North West Qld trip July 2021

[Big Red]

Sunday 25th July:

It was a cool wind this morning so after making a coffee I went back to bed, the next door neighbour packed up and left so I moved into his spot as I could go back to bed and watch the birdlife on the small pond there.
An Ibis, large white Crane, small grey Crane and even a brown Hawk all did their thing not noticing me inside the canopy.
Finally around 10 am I packed and headed off to Mt Isa…
I overtook a couple of dozen caravans, passed a few hundred caravans, campers and campervans going the other way and in the whole 190 km only saw 1 truck and 1 car … simply amazing!!

[Big Red]

I refuelled at Mt Isa then headed out to Mary Kathleen Dam again but took a different track but found most sites taken so I followed some rough tracks and found a nice spot on the water which happened to be across the inlet from where we camped a week or so ago … literally one minutes drive away but this site promised to be better for sunrise.

I set up the solar shower then took the canoe out for a decent paddle but as I got out for a look at a hidden camp I cut my foot open on slimy rocks so its being a bit of a pain at the moment.
Cleaned it up and put some antiseptic cream on but it keeps bleeding.

Once back at camp I lit the fire and got some hot water going for dinner and to add to the solar shower, water was nice and warm but standing in the breeze was freezing.

A very peaceful night around the fire with only one neighbour on the other side of the next inlet.

[Big Red]

Monday 26th July:

Foot bled all night and only stopped mid morning so cleaned up the blood carefully then dried it and put more antiseptic cream on then whacked a couple of bandaids on tightly to hold it closed, see how it goes.
I was going to stay another day and relax watching the birdlife but noticed the Auxiliary voltage down to 12.0V so packed everything up and as I went to start it I noticed it was 12.6 … must have misread it … I was packed so left anyway.




Drove over to the dam wall for a look.




Dropped in to the Mary Kathleen Mine for a look but the foot is not coping with even a short walk so didn’t go far.




Next up I went to Clem Walton Park [pretty sure it used to be Corella Dam] … absolutely chockers with campers so decided to keep going for a bit.

[Big Red]

Passed some Camels beside the road.




Ended up camping in a dry creek bed on the outskirts of Winton near a major intersection about 5Km from town.

[Big Red]

Tuesday 27th July:

Rising before dawn, I made my coffee and packed up before reversing down the creek past my entrance then the Patrol dug and clawed her way to freedom and I followed my tracks back to the road.
Once in town I found a drinking water tap and refilled the tank then headed up to the servo to refuel.

Another day of boring bitumen but at least it is giving my foot a chance to heal.


I refuelled again at Blackall before airing down and hitting the dirt for the next 200 odd km towards Adavale then turned right and travelled the dirt for another 70 km to the campground near Hell Hole Gorge.




I found a spot down on the worn rock beside the water at Powell creek camping area and got a fire going just before the sun set.




It looks like they have closed off the road beyond the water crossing so you have to walk to Hellhole Gorge now

I cleaned and dressed my foot again, its looking good so far.

Only two other camps that I could spot so its not all to myself like I expected for such an out of the way place.

[Big Red]

Wednesday 28th July:

I was up before dawn and decided on a short walk but lost sight of the markers as they are laid flat on the ground, I headed for a likely line of trees and found a gorge with an interesting island stack in it … the light wasn't right so I headed back to camp and passed a sign with a pic of Hellhole Gorge on it… looks like I found it anyway.

[Big Red]

The foot was doing well so just before lunch I got some pics of the gorge near camp then I had another crack at finding the little triangle markers leading the way to Hell Hole Gorge and as I knew where the gorge was managed to scout around and find the 5th through 9th markers eventually … all the rest were close enough to spot from the last one and I was soon back at Hell Hole to get some better pics with the sun more overhead.

[Big Red]

I followed the old 4wd track back from the old camping ground back to my Ute and relaxed around camp for a while before the wind gave me the shits enough to pack up and head to Adavale stopping in at Spencers Waterhole for a look first.










As I pulled up outside the Adavale free camp the local cop saw me and drove a beeline straight up beside me … facing the wrong way on the road and not wearing a seatbelt. He was wearing a Flanny and an Akubra and had a big white bucket sitting on the passenger seat.
He asked if I minded taking a breath test then the usual where ya goin? Where ya been? How long ya stayin?

When I came up Negative he drove off and I drove over to a sign board for a look.

A local bloke drove off from the pub on a quad, no plates, no helmet etc and the cop came back down the street after his patrol and stopped on the wrong side of the road again on a corner for a chat… I took the opportunity to get out of town before he got bored and came looking for me again.

[Big Red]

I drove across towards Charleville and took a side road along the fenceline in Mariala National Park … its all flat and clay so would not be fun in the wet as the marks would indicate.

I stopped at No3 Bore camping area for a look around at the water trough and windmill as well as the steam engine then kept going to the lookout but didn’t stay long and kept going to Mariala Rockpools camping area and pulled up stumps for the day.

Only 2 rockpools with very green water in them but on the bright side there is plenty of dead Mulga for firewood.

Cooked dinner on the campfire and retired to dress my foot which looks like its healing nicely.

[Big Red]

Thursday 29th July:

I woke at 4:30 so thought “stuff it” and headed off into the dark … This place takes the cake for Erosion Control Mounds, [ECM’s] with all 21Kms of the track peppered with them at 50 metre intervals … gets a bit monotonous and make it a 1hr track to get back to the main Dirt Road.

Finally back on the road I only stopped at first light when I saw a clear view of the horizon, turned out to be an emergency landing spot for the first crossing by plane from England to Australia by the Smith Brothers.




As the sun rose I hit Charleville and refuelled before airing up and grabbing a couple of pics of the nearby water tower.







Once on the bitumen I just wanted to get off it so I kept going … and going … and going before finally making it home about 11 hrs later after 7175 Kms and 3 weeks.

Its been another awesome trip away !!