It was 148 kms of mostly straight fairly good road from
Croydon to Normanton, 35kms (as crow flies) from Gulf of
Carpentaria . Savannah
landscape - browning off but quite a few small dams & waterholes &
groups of Brahman cattle, drought conditions have drastically reduced numbers
& their ‘condition’. Lots of small (1m) yellow flowered trees (fellow with
pet lorikeet on his shoulder, at Croydon pub, told us they were a cotton
(something) tree but not sure about it!) all seem to have been planted in rows
but occur naturally; also small green-grey finer leafed trees.
The railway for Gulflander train runs beside the road. It is
a bus on the rails that supplied & carried gold back to ‘port’ on the Norman River
We stopped briefly at Black Bull Siding where the Gulflander
crosses from one side of road to the other - & where we’ll have morning tea on our Wednesday trip.
Quite a few cattle stations off the road; also Critters Camp
& small lagoon where there were lots of birds (brolgas etc)
Normanton (pop 15000, mainly aborigines – HOT, 30 degrees
(cools to uncomfortable 27 overnight! – love our efficient air-con!), 3 hotels,
small supermarket, great butcher shop, couple of galleries, HUGE replica of
largest crocodile captured (28’) in park, 2 caravan parks – pool & spa
& we have great site in mostly shade!!!! Pool water COLD but we both went
in!
Off to Karumba (pop 600) on the gulf today – BIG fishing,
prawning centre. K divided into 2 – The Point at mouth of Norman River
Crocodile warnings all along waterline; Barramundi, chips
& salad for lunch at the tavern & king prawns home for tea – YUM!
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