Normanton (wikipedia) is a small cattle town in the Gulf Country region of northwest Queensland, Australia, just south of the Gulf of Carpentaria, on the Norman River. The town’s population is 1,100, 60 per cent of whom are Indigenous Australians. The town is one terminus of the isolated Normanton – Croydon Railway, which was built during gold rush days in the 1890s. The Gulflander motor train operates once a week.

Normanton is the administrative centre of Shire of Carpentaria. Among Normanton’s most notable features is a statue of an 8.64 m long saltwater crocodile named Krys, the largest ever taken, which was shot by Krystina Pawlowska in July 1957 in the Norman River. Barramundi and salmon may also be caught in the river. The Big Barramundi, which is 6 m long is also located in the town.

History

The site for the town was selected because Burketown was abandoned owing to fever and flooding. Settlers moved into the town in 1867. Normanton attracted people from a variety of cultures, including Chinese drawn to the gold fields. The population reached 1,251 by 1891. The gold boom was short-lived. By 1947 the town’s population had declined to 234. Norman River Post Office opened on 13 June 1868 and was renamed Normanton by 1872.

In the early years there was a large Aboriginal population as well. Some Aborigines were moved to Mornington Island and Doomadgee in the early 20th century.

The town contains the longest intact and operating Burns Philp store in Queensland. The general mercantile store and agency office was opened in 1884.

with two distinct seasons. There is a hot, humid and extremely uncomfortable wet season from December to March and a hot and generally rainless dry season usually extending from April to November. During the wet season most roads in the area are usually closed by heavy rainfall, which on several occasions has exceeded 650 millimetres (26 in) in a month or 250 millimetres (10 in) in a day from tropical cyclones. On occasions, as with all of Queensland, the wet season may fail and deliver as little as 240 millimetres (9.4 in) between December 1934 and March 1935

Temperatures are uniformly hot, ranging from 36.8 °C (98 °F) in November just before the wet season begins to 29 °C (84 °F) at the height of the dry season in July. In the wet season, temperatures are marginally lower, but extremely high humidity means conditions are very uncomfortable and wet bulb temperatures averages 25 °C (77 °F) and can reach 28 °C (82 °F). In the dry season, lower humidity and extremely low cloudiness provides for rather less uncomfortable conditions.

Karumba (wikipedia) is a town in the Gulf Country region of Queensland, Australia, 71 kilometres (44 mi) by road from Normanton and 2,159 kilometres (1,342 mi) from the state capital, Brisbane. The settlement was previously known as Norman Mouth and Kimberely Karumba was used by the local aborigines to describe the place. This name was officially used for the township by the 1880s. Karumba forms part of Carpentaria Shire Council, the administrative headquarters of which is in Normanton. At the 2006 census, Karumba had a population of 518.

The town is sited at the mouth of the Norman River, and enjoys the distinction of being the only town along the southern Gulf of Carpentaria that is within sight of the Gulf itself (the Gulf’s extensive tidal flats prohibits settlement elsewhere along its shore). As such, the town’s economy revolves largely around fishing. The Karumba port services the Century Zinc Mine as well as fishing. The prawn industry expanded in the 1960s. The rare Morning Glory cloud rolls through Karumba in the early hours of some mornings in September and October.

In the late 1930s the town was a refueling and maintenance stop for the flying boats of the Qantas Empire Airways. The Red Hot Chili Peppers song Animal Bar from their 2006 album Stadium Arcadium is about Karumba. It is named after a bar called the Animal Bar.

7^th July Monday

We left Cloncurry pretty late as we were only going to do 180kms to Burke and Wills roadhouse and thought that we would have a cruisey drive.  We got to Burke and Wills and it wasn’t that good a place so thought that we would push the extra 180kms to Normanton, which is what we were going to do tomorrow anyway.  The road we took is a secondary road and although some of it is good, most of it was bad, so it made for a very slow 180kms.  Some of the road is under construction and the van bears the evidence. There are stretches of it (some 20kms, some 10kms) which is just strip road and when the road trains come past, you have to pull over pretty quickly which is quite scarey because the sides are all soft and for a caravan to do that, we have to slow down to about 50. The landscape is still pretty much station stuff, flat, dry and lots of cattle, still fascinating though (We love all the landscapes because it is so diverse). We eventually made it (poor van is so dirty and we are not allowed to wash it, shortage of water, which is fair enough). We got to the park a day early so they couldn’t put us in the spot that they had reserved for us.  I think that the spot they put us in is much better than what was reserved.  They keep the best spots for people who have booked (us) but because we were a day early, I think we scored.  A nice huge site, under trees and nice neighbours (score).  We had happy hour with the new neighbours and then all went off to their own vans to have dinner. Updated this and bed.  Tomorrow, we think that we will visit Karumba, about 80kms from here and it is a very popular fishing spot for the boys who have boats.  Apparently they do the best fish and chips so will let you all know tomorrow, nighty night. xxxxxxxxxxx

