End of the Road

Woke from yet another windy night.  Zinc being loaded at the port could be heard throughout the night.
Shared the camp kitchen and more stories with fellow campers this morning.  The weather was looking even more grey than yesterday.

For me, the one thing that stands out about Karumba is the birds.  So many birds.  There are wetlands everywhere but they are almost impossible to access.  Roads that appear to head straight for a section of wetland tended to simply run parallel to the water but never to the water.  After a few attempts Honey Pie and I gave up.

Karumba,a port town on the Gulf of Carpenteria sits on the mouth of the Norman River.

There is a beach at Karumba, called Shelly Beach, but it really is a poor excuse for a beach (in my opinion).

The coast line of Karumba entails extensive tidal flats. 


Our sightseeing of Karumba extended to taking a walk along a very run down boardwalk, a walk along Shelly Beach and through the tiny township itself. We also visited the Norman River.
 For a town that is so remote (Normanton is the closest town and seventy one kilometres away) there are minimal services.
Both Andrew and I wondered why the attraction to Karumba but both of us couldn't help feeling a sense of "Broome Time" as we strolled around at a very leisurely pace.  We could understand how some people would come to Karumba for a visit and stay forever.  It is in many ways, the end of the road and one establishment is called exactly that and overlooking the Gulf!
Oh, and we did manage to dip our toes into the waters of the Gulf, gingerly of course, because this is crocodile country - really big ones!
Morning tea was enjoyed at Ash's, famous for its fish and chips. (It was too early for fish and chips.)

Cirrus

After a windy night, we woke to a cool morning and rain threatening, so the tent was packed away super-fast.
Cloncurry is a small country town with its own history, just like lots of the towns we have travelled through.
I have to admit though, that I'm a bit over Historical, Pioneer and Mineral Museums but we did attempt the lookout over Cloncurry only to be almost blown away, not by the view but the wind!  Because of the cold, wind and spitting rain we cut our sightseeing of Cloncurry short and made our way to Quamby.


This hill is slowly being mined away.  It was the view from our tent.
It was, once more, a full house at the caravan park by the time nightfall had arrived last night.

About forty kilometres north of Cloncurry we stopped at Quamby Pub.
Only instant coffee available so we had Thermos tea in the rest area across the road. 
By this stage, the temperature was getting close to freezing!

Lunch and fuel stop at the Burke and Wills Roadhouse ,on the Matilda Highway.
 Karumba is next on our itinerary because Honey Pie wants to dip his toes into the Gulf of Carpentaria. The roadhouse is about halfway between Cloncurry and Karumba.

Wind clouds at Karumba.  Don't let the blue sky fool you!
Karumba has three caravan parks and two are full to the hilt.  The third one takes us in but the camp sites are back to back and the overflow section for caravans is in full swing. 
Another windy night in store, rain still threatening but there is a lot of camaraderie in the park as everyone attempts to make the best of the situation.
Lots of  stories are exchanged between campers and advice given out for future destinations by those who have already visited.
Some have come to Karumba for a break, others to fish and still yet others, like us, to have a look at what all the fuss is about!
Tonight turns out to be a soup night as we share the camp kitchen with the multitudes.