We left Alice after a few days of schoolwork, rain and getting the car serviced. Off up the Stuart Hwy northwards, the way we had come, because our road of choice was closed ( Plenty Hwy).
Our first day was one of our biggest 572.9 kms past Tennant creek and onto the Barkly highway, we ended up staying next to a tower on the side of the road, no one else around.
Next day we crossed the border into Qld and went through Camooweal then turned off towards Lawn Hill on the Thorntonia rd, where we made camp in a gravel pit, bit soggy after all the rain, no one around again and very hot.
Off towards Gregory the next day and the left turn to Adels grove near Lawn Hill, where we wanted to camp. A great little find in this heat. The grove was stunning, a cool spot amongst the trees with swimming, and swinging from trees. Spencer's favourite was the old gnarly tree with different levels for jumping into the creek.
Next day off to Lawn Hill National park for some walks, the upper gorge, the falls and the lookouts all before the heat got too much.
We took the kayak there the second day and did a gorge cruise, for a different perspective, fabulous ( all 3 of us not sinking ) special.
39 deg so back for some floating in inner tubes.
Next day we wanted to get going early because we heard it was going to hit 40 deg. Only 15 k's up the road and super shredded tyre on the camper. Jonah had a look at the other and it had metal bits sticking out, wasn't going to get 10 metres. So we were lucky that the car has the same stud pattern, to limp to help 180 k's away in Bourketown. Spencer got a case of sunburn on the side of the road, it really was that hot.
Anyways the boys got us 2 new tyres fitted pretty promptly and we were on our way again .
Not as far as we wanted to get , but the consollation prize was that we got to spend the night at Leichhaed river, under the trees with a breeze, really lovely.
Off towards Normanton, home of the big croc, ( 8 metres) 2 tonnes ,a record.
We stopped at camp 119 where Burke and Wills had there most northerly camp. Then off in the heat towards Croydon, a historic town, and then a stop for the night at Cumberland historic chimney site. A credit to the council, this place had all new facilities even a viewing platform over the billabong with free self focusing telescope for bird watching. Jonah was in his element, it had everything except a shower. We had that covered the next day when we drove into Georgetown to use the free pool, 25 metres a tropic oasis.
Nice stop thanks to Georgetown, it was 27 deg at 8 am in the morning, so the swim set us on our way to Mareeba nicely.
Our stop is to collect post from school and shop for our push to the tip, so the Mareeba, rodeo grounds are all we need, a huge open space for whip cracking.