Traveling to the northern parts of Queensland is a unique experience that few people actually attempt. The roads become sparse, the weather unpredictable, and facilities such as gas, food, and lodging become difficult to find. Unlike the dry, arid central or center part of Australia, the northern part, especially the north eastern part in Queensland is semi tropical, warm, and hosts much vegetation … until you get inland a ways. The most common people you find here are the “Gray Nomads”. These are retired people who buy caravans (Camping trailers), load them up with all kinds of gizmo toys, and head north for the winter to avoid the cold weather down south. They stay up here until spring then head back to their homes. The roads are loaded with big SUV’s pulling big caravans. Many of them “Bush Camp” which is free camping somewhere along the road they can find a spot to set up. Others go to commercial campgrouds (which are getting to be very expensive) and spend two to three weeks visiting friends from previous u=years that show back up. An interesting life.
Nancy and I have decided to do a road trip that takes us up the east coast as far north as Cairns, then west and north to the Carpentaria Sea, then west across the most desolate part of the area to Daly Waters on the Stuart Highway. The route from Cairns west to Daly Waters is called The Savannah Way and follows National Highway 1 most of the way. We plan to make a few deviations, then pick our way back home …. yes, we do have to go home eventually. The lawn will need mowing.
Because this is our third trip up the coast along A1, The Bruce Hiway, I won’t be taking many pictures. There are already too many of them in previous posts. Please feel free to check them out. They can be found in “Caravanning to Cairns (December 2023)”. We had a pleasant trip up to Cairns, we spent the night in a small town named Ayr along the way and a night in Cairns to have a night out before heading west. It’s approaching Winter here so everything is drying up a bit. Makes more of the roads passable for us and provides some warmer temperatures than we are having in Tannum Sands. Here’s a few shots from along the way and in Cairns.
From Cairns we followed the Savannah Way west to Georgetown where we spent the night. Shots from along the way.
We left Georgetown for a short day and arrived in Karumba, Queensland. A small town located on the Carpentaria Sea and the Norman River. Quite the Outback sort of town.
