Tuesday 29 June

Normanton to Karumba

Gulf of Carpentaria

Famous Kris the Croc at Normanton

Leaving Normanton after a leisurely start.. queued for fuel then visited the visitor Centre. Lots of info including on the local bird life.



Visited Kris the Croc and headed to Karumba.

Lots of info on local birdlife at the tourist Centre. This Bustard is the bird that we claimed feathers from when we came across where one had been plucked - for our hats!

We passed Mutton Hole Wetlands Conservation area as we left, but hadn't allowed time to investigate - not this time.

But, from the road we drove past, pelican, ibis, egrets possible magpie geese, water lilies. Didn’t stop.

Warm sunny day, 28C by 10am.

Station. Cattle and horses

Loads of brolgas by the road in water ways. Another stork. We are on the Matilda Way leading into Karumba now. So many brolgas!

In Karumba we did the shopping for groceries and had a nice pepper pie each from the bakery followed by a thick shake and lamington at the café. Making up for lost time in the wilderness !

Looking for accommodation was interesting as we found that the town is full to over flowing, even the van parks. When we rang accommodation places for a room for the night they just laughed! Everyone has headed North to  escape the cold and Covid.

The place is swarming with locusts too.

The sky and everything else, was full of locusts!


May have lucked out with some old '50s era cabins for a couple of nights stay here. Rang Savannah Shores and they had just had a cancellation due to the Covid19 lock down in Townsville - lucky for us!

Original condition '60s accommodation


Managed to nab a donga for two nights. Turns out they are original '60s era cabins. So familiar! 

Best location in town, right on the beach for watching the sunset over the ocean!

Once accommodation was organised we went for an exploratory walk along the beach.

Trying hard to increase personal knowledge

Beautiful shoreline

A busy operating fishing and prawning port


Roy was particularly keen to go on the Croc tour but it was sold out 'til Friday. We did get on a bird tour for the morning instead. It is Hot here!!

The beach is so white, and the ocean and sky so blue!

Lucky there’s a pool here because swimming in the Gulf would not be wise due to the saltwater crocodile population.


The rocks are embedded with shells. Amazing!



Cooked up a chicken pasta for dinner after a sundowner across the road at the pub and a sunset photography session over the road on the beach.


Always special to watch the sun set over the ocean.

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