Red Dirt Rules

From Burketown to King Ash Bay 

August 17 to 19

We asked for it and the road gave it to us. Lots of red dirt, corrugations and bull dust. It was a rough 500km drive along the Savannah Way from Burketown to King Ash Bay via Domadgee, Hell's Gate and Borroloola. First stop was Domadgee, an Aboriginal settlement on the Nicholson River, also a dry town. We were only allowed to pause briefly at the service station and general store because we had alcohol on board. The people were friendly but the town had a different feel. I couldn't help but feel we were trespassing. 

Tinny Trash: The liquor stops here on the outskirts of Doomadgee. Not a good look.

Then it was on to Hell's Gate, so named because this was where the long arm of the law stopped in years gone by. From this point it was the wild west, you were on your own. There is just a roadhouse to mark the spot today. Oh, and an international airport??

We passed through Hell's Gate and the road became hell. Three hours later, battered and bruised, we pulled over to camp on the Calvert River in the Northern Territory. We went scouting for firewood with one eye out for crocs, snakes and buffalo but the real danger came from within - a gas leak in Robyn and Robert's van. It went off with an almighty bang, destroying the hot water system and a bench seat. Robyn made a hasty exit still clutching a half peeled potato. What a gal.

Across the border: The Calvert River in NT.

Robert and Robyn gathering fire wood.

In the absence of a chain saw, Garry uses his own methods to break up wood.

Robyn celebrates her narrow escape from the gas explosion.

We pushed on to Borroloola, a hot dusty Aboriginal settlement and not a dry town. The McArthur River Mine is nearby and has invested in the school and sports ground, but we quickly became aware of tension between the Indigenous community and the zinc mine owner Glencore. Lots of contamination of waterways and iron sulphide plumes. We read recently - in NT News so we know it's right - that the $100 million environment bond paid by Glencore will be totally inadequate for the remediation of the mine, now estimated to be about $1 billion. Bad, bad.

But back to the road trip. The pics will tell the story.   

Pedro and Myrtle crossing the rivers. Photos courtesy of Missy Robyn Burns.

The keeper of the river. No one told him about the salties.

Garry astride a termite mound....trying to find the road. Just joking.

An Aboriginal stockman herding horses.

Just beyond Borroloola is King Ash Bay, a fishing club on the McArthur River (close to the Gulf of Carpentaria) that takes in stray campers like ourselves. A lovely spot, but the swirling red dust drove us out after two nights. With hindsight, we are quite relieved the fellas didn't catch any fish.

Robert and Garry sitting well clear of the water's edge.

Paler shade of red: Myrtle looking a little worse for wear after the Savannah Way.

Bull dust and dirt from beginning  to end