Mount Isa and Gregory Downs

Mount Isa and Gregory Downs

Over the last few days and nights we have enjoyed exploring Queensland's northwest with some good company and, once again, great weather.  Our trip is almost at the conclusion of its seventh week and we have hardly seen a single cloud in the sky the entire trip let alone rain.  I can't imagine what we are going to do when we get home.  

The clock had just passed the strike of 1 when we arrived in Mount Isa.  The drive in was fairly uneventful apart from the rudimentary crossing of the border.  We bid farewell to the Northern Territory; a place that we had spent a truly enriching 5 and a half weeks and entered Queensland from the west.  We vowed to be back one day soon! 

I had read that Mount Isa was a fairly large mining town and the continual appearance of road trains certainly confirmed this.

The "Golivers" had arrived an hour before us and were set up when we arrived.  Hugs and handshakes were shared before we quickly set up and sat down together to talk about our travels and escapades around the country.  Pretty soon happy hour was nigh and we enjoyed a nice meal together; the first of many.  

The following day we were in desperate need of a restock; of everything from shampoo to swimming nappies.  Mount Isa boasts a very well equipped shopping district, so we managed to find everything that we needed there.  Due to the remoteness of our recent travels, we had resorted to frozen vegetables and canned fruit as we weren't able to buy any fresh produce for a while, so it was a welcome sight to see the supermarket.  

That evening we all travelled to nearby Lake Moondarra for a spot of fishing and a drink.  Despite being a man made lake and dam, it was quite a pretty place and it was very nice sitting by the waters edge wetting a line and wetting our whistles, so to speak.  Unfortunately, the bait I bought at the BCF in Mount Isa didn't yield any catch, but we still enjoyed the time there.

The following morning, my father and I decided to awake early and launch his Hobie kayak in the lake.  With dad being a semi professional birdlife photographer (self confessed ;)) and me being a much more amateur fisherman we figured that we could both satisfy our interests at the same time.  Unfortunately for me, the fish just weren't biting.  Being the cold part of the year, it was not surprising.  It was a nice two hour paddle around nonetheless and we did manage to see a freshwater crocodile and a plethora of different birdlife. 

The rest of the time at Mount Isa was spent either shopping, swimming in the very cold swimming pool and socialising with my folks.  It was a great little stay and I would go back there in the warmer months for sure.  There were a couple of tourist attractions there that we thought about visiting, but in the end we decided to leave it for the next visit. The four wheel drive tracks that I had a look at also beckoned, but not this time.  

The morning of the 12th saw us rise early and take the drive east to Cloncurry and then north to the little town of Gregory where my folks had suggested we stay.  What a beautiful place!  Without a doubt, this is the most serene and peaceful free camp that we have ever stayed at.  It is very popular here and you can see why!  The pandanus lined river edge and the abundance of birdlife make this place an absolute gem. As you will see from the photos, the Prado and Expanda are situated at the water's edge.  Absolute river frontage.  And...it's free to stay here.  

Apparently there is a little bit of controversy surrounding this place with the publican of the local hotel petitioning against people staying here; an issue that is becoming more and more ubiquitous in Australia.  Without delving into my thoughts on the issue too much, I guess I just hope that Ebony can one day visit and camp at this place with her kids.

We spent most of our time here either sitting by the water's edge, throwing rocks into the water with Ebony or swimming downstream on pool noodles and then walking back up only to repeat it again.  The current in the river here is quite strong. So strong in fact, that it become almost like a natural water slide of sorts that you can enjoy, provided that you don't get pushed into one of the pandanus trees.  

By nightfall we were toasting marshmallows with Ebony and gazing at the ever awe inspiring display of stars in the night sky.  From the comfort of our caravan we could hear the soothing sounds emanating from the constant trickling of river water flowing downstream and beyond.  Ahhh!  It was, once again, great to be alive.  

Tomorrow we make the 90km trek from here into Adels Grove in Lawn Hill National Park.  We have been very excited to visit this remote place and it will be good to have Ranger Ebony back in the saddle for some bushwalks.  The last 50 kilometres or so are dirt roads and we have heard conflicting stories about how rough the track is.  We handled the Mereenie Loop, so I am sure that we will be fine here!  

More soon.