Go west!

The Atherton Tablelands were a cool and lush retreat from the dust and heat of Cape York and so we spent a couple of days relaxing there.  We did some of the many highlights including seeing the Curtain Fig and swimming at Lake Eacham.  We had some great free camp spots and at one we were under the daily flight path of thousands of Magpie Geese and Whistling Ducks, which was quite a spectacle. 

                       

From Atherton we embarked on The Savannah Way – the road which extends for about 3700 km from Cairns to Broome.  First stop was Undara Volcanic Park.  We took the poor peoples’ option and did some bush walks to see the lava tubes from the top rather than going inside (which is apparently quite cool, so we’ve put that on the list for future trips when we are more financially viable).  After that it’s the long push across Queensland to Lawn Hill National Park, which is pretty much on the Qld-NT border. 

Along the way we passed through Normanton, which is home to Krys the Savnnah Croc.  Krys is a replica of the largest recorded, 8.4 m long croc that was shot (by a Polish woman) in the 1970s and I can fit comfortably in its mouth (see photos)!!  Normanton is also the home to another Big Barra, so compare Daintree Village vs Normanton’s Barras on the big things page.  We’re currently having a 2-day pit stop in Kurumba on the Gulf of Carpentaria.  The sunsets here are amazing (we reckon they rival Santorini), and so tonight we are off on an afternoon bird watching, sunset appreciating and prawn eating cruise (the Gulf is the heart of the Qld prawn industry and so the sunset cruise comes with the usual wine and cheese but also prawns – yum!).

Click here for photos