 

8^th July Tuesday

I am really glad that I am doing this blog because it keeps me up to date with the date and the day of the week. We tend to forget (ha, ha).  We took a drive into Karumba, it’s about 70kms and a nice drive.  All outback Oz.  A few full billabongs along the way and waterbirds and lots of cattle and brumbies.  The only razor back we have seen so far was a dead one on the side of the road, coming back from Karumba. Karumba is mainly a small fishing town.  If you don’t have a boat and use it for fishing don’t bother to go there, everyone has a boat or 2 or 3 and if you don’t have a boat they won’t talk to you :-). We had an early fish lunch at a charming place called “Ash’s”.  The fish was all local and fresh.  Me, being a pig decided to have a fishermans catch and geez! What a lot of food.  I didn’t touch the chips and Ralph had to help me with the prawns and scallops. The fish was in little pieces and all different varieties, it was the best ever, you could taste that it hadn’t been frozen. When we got back to the caravan park, we vegged a smidge and then I started preparing dinner and through the window I heard this voice saying “Fine! I’ll have happy hour by myself”…… the lady next door, so we felt obliged to join her and her hubby and another couple, as you do.  This is becoming a bit of a habit……. Love it and some one have to do it……..we can’t let the side down.

9^th July Wednesday

We looked at the sights in town today and Krys (the replica croc).  A Danish or Swedish (something like that) lady shot him in 1957.  His length was 8.63 metres, longer than our caravan.  Apparently the biggest croc in history that has been shot. The railway station here is charming and so old worldy.  When you go and stand on the platform you can really imagine what it was like back then, standing there with your long dress and hat and gloves and your portmanteau waiting for the train.  It is so well cared for and the gardens are gorgeous. W e went to the airport (tiny, tiny, tiny). A RFDS plane was there and a little jet (which Ralph was drooling over).  The waiting area had about 8 chairs, an ambulance stretcher and a wheel chair.  We then went to the purple pub, all purple seats inside as well (it was close on 12), and the place was already quite busy with the locals (they get there on opening time which is 10 am). Ralph made a new friend (Smiddy) a local old Aboriginal guy that took a fancy to us, wanted to know where we were from, where we are going etc. etc.  such a happy old bloke (really cute).  When we left, he said that we have to come back later (I think that he was settled in for the day). Back to the caravan park, as there isn’t too much else to do here, I think we’ve seen it all. Ralph went and threw a line in over the bridge but was home within the hour, not a lot of action going on there.  One couple has left, so it just 4 of us for happy hour. We will just spend the day tomorrow doing running repairs, a tidy up and start packing up to leave on Friday morning.

10th July Thursday

Today, we did running repairs and a tidy and pack up to leave at sparrows tomorrow.  We had a bit of a mishap this morning.  I did some washing in the machine in the van and Ralph said that there was water pouring out on the underneath of the van all over the place. Our immediate thought ‘disaster’.  I switched the machine off took all the washing out, machine still full of water and started ringing and throwing towels around the van because the water was everywhere.  I opened the tap to ring out a cloth and the water wasn’t going down.  Thankfully, blocked pipe, easily fixed, so we were much relieved as we thought that there was something seriously wrong and my floors are now squeaky clean :-).  Went to dinner at the pub, it was lovely, only local yokels and us. I made sandwiches for tomorrow for the road when we got back to the van because it’s not worth buying the stuff they serve at some of these road houses.  First of all, it’s very expensive and secondly, it’s not fresh.  We got stung at one place, $10.50 for a toasted bacon and egg sandwich that was probably about 5 hours old, couldn’t eat it.  Learnt our lesson and now I make our own, put them in the fridge and we have them when we have a leg and wee break.  Night all and love you and will chat again when we get to Georgetown.  Apparently the road is not very good and mainly strip road so it might take us a while to get there which is why we want to leave at sparrows. xxxxxxxxxx