COBBOLD GORGE AT LAST

After many delays, we finally managed to leave Mt Surprise.  We had intended staying there for 2 nights, but this became 5 as we tried to get new tyres delivered and fitted.  One unexpected outcome was a last minute decision to catch the once weekly train to Einasleigh, which turned out to be a pleasant afternoon.  We were bussed back to Mt Surprise, with a fair dinkum billy tea on the way (water taken from the Einasleigh river).  All very pleasant with nice scenery and good weather.

 Einasleigh hotel, welcome sight on a hot day

 Boiling the billy beside the Einasleigh river



The weather's been great for a week or more, every since we left the coast.  It gets a bit cool at night, but the days are splendid, warm and sunny.    Who'd believe it was winter?  Chris was just invited to pick some star fruit from the caravan park tree, and the mangoes are in full blossom so they'll be full of fruit soon.  


We stayed at Cobbold Gorge for 2 nights.  I didn't like that place at all.  There's a magnificent swimming pool but the weather's not THAT hot, and the rest of the place leaves a bit to be desired.  I gather the owners want it to be some fancy resort and are working towards that end, but they're already charging top prices.   $34 for a powered site, no slab, uneven ground, and a climb up to the admittedly quite good amenities (though no refinements like soap or  paper towels to be found).  

             Cobbold Gorge from above

The attraction is the stupendous gorge, and they charge $75 for a guided tour- you can't go there otherwise.  The tour was good, but not worth that amount for three hours.  We had bush tucker commentary, then climbed to the top of the gorge and looked down, finally into boats to be driven up the narrow gorge.  Dozens, literally dozens of big and small freshwater crocs live here.  We saw at least 8 of them, and the guide said there are 80 in residence.  Who counts them?  We got as up close and meaningful as we would ever want to be, with all those teeth grinning at us as we glided past.

            Freshwater crocodile, Cobbold Gorge
For anyone contemplating a visit, I would recommend staying at Georgetown and driving in for the tour only- it doesn't start till 10 am so there's plenty of time to cover the 70 or so kilometres, which is all rough gravel from Forsayth onwards, another reason they shouldn't charge so much.


Today we're having a washing/shopping day in Croydon before pushing on to Leichardt Lagoon, a cattle station near Normanton.  From there we'll do a day trip to Karumba, on the Gulf of Carpentaria.


Croydon is a former goldmining town, which like most of these is a shadow of its former self, but a likeable town with friendly people and a caravan park with FREE use of washing machine and, as mentioned above, free pickings of their many fruit trees.  There are a couple of servos/small supermarkets in town, one of them claiming to be the oldest store in Australia, and it includes a free museum.  


The picture below is a kapok tree.  Many of us will remember those awful kapok mattresses which became so lumpy and made it so hard to make your bed neatly before innersprings were thought of. It has a bright yellow flower, making it stand out in the bush, although the wattle's out as well. The kapok is found in the seed pod, somewhat similar to cotton.

  Kapok tree, very plentiful in the savannah land.