It’s a long way to the top, Day 58 – Corella Dam

Day 58 Saturday Aug 2nd 2014 Normanton to Corella Dam

We got an early start after a hot and windy night. The road is good, flat and straight with grass to the horizon. In time the road reduces to one lane. We stop at road works and the flagman explains that they are laying cement powder on the road as a base so that the road doesn’t wash away during floods. And then he proceeds to tell us his life story, for what seems to be half an hour we hear of wives, adventures and this and that until a voice comes over the radio telling him to let us through. Phew, I wonder if everyone gets that story? The road improves but a cross wind starts to buffet us.

The Burke and Wills Roadhouse is at the junction of the road to Gregory Downs and Burketown. It is a licensed roadhouse serving meals and providing camping sites out the back. As it is windy, dusty and still only 10:15 we press on to Cloncurry. A flock of bright green budgies rise up and wheel in front of us splat, splat, splat, yuck!

Cloncurry is the largest town we’ve seen since Atherton, wow it even has a Woolies. But being a Saturday afternoon everything is closed and even Woolies have run out of newspapers, so Woody misses out again. We stop at Clem Walton Park, Corella Dam which is about 60kms shy of Mt Isa. It is dry and dusty but there is water in the dam. There are shady gums and lots of birdlife. There are about thirty vans here and there are fresh water crocs as well. On a wander to the water who should we find camped by the lake shore but the Kiwi ladies from Bouldercombe. There’s plenty to catch up on as they’ve been out to Boulia to see the Camel Cup and are now waiting for the Mt Isa Rodeo. They are raving about the beauty of this place and having lived in New Zealand I’m a little surprised. I ask where they live at home and they proudly declare Queen Charlotte Sound. I wander off shaking my head, they live in one of the most stunningly beautiful places on earth, but hey it doesn’t have crocdiles!