*The map should show now the entire trip so far, but doesn't seem to save much location information as we thought while out of Telstra reception. As a result there are gaps missing from our route, but hopefully you'll get most of the key points.
Also, not many photos until I can get a better internet connection*
After breakfast and packing up camp this morning, the first thing we did was cross the Robinson River. Gerald kept his wet boots on until after crossing another creek or river, then we stopped and he put on dry socks and boots.
Of course, 10 minutes later we came to yet another river crossing. So Gerald got his wet boots back on and crossed this one ahead of the Hilux while Tony took photos of him. He decided to leave his wet boots on for another half an hour, and just as well, because we came to the Calvert River not too long after.
Just like each of the others, we stopped before the river to check it out, and Gerald decided to go first again. After all, the other river crossings this morning had been no problem.
Frog got halfway across and the rocks disappeared from beneath him and he was suddenly a whole lot deeper than any of us thought he would be. So he gave it some more throttle, but I think he ended up Flintstone-ing the bike the rest of the way out of the river.
The signs on the east side of Calvert River.
On the other side were a nice couple who offered us a cuppa since their billy had just boiled, so we accepted the offer and stayed to talk with them for a bit. They were able to tell us that there were no more rivers we'd need to cross heading east, just dry river beds and bridges and causeways.
So Frog was able to put his dry socks and boots back on, but I'll tell you what - the fact that the roads were dry was their only saving grace. Corrugated, bumpy, washed out, sandy, dusty roads all the way to the border with QLD! And the roads didn't get any better on the other side of the border.
We had a break from the road at Hell's Gate Roadhouse, where we had the best burger that Frog has ever eaten (although he did say to me later that "burgers taste better when you're hungry"), and we got some advice on the roads and how far we might get.
The last piece of gravel road we should have had to drive on... so we were told.
The last dirt road we should see on this trip is the 20km we just did east of Hell's Gate, and even the sealed road that followed looked a bit like a gravel road, it had deep ruts from trucks to going on it in the past, and they were bad enough to make the Hilux tramline pretty severely at times.
...We were lied to! There is another gravel road when you get to Doomadgee shire.
Now it's on through Doomadgee towards Burketown and then to the Gregory Hotel (previously known as the Gregory Downs Hotel).
We had a stop at Tirranna Road House to refuel the Hilux and we asked about the best way to Gregory.
Taking easy sealed roads to Gregory we're still seeing cattle by the side of the road. I'm not sure if there have been any days we haven't seen cattle - if there have been any days it could only be one or two - cattle and cattle grids, some cattle grids without fences next to them, so there isn't anything aside from the cattle grids to stop the livestock wandering freely.
Keeping the cattle company were some relaxed wallabies. I'm assuming they're wallabies rather than some small species of kangaroo... Either way, they are probably the animals with the most road sense that we've seen on our travels. Definitely more road sense than cows or emus.
Once we got to Gregory Roadhouse and had accommodation sorted, we took the air filter out of the Hilux and put a new one in. I think the engine will like us for the first time this month.
Old air cleaner and new air cleaner
We also spent some time sharing stories from the road with a few couples who are camping nearby.
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