for a few at the local pub when you
are riding through remote towns. It’s
usually where you find out where all
good information like the best camp
spots and track conditions, but not
this time. We got little information
on the tracks ahead as no one had
been able to get out themselves to
take a look. We knew Lawn Hill
National Park was one place we
couldn’t miss and so decided that was
our next destination.
Phoning through to Adel’s Grove, a
campground out that way, we finally
got some accurate information on the
track conditions. They said it would
be rough but should be passable
as the rivers had started to drop
slightly. On the ride down into Lawn
Hill National Park we stopped in at
Gregory Downs Roadhouse for some
food, a top up of fuel and a few quick
beers before turning west on the
track into the park.
Lawn Hill N.P exceeded all our
expectations and the best part about
visiting places like these at this time
of the year is, aside from a few very
friendly freshwater crocs, we had
the entire place to ourselves. We
spent the day kayaking through the
gorge and walking the trails through
the park. The scenery out there,
breathtaking. That night we had
a laugh around the campfire with
packs of noodles and a few stiff rums,
feeling like there was no where else
we would rather be.
From here on in we were really
heading into unknown, as we had no
information on the track conditions
heading further west. We took off
early in the morning and quickly
realised the only tyre tracks we were
seeing on the road now were ours
and no one had been through this
area for quite some time.
Heading out of the N.P the country
was beautiful and green. The wet
season sure brings it to life, with
plenty of bird and wildlife. The track
conditions were in really bad shape,
the wet had caused huge wash outs
and all the water around created
some pretty big boggy mud pits, at
times with creeks breaking their
banks it felt like we were riding down
river beds just being on the track,
but all this made for some really fun
riding and we were having a great
day, enjoying the trails.
By now we were quickly falling into
the adventure riding lifestyle and the
daily grind of our normal lives was
starting to feel like a distant memory.
The weather was still looking good
which gave us confidence to keep
pushing on, with the knowledge we
had enough fuel strapped to the bikes
in bladders. We could backtrack if we
had to.
Slow going but we finally made it
back onto the Savannah Way where
we headed towards Doomadgee
Aboriginal community to get some
fuel. Just before we made it to town
we hit a huge 500 metre long flooded
causeway, it looked pretty sketchy
TRAVERSE 86