TEN CENT WASHERS

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Road conditions deteriorated west of Bourketown – deeper corrugations and bulldust holes hiding rocks.
We were happily bouncing along when I heard a loud bang and saw the caravan leap all over the track. I pulled over to the side to find a brand new 10ply tyre had blown.
When I put the jack under the van I could see the 3 lower spring leaves had separated from the rest and shifted around, tearing the inside wall right out of the tyre. Closer inspection showed 2 spring washers had been left off the outside u-bolt.
The springs were reset and bearings repacked by a suspension specialist just before we left. What a shame – 20 cents worth of missing spring washers just cost me a $600 wheel and tyre. It also meant we could not risk the run up to Roper Bar with just one spare. I had no nice words to say about the guy that did our suspension work!

Road conditions deteriorated west of Bourketown – deeper corrugations and bulldust holes hiding rocks.

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We were happily bouncing along when I heard a loud bang and saw the caravan leap all over the track. I pulled over to the side to find a brand new 10ply tyre had blown.

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When I put the jack under the van I could see the 3 lower spring leaves had separated from the rest and shifted around, tearing the inside wall right out of the tyre. Closer inspection showed 2 spring washers had been left off the outside u-bolt.

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The springs were reset and bearings repacked by a suspension specialist just before we left. What a shame – 20 cents worth of missing spring washers just cost us a $500 wheel and tyre. It also meant we could not risk the run up to Roper Bar with just one spare. I had no nice words to say about the guy that did our suspension work!

PUBS

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Croydon sprang up in the 1880’s. It was a gold rush town, swelling to over 7000 people and 122 pubs. The Club Hotel is the sole survivor, which gives a clue to the quality of their beer. It’s a typical Queensland pub of the era – all timber, high ceilings, wide veranda with outside seats. a great place for a beer and a meal.

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Normanton’s “Purple Pub” is built in the same wide veranda, high ceiling style, but is an unusual combination of two separately roofed buildings. I doubt it was called the purple pub when it was built in the late 1800’s –  purple wasn’t invented till way after that. It’s now the best known landmark in town.

A green butchery has sprung up since we were last there, but it doesn’t seem to be attracting near as much attention.

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This is a shot I took of the National Hotel, Mt Morgan back in the early 80’s. It was a great pub with lots of character. I went back to Mt Morgan 5 years later, intending to stay in the National, only to find it had been converted to a Methodist Church!

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Returning to Mt Morgan this trip, we drove up the hill to see what had become of the old pub.

Well, the Methodist  church had vacated and it was now a private residence. What a shame, such a great example of over the top, goldrush, hotel architecture should have drifted away from it’s intended purpose.

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Daly Waters Pub is one of the NT’s most famous. Built  on a busy droving route in the 1930’s, it was once a watering hole for thirsty cattlemen. Today it attracts tourists from all over the world. There are walls adorned with signed thongs, bras, knickers and foreign banknotes, marking the travels of thousands of visitors enjoying a rowdy beer.

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Couldn’t resist taking a photo of this colour coordinated lady taking a photo of someone drinking a pint outside the pub.

ALCOHOL AND PORNOGRAPHY

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ALCOHOL AND PORNOGRAPHY
Huge signs warn of dire consequences to anyone attempting to smuggle booze or pornography into aboriginal communities. The pub at Borroloola has all but closed down – selling only meals, no alcohol.
Hells Gate cant sell beer any more, so cant afford to stay open, removing another fuel supply from the Savannah Way. Wallagarang suffered the same fate. These new laws certainly have caused a lot of new problems trying to solve some old ones.

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Huge signs warn of dire consequences to anyone attempting to smuggle booze or pornography into aboriginal communities. The pub at Borroloola has all but closed down – selling only meals, no alcohol.

Hells Gate can’t sell beer any more, so can’t afford to stay open, removing another fuel supply from the Savannah Way. Wollagarang suffered the same fate. These new laws certainly have caused a lot of new problems trying to solve some old ones.

LEICHHARDT FALLS

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Not far from Bourketown are the Leichhardt  Falls. The Leichhardt River spreads out over a series of eroded rock shelves and the wet season piles up banks of sand all over the place.
The falls look amazing just before the sun comes up. Sorry about the clichéd long exposure – couldn’t help it.
Downstream as the sun is about to come up.

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Not far from Bourketown are the Leichhardt  Falls. The Leichhardt River spreads out over a series of eroded rock shelves and the wet season piles up shifting banks of sand.

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The falls spill over a rock shelf into a large basin. They look amazing just before the sun comes up. Sorry about the clichéd long exposure – couldn’t help it.

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Downstream, yellow reflections as the sun comes up.

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The Savannah Way has some beautiful places to camp. Most of the river crossings are really spectacular and, fortunately, not much traffic goes that way, so most of the time you have these places to yourself.

