We have lately come across some wonderful free camping sites. And not all of them are hidden in the bush either - unless you classify the town of Normanton as bush... We stayed a couple of nights between Karumba and Normanton right on the banks of Walker's Creek, doing some crocodile spotting, and just enjoying camping in the wilderness. There's no facilities there (except for an abandoned pit toilet), so it best suits self contained vehicles. On our second day camped beside the creek we saw freshwater crocodiles swimming up and down the creek, keeping the kids and us big people entertained. The camera battery was flat - of course - so we only got some blurry shots of 'something' floating around in the water, but they really were there, I swear!
Watching crocodiles and lighting camp fires doesn't seem to be enough for daddy the driver, so he often starts doing some maintenance on the bus. This time, it was the air conditioning fans at the back of the bus that had to go, and make room for more storage. I tend to think our 'garage' is big enough as it is, but Mr Maintenance Man is always one step ahead of me in these things, and is planning 'something' for that space. Well, I suppose all I can do now is watch that space and see what it'll eventually be. Life's never boring, hey?
Our next free camp was just across Norman River from Normanton. The visitor information centre takes your details and gives you a permit, and according to the ranger "in this way keeps track if someone goes missing". With this comment he was referring to the 6-meter saltie that is often seen sunbaking on the banks of the river. This camp has no facilities either, but it is only a short walk to town that has it all, for an outback price though.
Our latest free camping find is at Lake Corella, between Cloncurry and Mount Isa. Water levels in the dam are low, but it is a rather beautiful spot, particularly at sunset when the ranges in the background glow red. It seems to be a popular camping spot (although with no facilities), but there's plenty of room if you don't want to be part of the caravan village. And in this spot I managed to keep Mr Maintenance Man off duty, so he took the baker's role instead and baked some fresh buns for all of us to enjoy.
Great stays in great places. But sometimes we don't just clean after ourselves but clean before ourselves too, unfortunately. Let's keep our camp sites clean for everyone to enjoy!
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| Home maintenance in the sticks. |
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| Father and son lighting camp fire at Walker's Creek. |
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| A freshwater crocodile sighting and photo by the girls. |
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| Keeping our camp site clean, Norman River. |
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| Collecting wood for the camp fire. |
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| Sunset picnic at Lake Corella. |
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