Monday...25 July 2011

Ok so we left Cloncurry and headed back towards Normanton but just our luck there was a Winnebago convention AND the local train called the Gulflander was having itself a 150yo birthday,  so the bloody place was over run by train enthusiasts in their Winnebagos or as we like to call them, Win a bag of sh*t. End result, no room at any inn (caravan park) in the entire district. Now there are only two in Normanton and three up the road a bit in Karumba but those darn Winnebagos had the lot occupied! So we spent a night out in the never never back of Burke (literally) in a free camp on Saturday night and came into town on the Sunday, not a big deal, I mean who wants to voluntary share a town with wall to wall Winnebagos????. Our park of choice could fit us in and the site was in a prime position and lovely and big, but sadly we could not access the offered site, wrong turning angles etc. Darn shame really, we really liked that park and it is just over the road from the famous Purple Pub. Never mind the second park in town could fit us easily, just a shame the people running this one do not take lessons from the other ones. Lovely big sites, water and power and about as much soul as a lemon! Park owners have a motel at the front gate and take little or no interest in their park behind it. Sad really, it could be such a nice spot, they started well with a BIG BARRA at the front gate but thats it, no further money spent. We sit in a dirt site with a couple of stunted trees for company. The same trees have reticulation but sadly like most other things in this park it is not working. The trees rely on the kindness of the travelling public for an occasionally drink to keep them alive.
Today we went for a quick trip to Karumba to look around again and to see if maybe any of the three parks in that town had vacancies. Not likely, its right beside the ocean and is in a known fishing spot! We did catch up with people we shared the free camp with on Saturday night. Lovely folk. We walked around their caravan park but sadly there was only a couple of places we would have fitted in and they were all occupied.
Quick trip to the cheapest fuel in the gulf at the local fuel depot then onto Raptis which is this areas fresh fish supplier. Himself picked up a kilo of fresh prawns for $15 and a dozen oysters for $18, which I am told is good prices. Guess what he is having for dinner for the next few nights???? I will settle for a packet of Latina pasta!!!
Tomorrow we are taking the early ride on the famous Gulflander train to a place called Critters about an hour down the track, then they serve morning tea while the train turns around and we come back by lunchtime. Should be a pleasant little trip. Bit different for us. Longtime since Himself got on a train for any reason.......