Despite Telstra telling us we have the country covered-not so-had we known we would be out of range for several weeks-we would have let you know, however we are back in cilvilization for a few days in Katherine. On Friday we head to Kakadu National Park for 2 weeks, then to Darwin. There is no cell phone coverage in the park.
And so where did we go..... well..... this is where....
Lorella Springs is a cattle station set on one million acres with over 100kms of coastline, waterways, gorges, chasams, wetlands, swamps – a 4wd paradise.
It is located between Roper Bar and Borrolloa, 29 kms off the Savannah Way.
The camping area is set on a huge articulated watered grassy area with trees, privacy, shared camp fire or your own. There is plenty of firewood, and water. No powered sites – you provide your own.
At $15 pp per night and $3lit for diesel-it is not cheap-but Lorella Springs is one of those places you go to and think twice about leaving.
A natural hot thermal river separates the camping areas-this is devine to relax in-a constant 25 degrees.
(see where's Julia for more photos of Lorella Springs)
There are many pools, fishing spots to explore-all accessible by 4wd only. 4wd training schools come out here, along with motorbike tours, tourists in their Britz 4wd, people like ourselves, keen men with their tinnies and camper trailers who go out for weeks at a time to catch that old timer –‘barramundi’. When you leave the campsite you ‘sign out’, indicating your intended route, just in case you don’t return, a search party can find you. One young couple were late back-they had been away camping for 4 days-they were rescued-they had become stuck in the mud-the mud on their orange tracks and Toyota landcrusier told all!
At night you can hear the ‘barking owl’ and dingoes. Colourful dragonflies live in the branches.
The campsite is staffed by paid people and volunteers. Volunteers receive nights in lieu. You can view more at www.lorellasprings.com
When we first arrived, we thought 3 nights would see us here- 12 nights later we left.
We drove the tracks exploring the pools, rock formations, billabongs, walked kms in the piercing hot sun,
went fishing at Rosies Creek-an over nighter-catching Queenies, Mangrove Jack,
enjoyed a pot luck dinner and watched the State of Origin game-2nd game. We contributed- Murray, Sue and Jeff prepared a whole stuffed Queenie-Fijian style, wraped in banana leaves and cooked in the embers.
Murray smoked one side of a Queenie in his new smoker and Sue made a fish curry.
We made some new friends, Superman and Muz and Julia all had a great time.
