebrated the football
win/loss) came in for takeaways to fire up again for the ball which was on that
night. Sunday was the local market in town all 5 stalls and a small display of
arts and crafts. Did the self-guided historical walk around town.

We really enjoyed our stay in Julia Creek apart from the little issue at arrival.

Headed off for Mt Isa wondering what the day would bring
and sure enough there was a blister on one of the tyres when we stopped to
check them 75km out of town. What do we do now? Well lets keep going and see if
it hangs in until we get to Isa, only another 185km to go. Stopped a couple more
times and the blister wasn't getting much larger and finally made it into Mt
Isa without blowing the tyre. We had booked into the Sunset Caravan Park and
went shopping for groceries followed by many loads of washing. The next evening
we went to the lookout to watch the sunset over the mine along with a very nice
bottle of wine Terry and Marilyn had given us (please send more of the same). While
there Caroline heard a familiar voice that of a work colleague Naomi who she
sat next to at Anglicare. Naomi, Mick and their boys Max (12) and Theo (4) have
been on the road since January with their 4wd and camper trailer so we
organised to catch up for a drink the next evening. Checked out the golf course
and decided we would wait until we get to Alice Springs to play again. The new
tyres arrived in Isa and I removed the wheels 2 at a time and took them to be
replaced, so we now have 5 shiny new Toyo Open Country Tyres for the van and
can travel with confidence again, in hindsight we should have replaced them
before we left but they still had plenty of tread and hadn't given any trouble
on our shake down runs. Did the Hard Times Mine tour, Isa Experience and Fossil
Museum at the Outback at Isa Centre. After our tyre issues and listening to
many stories about blow outs I have ordered a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System
which is being sent to the Caravan Park we will be staying at in Alice Springs.
Drove out to Lake Moondarra which was built by the mine to supply water for the
town and mine back in the 50's.

Left Mt Isa and travelled to Camooweal with absolutely no issues this time.

Free Camp on Lake Francis we are overlooking the water
where various species of birds are fossicking in the shallows for fish and
mussels. It is a quiet and peaceful location only a short distance out of town.
Rode our bikes into town and out the other side to the Drovers Camp Museum
which is dedicated to the early settler's droving cattle through here to the NT.

Tomorrow its only 14kms from here to the border and into the NT, then 256Kms to the Barkly Homestead Roadhouse for a few days and then on to Tennant Creek. Apparently the roads in NT are better than Qld, lets hope so as the roads from Charters Towers through to Mt Isa are very rough.

Living in major cities on the coastline we can be oblivious to how dry and desolate this country can be. The dust is like talcum powder and gets into everything but turns into quicksand like mud as soon as it rains. We also take for granted how quickly parcels arrive, it can take days or weeks to receive a parcel out here. We also forget how beautiful nature can be.

Enough of my ramblings you would be thinking by now but I have one more issue which must be mentioned especially for those who were vocal in their support of Caroline's choice of bicycle.

While we were at Charters Towers and having just arrived
back at the van the Townie was parked and 5 minutes later I heard air leaking
from a tyre and yes it was the front tyre of the Townie which had gone flat! I
pulled it apart and found that the tube had been pinched when it was installed and
the puncture was too large for the slime to hold it so off I went to purchase a
repair kit. Cleaned it up and patched it only to find another pinch let go when
I inflated it, patched this and all was good. At Julia Creek the same thing
happened again arrived home from a ride then down went the front tyre of the
Townie. Pulled it apart and found one of the patches had let go! In Mt Isa we purchased
an Extra Thick Tube and installed it with no issues since. My bike has had no issues.

Well that's all for this edition, it's a bit long winded but the issues needed to be described in full to give you some idea of the whole experience. Hopefully that's the end of our issues.

I hope this finds everyone fit and well and enjoying life.

Kym and Caroline

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Photos

Hughenden 3
Two Dinosaurs in the same room.

Hughenden 6
Flinders River

Hughenden 7
Porcupine Gorge

Hughenden 8
Porcupine Gorge

Hughenden 9
Our swimming hole in Porcupine Gorge

Hughenden 10
Sunset from Mt Walker Lookout

Hughenden 11
Sunset from Mt Walker Lookout

Hughenden 12
Strange signs all around this area, luckily we didn't come across one of these car eating cows !

Richmond 1
A relative perhaps ?

Julia Creek 1
Ooops that doesn't look good !

Julia Creek 3
Too many cooks ?

Julia Creek 4
Cavalry to the rescue

Julia Creek 5
With a little help from some friends

Julia Creek 6
Out of danger at last

Julia Creek 7
The evidence

Comments

[HedleyOK]

Knowing you Pharkim you deliberately punctured Caroline's Tyres as you were embarrassed riding with her on her townie!!!!!Re the reversing, suggest you get a camera fitted to the back of the van if you continue to do it on your own - I know
it is a man thing but mate you are now a grey nomad and your not as good as you think you are or was!!Great photos - keep up with news.