James and I were first out to the bus after breakfast so Paul suggested we take a walk to the town bore. As this was where I was looking for one of the Nymphaea species Surrey had named I was quick to agree. Unfortunately it was all too slippery to walk around and there were no water lilies to be seen anywhere. However, there were a few wallabies and lots of white water birds in the distance.
We were then back on the bus and heading out of Burketown towards Normanton and Karumba. On the way we saw brolga (probably Sarus Cranes), Bustards, and a small flock of budgies.
At Leichhardt Falls we saw the huge amount of sand that had been washed down in the
flooding in Western Qld.
As there was no shelter from the very strong wind we did not have morning tea there but continued on. We saw more brolgas and a dingo. At Inverleigh Station we saw some longhorn cattle from Texas for a cross breeding program with the usual Brahman cattle of the tropics. We saw some Wedgies and a large flook of galahs.
At the
Burke and Wills Camp 119 we found some shelter to have morning tea and viewed the few remnants of their camp site. We saw some cockatiels and mistletoe in flower.
By the Flinders River which was 80km wide when it was in flood recently we saw flood debris still in the trees and along the fence lines, with occasional cattle carcasses still caught.
When we reached Normanton we were dropped off to see a life size model of Krys the Croc which had been caught by a crocodile hunter in the area. We then walked back to the park for a relaxed lunch. Once lunch was finished, the left over meat had to be tossed so we had fun watching the Black Kites come in droves to feast of the bits Paul threw to them.
Just out of Normanton we saw huge numbers of water birds in Mutton Hole Ponds as well as a large population of Nymphaea alexii named by Surrey for Alex. We then slowed at 12 Mile Creek to see the lilies in the place the type specimen Surrey had collected.
In Karumba we went straight to the Les Wilson Barramundi Discovery Centre, an impressive building housing a great display about Barramundi. We then had a chance to hand feed them with much laughing as they came up to suck in the squid we were feeding.
Out to our motel,
The End of the Road Motel, to an even more spacious unit that last night. Time for a cuppa in the room (no internet) then back out to a boat for our sunset cruise.
The cruise took us up the Norman River harbour showing us the sights and a Jabiru then back out to see past a real crocodile and a flock of Royal Spoonbills feeding on the edge just a little further on.
We eventually landed on a tiny sand island 7km out in the Gulf of Carpentaria where we had phone reception, for prawns and bubbly and a great dinner whilst we watched the sunset and the sand blow away beneath our feet. I collected a few shells to take back and in all had a fabulous time despite the gusty wind. I felt quite exposed on such a tiny pile of sand in crocodile infested waters.
Back at the motel at last, in the dark, to settle in for the night.
