10 July - Hunters Gorge to Mt Isa - Sunset Caravan Park.

Pattering rain most of the night - it was a reasonably warm night too- each time I woke up I could hear light rain. 

We are making the run to Mt Isa today, its about 183kms to Boulia through the NP, we are uncertain what the track will be like with a bit of rain. From Boulia to Mt Isa it's another ???? Kms. All up perhaps an 8 hour drive. 

The ground was wet in top this morning - just enough to add a layer to boots. I got up and packed up as much as I could  in between showers, had breaky and cooked Dads toast under the umbrella. 

It was a bit of a challenge this am packing up in rain with coats and overheating.

View from campsite to River at Hunter's Gorge

Pelicans on the river

Pelican cruising past, oblivious to the rain

and back the other way.

Helping Dad pack up when a bloke came over to see if anyone had any petrol he could buy. We had a little for the generator. This bloke was from Sale, grew up around the Valley. He had underestimated the fuel and was looking for some more to get him to somewhere he call the RACQ if necessary. Anyway he held us up a little, and was a bit of a havachat. Despite all that we were on the move before 8am. A record I think. 

Wet out on the gibber and claypans beside the track

The track is gluggy with mud.

The track out of camp was a bit sticky on top, but not a problem. Made a big mess of the front of the TVan, with mud flying everywhere. The road was reasonable, a couple of slippery bull dust patches and sticky mud. It is an ever changing road surface and you never know...just as I was typing this the TVan lost traction and we went into an uncontrolled slide. The TVan swung around to drivers side of car and pulled us off track. Dad did a good job in the circumstances. It certainly got our heart rates up. Van has cracked the rear bumper bar and taillight of  car. 

Stopped to look at the state of things.

Meg and Stef's boots - all clogged up.

Everything was clogged with mud, meaning no traction and limited steering control. We had to get into wheel arches and dig out the built up mud - very messy and hard bloody work. Thankfully the various fire hooks dad has made have been very handy to dig the mud out. We had to stop and unclog wheels 4 times. All 5 vehicles were suffering the same fate. It took us 6 hours to drive 150kms to bitumen. To say we were glad to see the blacktop is rather an understatement. 

Stef hard at work unclogging the wheel arches.

A two shovel job it seems.

The TVan a tad dirty.

This doesn't look bad at all.

J unclogging his wheel arches

Sarah too.

It was an awful job, it was so sticky under the cars and your feet picked up kilos of mud too.

The amazing sky.

Anyway turns out that the road was closed - with road closed barrier across at the other end. 

Along the bitumen a little way Steve radioed a warning about cows near the road. I saw one bolt across in front of him, then the news he had hit it and run over it. We were last through. Unfortunately the poor thing was not dead. Steve, sarah, Stef and Meg went back to move it off road. We reported it in Boulia and they were sending someone out to deal with it. Thankfully Steve and Carmel ok and no easily visible damage, but a bit hard to see under the mud. 

We eventually made it to Boulia, to be greeted by Brolgas in the main street.

We headed into Boulia for fuel for car and fuel for humans it was after 2pm by this stage and we still have another 300kms to Mt Isa. 

Brolgas in Boulia

They were quite tame really

This guy put on a bit of show.

Beautiful creatures.

Mum, dad and young one we reckon

All in row, with the Boulia car in background

Then to a more picturesque background - bouganvillea.

and some more in the paddock behind the bouganvillea, sharing the yard with cat, alpaca, and dogs.

Poor shot of baby alpaca

During our lunch of toasties at Boulia Hotel we tried to source some accommodation in Isa. I had decided a cabin might be nice, as had Sarah and Michael, the Dundek's and J needed no convincing either. No luck at first park, left a message at a second park and J had some luck at a third one. Our configuration of people was a bit of a challenge. Anyway we were ready to book only to find they had no site for Steve and Carmel's van. Right then my phone rang and Sunset CP could accommodate our needs. There were no van sites but he could squeeze them in tonight and move to a site tomoz - phew. 

So on the single lane bitumen to Isa. Still wet roadside so keen not to strike too much traffic. 

We eventually made it to Isa, found our Caravan Park, and Peter, who had been very easy to deal with and helpful. We all got settled in and Jadon organised a Pizza order to be delivered, a nice little pizza party to finish a looonnng day in the Dundek villa cabin.
Some of us had had showers and were feeling quite clean and ready for bed, Steve, Sarah, Stef and Jadon, all took cars out to wash them after dinner. We'd had to unhitch to park the TVan, so it will be a tomorrow job for us.