Borroloola to Karumba

Borroloola to Karumba

Now 30th July and we are heading off on the Savannah Way on our way over to Karumba on the Gulf of Carpentaria. We went off with the intention of spending a few days to get to Burketown but found the road a lot better than the Gibb River Road and also the opportunities to camp were very few and no road houses open. About 90 km out of Borroloola on a corrugated section, we were flagged down by a couple who had just rolled their Prado while trying to avoid one of the many washouts on the side of the road. Fortunately they were not injured and the car was drivable, though they couldn’t get into any of their gear behind the front seat because the back and roof were crushed. The amazing thing was the car ended up on its wheels. A couple of the tyres were a bit low so Heinz was able to pump them up, hopefully enough to get them into Borroloola. By that time some other cars had come through and two of them agreed to accompany the damaged car back to the town. We hope they made it okay, although it probably would have had to be trailered to Katherine, or even Darwin. The couple were from Sydney, so guess that was the end of their trip.

After several creek crossings and some rough roads, we made it to the Queensland Border (17,300 km after leaving Sydney mid April) and decided to push on to Burketown that night, passing through Hells Gate, a drive of 474 km for the day. The Savannah Way also does not have the attractions of the Gibb River Road, where you can go into several national parks with beautiful gorges and camps are controlled by rangers. We still saw a couple of single bicycle riders who were game enough to tackle the rough conditions.

Burketown (population 235) seemed to be quite a neat town, with plenty of grassed areas and friendly people. It also claims to be “The Barramundi Capital of Australia” and another great base for fishermen. I think a few other towns would claim the same title!
There are also large cattle stations and again we saw lots of cattle on the side of the road, and many kangaroos. There are many warning signs to be vigilant.

After about 68 km of sealed road we crossed the Leichhardt River. This was one of the many we crossed which were very wide and dry. Some had more water than others, and even if there is not much water, there is still quite a lot of bird life. The rivers must be an awesome sight in the wet season. Once we had crossed the river, we were suddenly in a different shire and the road to Normanton from there on was unsealed, corrugated and rough in many places, with sharp dips and many narrow bridges over the rivers. We passed a few cars towing caravans but they must have had a very bumpy ride in places. We arrived in Normanton in time for lunch and then made our way to Karumba.

Karumba is on the gulf and the area is called the Gulf Savannah – Outback by the Sea. Large prawning and fishing boats go out each night to fish the gulf, ore carriers go out to mother ships regularly with zinc, and supply ships go out to the islands, so it is quite a busy port. Karumba is also a mecca for fishing and we had trouble getting accommodation. All the caravan parks and holiday units are full most of the time, and some motels have been taken over by the mining companies for their accommodation. However, we managed to get one night in an on-site van and then two nights in a cabin in a park right next to Sunset Beach. Some people spend all winter up there and book a year ahead.

For travelers, fishing and the beautiful sunsets are the big draw. There is the Sunset Motel, Sunset Carvan Park, Sunset Lodges etc.! There are also good walks along the beaches and we were able to take the car and put the awning up to have a picnic. The area adjacent to the boat ramps had dozens of cars with trailers, and when we went to the beach, the boats (mainly “tinnies”) were all out in the gulf hoping for a good catch. Many were very successful with 6 or 7 large salmon each. On return to the parks, the fish cleaning table is a hive of activity and a great meeting place for the men to tell fishing tales. (Some of these are called “brag tables”). Despite the warning about crocodiles, we still saw a guy standing in the water and throwing a bait net, and others standing in the water with rods. A large croc had been seen cruising the area the previous week but some people just take risks.

We had noticed a bit of a rattle in the exhaust system when reversing, but after putting it up on a bit of a ramp in a picnic area, Heinz found it was just a loose mounting and he was able to fix it. We were a bit concerned that the earlier welding job after the Gibb River Road had started to give way, but not so.

We went over one night to have dinner and watch the sunset and were rewarded by quite a spectacular sight. There were some lovely clouds which give more interesting photos.
Karumba is in quite a remote place but it has a lot to offer for a very relaxed holiday, particularly if you like fishing!