ON TO BOURKETOWN

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ON TO BOURKETOWN
The road out of Normanton to Bourketown was incredibly good. After a while we discovered why – we had just caught up with the grader. Problem is, what do you do? – sit in dust at crawl speed on a nice smooth road or pass and suffer the corrugations?
We passed soon to come across this guy bogged in a creek.
The driver was sitting under a tree, complaining about his boss telling to go via the swamp. The boss was on his way back to Normanton to find a chain.
Not far from Bourketown are the Leichhardt  Falls. The Leichhardt River spreads out over a series of eroded rock shelves and the wet season piles up banks of sand all over the place.
The falls look amazing just before the sun comes up. Sorry about the clichéd long exposure – couldn’t help it.
Downstream as the sun is about to come up.

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The road out of Normanton to Bourketown was incredibly good. After a while we discovered why – we had just caught up with the grader. Problem is, what do you do? – sit in dust at crawl speed on a nice smooth road or pass and suffer the corrugations?

We passed soon to come across this guy bogged in a creek.

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The driver was sitting under a tree, complaining about his boss telling him to go via the swamp. The boss was on his way back to Normanton to find a chain.

BOURKE AND WILLS CAMP 119

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BOURKE AND WILLS CAMP 119
Still standing 150 years later – this blazed coolibah tree, between Normanton and Bourktown, marks the site of Bourke and Wills second last camp before returning south.
Not far from the campsite, maybe a kilometre downstream, I spotted this croc lying under the pandanus palms. Poor old Bourke and Wills were sick and exhausted at this point. Crossing the creeks and rivers must have been a nerve-wracking experience for them. They survived all that, only to perish on their return to the base camp on Coopers Creek, missing their departing comrades by just hours.

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Still standing 150 years later – this blazed coolibah tree, between Normanton and Bourktown, marks the site of Bourke and Wills second last camp before returning south.

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Not far from the campsite, maybe a kilometre downstream, I spotted this croc lying under the pandanus palms. Poor old Bourke and Wills were sick and exhausted at this point. Crossing the creeks and rivers must have been a nerve-wracking experience for them. They survived all that, only to perish on their return to the base camp on Coopers Creek, missing their departing comrades by just hours.

LEICHHARDT LAGOON

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LEICHHARDT LAGOON
Leichhardt Lagoon is a series of waterholes on the Leichhardt river near Normanton. There were plenty of crocodiles in the nearby Leichhardt River, great sunsets and lots of interesting birdlife so we stayed for three days. Did some painting, lots of walking and cycled along some rough old sandy tracks spotting crocs.
Great camp site, right beside the water.
The sunsets across the wetlands were mighty.
Stilts fed in the shallows around our camp
These two cool looking ducks waddled past us one morning
Young Stilt trying to figure out how all these legs work?
Large Egret showing off elaborate plumage.
Attractive looking Egret making herself more attractive.
Important looking Egret walking importantly
Pied Heron circling.
Pied Heron – cruising.
Pair of Curlews – the way they behave is as weird as their mournful cry. They stand dead still and stare at you, then walk a short distance, freeze, and stare again – very strange!
Mobile studio – right on the edge of Leichhardt lagoon.
Cobalt Blue and Permanent Rose are normally used as soft, transparent washes. In this painting, as well as using the colours as transparent washes, I mixed them with white gouache to make the random opaque purple shapes that interrupt the detail.
Surprisingly few insects at night meant we could cook and eat outside and enjoy the view across the wetland.
By now you might be thinking this place is pretty close to perfect, and it was except for this guy…
He owns the station the wetlands are situated on, and thought it a good idea to blast away with a shotgun every once in a while to frighten off all the birds?

Leichhardt Lagoon is a series of waterholes on the Leichhardt river near Normanton. There were plenty of crocodiles in the nearby Leichhardt River, great sunsets and lots of interesting birdlife so we stayed for three days. Did some painting, lots of walking and cycled along some rough old sandy tracks spotting crocs.

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Great camp site, right beside the water.

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The sunsets across the wetlands were mighty.

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Stilts fed in the shallows around our camp

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These two cool looking ducks waddled past us one morning

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Young Stilt trying to figure out how all these legs work?

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Large Egret showing off elaborate plumage.

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Attractive looking Egret making herself more attractive.

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Important looking Egret walking importantly

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Pied Heron circling.

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Pied Heron – cruising.

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Pair of Curlews – the way they behave is as weird as their mournful cry. They stand dead still and stare at you, then walk a short distance, freeze, and stare again – very strange!

painting at leichhardt lagoon

Mobile studio – right on the edge of Leichhardt lagoon.

wetland painting

Cobalt Blue and Permanent Rose are normally used as soft, transparent washes. In this painting, as well as using the colours as transparent washes, I mixed them with white gouache to make the random opaque purple shapes that interrupt the detail.

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Surprisingly few insects at night meant we could cook and eat outside and enjoy the view across the wetland.

By now you might be thinking this place is pretty close to perfect, and it was except for this guy…

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He owns the station the wetlands are situated on, and thought it a good idea to blast away with a shotgun every once in a while to frighten off all the birds?