08.08.07

GREGORY DOWNS

After a check under the van I found that the stones from the desert had destroyed one of the shockers, it had been stone blasted that much it had split and leaked the oil out. Walked the town and in the end rang the ALKO dealer in Brisbane and ordered a new one for pickup in Normanton, we hope. Also went hardware store for poly pipe to make a guard to protect it.

Left Cloncurry at 1300 travelling through mainly open savannah scrubland to Burke and Wills Roadhouse where the country to Gregory Downs was flat open plains with hundreds of cattle.

They were feeding on the edge of road so had to be careful not to hit one. It is apparent that the road trains are not as fussy as there are plenty of casualties along the road.

Interestingly nearly all the way from Cloncurry on both sides of the road there was new fencing or the clearing of the scrub for it to be erected, hundreds of miles of it, must cost fortune but I suppose if you offset the cost of dead cattle it may help.

Saw the crawler clearing the fence line and stopped for photos and a little later stopped for a semi loaded with huge tyres. He said they were the small ones only 250 tonne dumpsters, they were going to be sent to China for repairs. There is a large Zinc mine near here, Century Zinc , run by Pasminco.

Arrived at Gregory River to find the river bank full of campers, probably up to 50 caravans and tents etc. Found a nice quiet spot along the river and set up camp. This is what we have come for, for the first evening it is not getting cold as the sun sets. There is a constant flow of crystal clear water that is obviously spring fed. Went for a walk and spoke to some folk who came from Jervious and Emu Bay. Didn’t take long before we made the connection with people we both knew, people I worked with at ARC but also the Hulls and Rodney’s cousin Graham Hammatt. Small world!!