31st August 2015 Camoweal to Banka Banka via the Barkly Highway

We left early to travel along the Barkly Highway. We crossed the border from Queensland into the Northern Territory and headed along the almost straight road passing through the occasional very small community.  We stopped briefly at the Barkly Homestead for fuel.

Welcome to the Northern Territory

Barkly Homestead - roadhouse - a busy rest place and the only fuel for 448 km

We reached the Stuart Highway at Three Ways and turned north towards Darwin.  We stopped for the night at Banka Banka Station.

Banka Banka West Station

This is the westerly outstation of a very large property - they have turned this small area over to be used for caravans, campers etc.  The facilities are old but clean and there is an abundance of water from their spring.  The showers are hot and there is green grass to camp on! - a rare facility in this part of  Australia.

The different time-zones can be confusing
when travelling long distances & taking in to consideration that we are in the Northern Territory not Queensland

Banka Banka Station - our Triton to the left of the tree

A cute baby donkey

And some camels were delivered to the property while we were staying there so they have quite a menagerie.

There is even a telephone kiosk here at Banka  Banka - a great asset when mobiles phone coverage is almost non-existant out here - the only place you can use a mobile phone is at the road stations.

They breed em big in the Outback!! 

30th August 2015 From Julia Creek to Camooweal

30th August 2015              From Julia Creek to Camooweal

On the way to Camooweal we drove through Cloncurry and Mount Isa stopping for lunch at a rest area beside the road.  Lots of road-trains use this route so care must be taken when they are around.

Lunch Stop just before Mount Isa
(Note our lovely clean trailer with a black tonneau cover - later in this
 blog it turns brown from the red dust of the Kimberleys!)

Road-train

Central Hotel - Cloncurry

Cloncurry Post Office

An early morning cup of tea after an overnight stop at the Camooweal Billabong (a free camping spot).

No facilities at all at this camping area beside the Camoolweal Billabong.  Very pretty but once again the river is not flowing but is just a series of billabongs with lots of birds.  We are self-sufficient with battery power, gas hot water shower, port-a-loo etc.  We set up our shower tent but didn't bother with the ground sheet - just used a rubber mat - bad mistake. The black dust turned to sticky black mud when wet - yuk! It was extremely hard to get rid of.

29th August 2015 From Townsville to Julia Creek

29th August 2015               From Townsville to Julia Creek

We left Townsville early and travelled to Julia Creek via Charters Towers, Hughenden and Richmond.

Richmond - Grid-locked!!

Our Mitsubishi Triton & North Coast Top Ender camper-trailer

It is terrible to see this drought-affected area - it is so very dry and dusty after 3 years of drought.
Many of these towns rely heavily on tourism to keep them going.

Camping in the Julia Creek Caravan Park

We had quite a social evening while cooking tea in the well-equipped camp kitchen.  Met a lovely couple from Mackay who used to own a camper-trailer identical to ours. (North Coast Top End Camper ). The Julia Creek caravan park has had quite a face-lift including new manager's quarters.  Still the same old facilities but they are spacious and clean.

Setting up camp at the Julia Creek Caravan Park

Julia Creek residents take great pride in
caring for their Outback town

26th - 29th August 2015 St Lawrence to Townsville

26th - 29th August 2015                    St Lawrence to Townsville

We spent 3 nights in Townsville to top up with groceries, pick up a rental satellite phone and have new tyres fitted to the Triton. Why did we have them fitted in Townsville??  Because we particularly wanted General Grabber tyres and apart from one available in Adelaide, Townsville was the only place to have them in stock!! We also visited the beautiful new parkland in Townsville - Jezzanine Barracks.  This parkland is a credit to Townsille - it caters for everyone.

A the top of Jezzanine Barracks Park with Castle Hill in the background

Magnetic Island in the background

Looking down on the Rockpool - with sea water

The Rockpool

Looking down the Townsville Strand

The Strand Beach - Townsville

25th August 2015 Cooroy to St Lawrence

25th August 2015                 Cooroy to St Lawrence

Camper-trailer packed, car loaded and hitting the road heading north up the Bruce Highway.

Donuts for morning tea from the Childers Bakery (see in the picture) - yummy!

Camped for the night at St Lawrence showgrounds - free camping but $1 in the slot for lovely hot showers.  However this will change next year when the council brings in a new charge.

St Lawrence Showground

Remote Woop Woop - The Kimberleys and Cape LeVeque

REMOTE WOOP WOOP  exploring The Kimberleys and Cape LeVeque