Tue 29th July – Day 80: Kingfisher camp -> Robinson River

Pete up early and off fishing, Toby joined him soon after. We all had weet-a-bix for breakfast! I headed for the showers and saw that the ‘donkey’ had been fired up (a large drum turned sideways and heated over a small fire), so hot water showers were the go – yum!
As we left this little known oasis we stopped by the caretakers house where we spoke to the family (originally from Cairns who had sold up to travel Australia). Both their kids also doing distance education, they plan to see out the wet season at Bowthorn – for overseeing the general maintenance and looking after the campsite, co-ordinating the rental of canoes ($6/hr) or motorised punts ($50/day) they get food & board and $300/week. Food comes up every 6 weeks from Mt Isa or they can do the drive into Doomadgee or Burketown. Nice during dry season but in the wet they will be totally cut off from the main homestead 30km down the road – they’ll probably have a ball. Next years caretaker is up for grabs, any takers???
Tomorrow a contingent of people from ‘4WD monthly’ magazine driving the new Kia Sierra’s will arrive to take some footage of the campsite and try their hand at Red Claw or Cherabin catching (like a huge yabbie) – they are making a 13 part series on the North of Qld and are set to air in Oct on channel 10 – stay tuned…
Corrugations, corrugations, corrugations this would describe our day! I took some video of our ARB Aerial to show the distributers back home so they can see just how far that sucker moves on a Prado and explains perfectly why they keep busting (tried attaching here but no go)!
Crossed the Robinson River at 5:30pm and decided that would do for the day. Our neighbours on the river bank were 2 sisters heading for King Ash Bay where 1 of them owned some land. They were on a fishing quest without the hubbies and having a ball.
The stars were brilliant tonight as there was no moon to bar their shine. Jupiter continues to rise ever higher while the Southern Cross had all but set in the western sky when Chloe and I slipped out for a pee at 11:30.
Robinson River Bush Camp (Free)