We crossed the border to the Northern Territory only a few kilometres from Camooweal. We continued to Barkly Homestead where we had a quick lunch. The highway was good and not very busy so we made good time. Sandra drove most of the way which gave me a bit of a break.
From Barkly Homestead we turned North on the Tablelands Highway towards the Gulf of Carpentaria and Borroloola. The road conditions took a turn for the worse immediately as was basically a single lane developmental road that was quite bumpy. Cattle also roamed freely across the road in numerous places. Didn't deter the authorities from setting the speed limit at 110 Km/Hr for some unknown reason. We met a number of Road Trains as well which basically meant pulling off the road wherever possible to let them pass. The countryside was very flat with little vegetation. I felt a it like I was back in Saskatchewan in Canada as you could see for miles in every direction. Of course the road would have been considerably better!
The weather was hot again reaching into the high 30s. Had a brief (5 minute) rain shower that brought the temperature down 10 degrees. Unfortunately it immediately increased the same amount when the rain stopped. Given the hot temperatures we pushed on a bit further than our original plan before stopping at a free roadside campsite about 100 Km South of Cape Crawford.
The site was decent with a couple of areas set back from the road, and a few shade trees. Huge windmill as well which gave a nice rural outlook. Unfortunately, our caravan fridge decided not to start on gas, so we had to rearrange everything in our portable freezer/fridge as best we could. Damn things!
We had a nice meal outside with the Ransleys and did a bit of stargazing before retiring to our caravans. Was a very hot night so we were all hoping we could get some sleep! We hadn't settled in for more than 30 minutes when we heard a terrible grinding sound. The sound repeated itself every 10-15 seconds. We realized that the bloody windmill had decided to begin turning and obviously hadn't been lubricated for a few years! We all had a good laugh except Stephen who slept through it. Thankfully it only lasted for 20 minutes or so. Unfortunately, our nightly tribulations were not quite over. Around midnight we were awoken by a vehicle pulling in to the campsite and shining its bright lights directly on our caravans. Next thing we knew a couple of fisherman were out with headlamps on trying to find a spot to put their truck and boat for the night. Idiots! Needless to say none of us enjoyed the greatest sleeps and those two fishermen won't be on our Christmas card list!
Sunday morning we were up early and on the road North again towards Cape Crawford. If anything the highway was even worse with more bumps, hills, and winding turns than before. Definitely not a relaxing drive what with Road Trains possibly bearing down on you unseen! We arrived at Cape Crawford which is basically only "The Heartbreak Hotel" and Fuel station. Cape Crawford is a funny name as it is no where close to the Gulf or any water?? We had a quick break before turning North East towards Borroloola on the Carpentaria Highway. Still basically a development road although somewhat smoother and a few more two lane stretches than the Tablelands Highway. The road became two lanes once we passed the MacArthur River Mine. This was a relief although it also meant that we were sharing the road with Mining Road Trains. Fortunately, being a Sunday morning we only passed a few.
We arrived in Borroloola around lunch time and checked in at the MacArthur River Caravan Park. Only choice in town but was quite good. The Managers were really friendly and informative on the local area. Quite a few shady sites and $30 for powered sites with good drinking water. Amenities were a good size and fairly basic, but clean. Would give 3.5 Stars. We got setup and had a some lunch before Sandra and I took a quick tour around town. Well it was a quick tour and given it was Sunday afternoon not much was open. We headed back to the caravan park where we shared a nice happy hour with another couple, Terry and Val. They are experienced off road caravaners/fisherman. They were heading East towards a cattle station to spend a month fishing for Barra. They gave us some good advice about driving the outback tracks and recommended we give Lorella Springs a visit. We have been planning to go there but were a bit dubious after our last driving experience to Adels Grove. We enjoyed a nice BBQ meal with the Ransleys to top off the day. Tried the fridge on gas again after it cooled off on 240V and it worked fine! Bloody Things!
Monday morning we took a drive out to Caranbirini Conservation Reserve. We hadn't heard too much about it but saw the sign on our way into Borroloola, and thought we would give it a visit. Wow! What a nice surprise! A short walk from the parking lot found us crossing a beautiful waterhole with lillies and bird life. A well marked path then led us to some incredible rock formations. A bit like the Bungle Bungles maybe although haven't been walking in them yet. The pathway wound in amongst these incredible rock formations before we began moving through small spaces between them. Great experience. There is no charge to take the walk and only took us about an hour to complete. The town should really publicize this more as is very impressive. I've included some pictures below but there are several more in the photo link for our adventure if interested.
We returned to the caravan park for some lunch and another quick tour around town. We did a bit of grocery shopping which although limited was still considerably better than our recent stops. There is a large Aboriginal population in Borroloola as there was in Normanton, Gregory Downs, Camooweal, etc. While they seem to congregate in public areas and mill around they pretty much keep to themselves and leave the tourists alone. The town itself could use a good clean up as is a bit run down. Love this picture of the new Pharmacy! Would you trust it??
After lunch we took a drive out towards the Gulf to visit King Ash Bay and Bing Bong. Our first stop was King Ash Bay which is not really on a bay at all. It is really just a fishing village that fills up with caravans from down South every year. About 20 Km of dirt road takes you into the Village which is on the MacArthur River. A huge area that stretches for several kilometres along the river. I would think the population of King Ash Bay would outnumber Borroloola in fishing season. Not our cup of tea but obviously we aren't avid fishermen.
We returned to the main road before heading North again for the final 40 Km to Bing Bong and the Gulf of Carpentaria. Road was uneventful until we arrived at Bing Bong which is the shipping port for the mine. We took a short drive past the mine/port complex down to the boat launch/river. Heavy corrugation made for an uncomfortable and slow trip. Nothing much to see as no good view of the Gulf and no activity at the boat launch. Disappointing really but at least we can say we've been there. We won't be returning anytime soon. Climbed a small lookout at the mine/port where we could at least see the gulf and the loading systems. Followed a Road Train home to Borroloola where we had an early dinner.
Stephen contacted Lorella Springs again to verify road conditions. The girl assured him they were good and although recommended for off road caravans only, we should be fine if we took our time. Given this was one of the locations on our trip planning wish list, the group of us decided to proceed there for our next stop. We both topped up with Diesel as was $.62/litre cheaper in Borroloola than Cape Crawford! We planned on getting an early start so completed the majority of our pack up before turning in for the night.
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