The long track from the Gulf to the east coast. The #1’s on the map would indicate something major but the road name is the Gulf Development Road and it’s a crumbly and fun single-laner
We spent about 10 days in Karumba. There were some late season people hanging around and we made a few friends. But still no riders.
We weren’t in a hurry to leave this part of Australia and being on the ocean, specially this ocean, is good. But as usual we felt guilty stopping for so long.
We went fishing out on the Gulf on this boat, the only guide boat left this late in the season
Here’s the guide holding a fish
We caught lots
And again I realized I’m just not into it anymore, despite years fly fishing. I just lost interest one particular day, for one particular reason and had forgotten how strong the feelings at the time were.
There were some good birds out
Another fish boat behind an Aussie ‘ute’, as they call 4X4’s
The interesting thing is there’s a consensus about what the ‘right’ ute looks like, and how to modify it for the outback.
Here are some more. Bullbars, snorkel, radios, fog lights, utility deck, all more-or-less set up the same way. They’re the basic vehicle up here. These are pretty new and fancy. Mostly they’re near-wrecks and more fun
There were good sunsets in Karumba
And good places to ride
The heat when we left was getting extreme. It was getting humid and the shade didn’t provide much relief.
This day to Croyden was the hottest yet at 43C/109F. We stopped for a water break at this old railway station. No one around
The old water tank
Detail
We crossed a low range with the densest trees we’ve seen since close to Darwin
And in the trees at one point there was the most incredible thing: termite mounds in perfect spires
Towards Croydon the landscape went back to its usual self
I’ll never forget stopping here. Man it was hot
Here’s the strangest termite mound: a smear up a rock. I thought I should buy an egg in Croydon and come back, fry it on the rock and take a picture
But it was beautiful
Up over another low range the next day on our way to Mount Garnet. The yellow and green, man…
Another great gas station in a town of 50
The mounds here were different again. They looked like they had been poured or had melted
The same type a little further ahead, but red
This one had grown around a fallen branch
And into Mount Garnet. Where we decided to stay a couple of days to watch the Australian event of the year. The Melbourne Cup, a horse race. At home they may not believe this, but 90% of all Australians watch this race. This is good news because I love the horse races and take my daughters once every year to Hastings Park. So I’m happy this is happening but homesick about it
The roadhouse here is the BP station and since the cabins are brand new, it’s a good time to introduce them in detail. Here’s Lucinda parked in front of our front door
Inside, a bit less than 2 meters by 4
With an immaculate loo. Pretty fancy. These are all pre-fab and are just delivered to the gas station as a big unit of between 5 and 10
To the pub to get ready for the cup. People are betting here
I need to get up to speed and the newspaper has more than enough info to help me make a wild guess. 24 horses
This is the one. Not the favorite by a long way but I like him. Protectionist and a Kraut horse. It’s an international race
I also bet on Who Shot the Barman because of the cool name but made a mess of how I bet him on the ticket, I was to find out later. And another horse who looked suspiciously fast on paper
The aborginals were pretty intense about it too
Race time
We get ready
They’re off! Shivers up my spine. Nothing better
Into the first corner
A lap and a half later, they’re tight
It’s Protectionist! He wins! No way!
He paid off $56 on a $10 bet and my 20 year annual off-and-on-winning-streak continues. Taking a shotgun approach to it helps.
And as luck would have it, the next day we see the most famous bird in Australia. Certainly the noisiest. A Kookaburra. The song is like someone being murdered, but louder
Close up. He’s a large bulky bird
