Day 50: Normanton to Karumba (21/07/12)

Our main aim in Normanton was to take a trip on the Gulflander, the railway that links Normanton to Croydon, 149 kms away. It was built 131 years ago when gold was discovered at Croydon. Normanton then had a functioning port on the Norman River and thus became the link to the outside world for the goldfields. Gold rushes die, however, and the railway became a general goods and mail operation. If I remember rightly, it had never turned a profit since 1931. Recently, they have realised the tourist potential and now run daily trips for tourists. Once a week they do a return trip to Croydon and on the other days they go about 30 kms out of Normanton to a place called Critters Camp and then back again – a 2 hour trip. That is the one we did.

It was good to be driven rather than to drive and see things at leisure. The train is run by a rail motor one year older than sister Alice (which makes it a pretty young machine, don’t you think?) or 3 years younger than me (which makes it pretty ancient!!). The commentary was excellent as we bommeled (Dutch word) along through the scrub. Normanton stands on a (teensy bit of a) hill, and as we rumbled down the hill on to the flats we stopped at a marker showing the various flood levels of past years. Needless to say, the highest recorded flood (1974) would have submerged the train by a good few metres....

Our tickets. Note the pensioner's ticket at the top. All I did was mention that I had a Senior's Card. Honest!

An old locomotive on display at Normanton Station

The flood markers at the bottom of the Normanton "hill". 1974 must have been a really impressive flood!!

On the way out we were in the back carriage.

At Critters Camp "Station" there is a triangle for turning the train around. There was also the AAPT bas and driver to pick up the passengers who had exclusive use of the front carriage.

"Pensioner" Dirk and his young wife Joke in front of the Gulflander at Critters Camp

All aboard in the front carriage for the return journey.

One of the passengers was asked to pour sand down a hole in front of the driving wheel. The track gang had recently greased the rails, and the old Gulflander found it difficult to get traction when starting.

This bridge is the smoothest bit of track of the whole journey.

A bicycle in a tree... (don't ask me..)

The Gulflander re-enters the station at Normanton

Read about it here:  http://www.gulflander.com.au/Pages/Default.aspx , take the trip if you’re ever there.

Our furthest destination for this trip (at least, according to current planning) was Karumba, a mere 74 kms from Normanton. We set off into country that was, if possible, even flatter than the area around Normanton. The appearance of flatness was probably made stronger by the relative lack of vegetation.

Brolgas in the fields

Flatter than a polder! (Dutch word for flat land :-) )

At Karumba the caravan park turned out to be very pleasant. It was our second choice: we needed power and they had a powered site in an overflow area. The site turned out to be ample, very private and close to everything (around the back of the office, in fact).

Our first choice turned out to be overcrowded and much less shady, and the third choice, the caravan park in the town itself was also packed to the gills.

In the evening we bought fish and chips and prawns from Ash’s, as many enthusiastic customers had already told us to do, and took them to the beach front to watch the sunset. There we were, on a stone beach, with our meal and a wine,

Sitting on a beach at Karumba on sandstone slabs with lots of seashells in them

Barra, chips, prawns, Boags and a chardie

Much later. Yes, Observant Ones, that is a wine glass in my hand. It was a long sunset and I only had one beer...

watching the sun go down in the Gulf of Carpentaria. It was a very clear evening, so we did not get to see pretty cloud-paintings, but the experience was great anyhow.

Another sunset

Which gets nicer....

...and nicer...

and leaves an afterglow..