We had booked into Lawn Hill National Park for 3 nights starting Friday so continued our long drive west with only 3 days to cover the thousand odd kilometers with varying road conditions . There are very few camping spots at Lawn Hill National Park and especially one that can fit in our size caravan. By booking only one week in advance we were fairly limited by our choice of dates and had opted for this weekend rather than next weekend as it was fully booked mid week.
We are traveling on ‘The Savannah Way’ which crosses from Cairns to Broome and the further west we got, so to the more variable the road conditions, from excellent sealed two lanes to the single strip of potholed bitumen down the middle. Lunch was in Georgetown and for a very small town they had a great playground and a shady picnic table.
With not many good camping spots available we pushed on through Croydon to Normanton arriving just on sunset with the last hour or so being very hard driving west into the sun. Earlier the caravan in front of us had collected a kangaroo and they did not even know that it hit the side of their caravan.
The caravan park in Normanton was lovely and we got to enjoy the State of Origin second hand from the pub across the road. Given the amount of cheering by the locals the game obviously went Queensland’s way.
The reward of our long drive the day before was a late start the next day. We enjoyed a walk around town where the kids found Kry, the largest crocodile ever recorded in Australia, or at least a life size replica which was very impressive at 8.63m long and a mouth that Maddi could lie down in.
Further through town we found the Visitor Information Centre complete with Normanton library. The lady behind the counter was extremely helpful and the kids were kept quiet and entertained in the children’s corner of the library.
After a quick stop at the local bakery, which had the best sausage rolls so far, we headed out of Normanton continuing on the Savannah Way, which is now a good dirt road. We swapped drivers near Burke and Wills Camp 119, their most northern camp, and the road conditions deteriorated for Thea.
A late lunch was had at Leichhardt Falls, a spectacular set of waterfalls complete with helicopter perched right on top of the falls. From there we headed down on a road less travelled through Augustus Downs Station. We saw only a single car in the hour or so drive south but saw thousands of cattle mostly standing on the road. The kids all had a great time cow spotting.
Back on the sealed road and yet again heading west at sunset we drove into Gregory Downs as there was no suitable camping spots along the road. At Gregory Downs there were a few old camp fire places so the kids suggested that we have a campfire too. There was just enough light left in the day to collect a little amount of firewood and get a fire going. While dinner was being cooked the kids enjoyed a marshmallow each, just in case the fire was out after dinner. The kids ate dinner well that night as we sat around the campfire and they couldn’t distinguish what was in their bowls.
With only a short 100km to travel the next day we set off on the good quality dirt road which deteriorated after a turn off to a local mine and then got even worse with some road works. The other upside of the mine was some patchy mobile reception to shoot off a couple of quick emails. A highlight was the road train coming towards us, which looked spectacular with the cab and front half of the cargo sitting out in front of a cloud of dust. Visibility however was non-existent for a good 30 seconds after he passed us. It has also surprised us how very few people slow down when passing oncoming traffic on dirt roads.
It was nice to arrive at Lawn Hill for lunch, set up and have a quick dip in the river complete with tyre tubes. While we were swimming a family with two girls came back from canoeing up to the falls and joined us for a swim and we made some new friends.
Over our three days at Lawn Hill National Park we spent our time walking the well-marked tracks, canoeing up and back to the falls, swimming in the river and around the falls, and spending time with our new friends.
Lawn Hill is the type of place you need to spend a number of days at so to enjoy the relaxed and remote atmosphere and take in the many walks and look outs. Even though it is a dry and weathered landscape it has a very magical and peaceful feel about it. Particularly when up on the escarpment that surrounds the gorge. We were surprised how everything was in such close proximity to the campground. Even Kai, with a little jelly snake encouragement, was able to tackle the walks.
Swimming at the falls was a family favourite, we paddled the canoe up there on Saturday, and amazingly did not lose anyone over board as we had 5 in the 3 man canoe. On Sunday we then walked up to the falls and met the Derrick family for lunch at the falls after lots and lots of swimming. On the way back to camp after lunch Thea had the luxury of a few hours away from the kids and walked the grassed and wild flowered rim of the gorge and took her time at the lookouts. Many photos were taken to try and capture the beauty but they do not do it justice.
The kids were sad to say farewell to their new friends as we are traveling in opposite directions but hopefully we will get to catch up with them again as we pass by their home later in the year.
From Lawn Hill we will travel a little south and then a bit west to restock before heading into central Australia.
Till next time…
Tig and Thea
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