LAWN HILL GORGE and RIVERSLEIGH FOSSIL SITE

1^st August, 2013

We’re on the road again, retracing our steps back to Normanton and then leaving the bitumen and travelling west on unsealed roads.  Thirty five kilometers into our journey we take a short detour to take a look at Burke and Wills’ most northerly camp on their trek north to the gulf – Camp 119.

Wok checks out the blaze on a tree at Camp 119

Trees that were blazed by the two explorers and their two men (King and Grey) still survive.  The creek on which they camped is dry now but when they were here it was summer time and the rivers and creeks were in full flood.  From Camp 119 the explorers attempted to reach the shore of the Gulf of Carpentaria but couldn’t make their way through the swamplands.  To all intents and purposes they had actually reached their goal and the crossing of the continent from South to North was achieved.  Sadly Burke, Wills and Grey perished on the return journey south.  King was taken in by a group of aboriginals and survived to tell the tale.

We continue west and freecamp that night at Leichardt River Falls.

Leichardt River Falls - we are camped on the far bank (top left)

Like many of the waterways up here the river has been reduced to a series of waterholes but large logs have been washed down the river during the wet and are lodged high up on the rocks.  The river must be a spectacular sight in the wet season.  In the morning we arrive at Burketown – the Gulf’s oldest town established in 1865 on the banks of the Albert River 25 klms from the coast.  It’s a popular fishing spot for barramundi and light aircraft enthusiasts surf the ‘Morning Glory’ – an unusual tubular cloud formation that rolls out of the gulf in the early mornings from September to November.   On the southern entry to the town is an artesian bore that was sunk in 1896 and still issues boiling water creating a waterhole for birdlife.

Artesian Bore at Burketown

The bore was to have supplied the town with drinking water but it was later discovered that there were too many minerals in the water which made it unfit for drinking.  In the early days a shower was built near the bore and many a dusty traveler welcomed the refreshing hot shower that was offered free of charge.  From Burketown we head south to Gregory Downs where we had hoped to camp along the Gregory River which is spring fed and flows all year round.  One look was all we needed to know that this was not a good idea.  Every man and his dog seemed to be camped beside the river and a second line of campers were squished into any other space available.  It was so overcrowded that we were literally driving around caravans and tents pitched along the access track.  Dogs were running riot and generators were adding to the mêlée.  We managed to turn around and couldn’t get out fast enough – not our idea of peace and quiet.  We had thought to overnight at the river before making our way to Lawn Hill Gorge but as it was early afternoon we decided to push on and arrived at Adel’s Grove Campground by 4pm.  Adel’s Grove is a 32 hectare freehold property on Lawn Hill Creek and is completely surrounded by the 6,000 square kilometre Lawn Hill Station cattle property which is a Fauna and Flora Reserve.  There are two small campgrounds in Boodjamulla National Park (formerly Lawn Hill National Park) but at this time of year sites are fully booked.  As there are no free camping spots near the National Park the only other option is at Adel’s Grove.  It’s a nice enough camping spot with lots of sites (all unpowered), rooms and pre-erected tents.  Of course when you have no competitor then you can charge whatever you like.  We thought $34 per night for two people on an unpowered site was really being greedy.  We did however want to see Lawn Hill Gorge so we dug deep and booked in for two nights.  In the morning we headed out early and drove the 10 klms to the National Park where we hired a two man canoe and set out to do some exploring.

Wok is happy to do the paddling - but we have only just started out

This fascinating gorge system provides a sanctuary for remnants of the ancient rainforest that covered the Gulf Savannah millions of years ago.

Some of the scenery in Lawn Hill Gorge

We paddled up Lawn Hill Creek (actually Wok did most of the paddling as he had the double paddle) with lush tropical vegetation crowding the banks.  The water is green and crystal clear and we pass between sixty metre high sandstone cliffs.  There are two gorges at Lawn Hill and at the top end of the lower gorge the water cascades over the rocks from the upper gorge creating mini waterfalls.

Water flows over mini waterfalls from the top gorge to the lower gorge

It is here that we have to beach the canoe and then drag it up a steep slope and along the bank if we want to continue along the upper gorge.

View of the waterfalls between the top gorge and lower gorge

We were in fits of laughter as we tried to get out of the canoe onto the bank.  Old legs cramped up in a canoe do not make for a graceful exit.  Ohh ... if only we were thirty years younger!  We did finally manage to get ashore and dragged the canoe a short way up the bank.  Thankfully a super fit thirty year old guy took pity on us and helped Wok carry the canoe the rest of the way to the top gorge.  The top gorge was equally as spectacular as the lower gorge

Heading up the top gorge at Lawn Hill

and at the top end of the gorge the sandstone cliffs gave way to open woodland.

The upper end of the top gorge at Lawn Hill

Lawn Hill Creek is also spring fed and finally we could go no further.   The water was flowing into the creek from the spring at quite a rate and as we turned the canoe around the current gently carried us back down the creek.

Spring fed water entering the top gorge at Lawn Hill

In this part of the creek there were lots of fish swimming around and they followed our canoe for a short time.

Curious fish in the top gorge at Lawn Hill

We lazily paddled our way back down the upper gorge and Wok managed to haul the canoe from the upper gorge to the lower gorge without any assistance – well done Wok!  As we paddled round the last bend we took one last look back up the gorge.

Lawn Hill Gorge

Yep!  This is certainly a surprising oasis out here in the middle of nowhere! 

After returning the canoe we had a picnic lunch and then took a couple of walks along the trails that overlooked the creek before calling it a day and heading back to camp.  Boy did we appreciate a nice long shower when we got back to camp.  The following morning we packed up and headed south 65 klms to Riversleigh Fossil Site.  The unsealed road was pretty rough in some places but overall Mitzi and the Van handled it well.  Riversleigh Fossil Fields also lie within part of the Boodjamulla National Park and here palaeontologists have discovered fossilized remains of creatures formerly unknown to science, doubling the sum of knowledge of Australia’s prehistoric fauna.  Pale grey limestone, formed in spring-fed lakes and pools encase the fossilized remains of strange animals, birds, reptiles and plants that span 25 million years of Australia’s evolutionary history.  We pull up in the car park and follow a track to the information centre.  We really like the way this information centre blends into the landscape. 

Information Centre at Riversleigh Fossil Site

It’s not until you notice the pipe running up the side of the rock that you realize that this rock is man-made.  The rock is hollow and houses a rest room and an open area which has information on the Riversleigh Fossil Field and a bas-relief of what two of the discovered fossilized animals would have looked like.

Big Birdus and Crocodilius

It also appears that some swallows have found the ceiling of the information centre the perfect place to build their mud nests.

Swallow's mud nests on ceiling of information centre

We follow the circular track up and over the hill, stopping to read the information boards along the way and look at the fossilized remains in the rocks.  The last board tells us of ‘Big Bird’  -  No  …  not the one in Sesame Street.  This ‘Big Bird’ is a whole other thing.

 

We looked all over the rock beside the board trying to find the leg bone they were describing and finally found it facing the other way.

Fossilised leg bone of 'Big Bird'

We sure wouldn’t want to meet one of these birds walking down the street on a dark night – or on any kind of night come to think of it.  It is hard to imagine this dry, dusty, parched countryside covered in lush green rainforest and teaming with life.  Wonder what it will look like in another 25 million years  …..