THURSDAY 9 JULY   KALPOWAR CAMP TO HANN CROSSING CAMP   50kms

We were up at 8am and away at 11am. So it was not the fastest pack up! John took it easier this time, and I did more, and thus his hip survived the move much better. It was also a much shorter drive.

Took the track back to the Ranger base, then turned right onto the main – dirt – road through Lakefield.

We detoured to look at Red Lily and White Lily Lagoons. There were huge pink waterlilies at Red Lily Lagoon, and a great mob of red-tailed black cockatoos, feeding on areas where the grass had been burned. They looked glorious as they took flight, with the red wing parts flashing.

It was an easy drive to Hann Crossing – hardly far! The large, sharp-edged termite mounds are very visible in some parts, especially on what we think is black soil country.

The actual Hann Crossing – of the North Kennedy River – is rocky and a bit bumpy in parts. The water was only a few inches deep. The route takes a great swing to the left on the approach to the wet part.

Just past the ford, we turned right for the camp areas along this side of the river. When we got to Number 12, which was about 700 metres from the main track, it had a sign “Commercial Operators Only”. After some argument, we drove the 6kms to the Bizant Ranger base – back across the Hann Crossing again – to see if anyone there could clarify our position. But there was no-one there. So we came back and set up. It was the site they’d allocated us, back at Lakefield – so all we could think was that they knew it would not be in use by commercial groups. We hoped, anyway!

It was a really nice site. There was a rocky bank to the river, with a drop down of about 3 metres, which we hoped would be an adequate croc barrier. There seemed to be some fishing spots from the bank here, and also next door at Number 11. There was plenty of light, dry wood around.

I think that camping here is not as popular as at Kalpowar, because there are no facilities of any kind. One digs their own toilet holes.

The photo of our big tent set up shows some of the detail of how we do it. The shadecloth under the tent floor protects it from sharp stones and sticks and its extensions provide a floor for the front “veranda” and for the fridge at the side. We have two zip-on side flaps that extend the veranda awning at the front – down as a wind break or out – as in the picture – to provide more shaded area. The two lengths of poly pipe are pole carriers; they travel on the side steps of Truck.

We found a fuel funnel hanging in a tree, forgotten by someone – very good, we need one of those!

Like at Kalpowar, we’d paid $7 a night to be here.

John fished for the rest of the afternoon.

We organized an open fire and I cooked the corned beef for our dinner on it. But did the vegies on the gas stove.

After tea, we sat by the fire for a while. There was a full moon – lovely. Frogs were warbling away and we could hear fish jumping in the river.

The nearest others to us are about a kilometre down the river – could faintly hear a generator in the night.