Day 9...

Day 9 Another early start saw us back on the road again heading east towards Colncurry. We werent on the sealed roads for long, both of us finding them exceptionally boring compared to the 4WD drive tracks we had been using where ever we could. Rob grabbed the map to see if there were any alternative routes we could take - we were in luck. We were to be heading north towards Normanton up the Burke Development road which would have been sealed roads all the way. The track Rob had found for us was just outside Mt Isa and headed north and then east again cutting a corner of the sealed road off. The track snaked north towards Mt Remarkable and then on past Lake Julius before it tracked back east to the main road. The track was fantastic. As described by Rob it was almost as if someone had taken a ribbon and used that as the track. It was weaving up and sown, left and right through creeks and river beds. Had we been travelling in the wet season we would have managed to get the car washed with the river crossing but as it was we just had the shingle stones to drive over. The track was also littered with cows which were casually sat out in the middle of the track grazing or sleeping. I must admit, my driving was a little enthusiastic for some of the terrain with the car bouncing and banging most of the way down the track. Eventually Rob had had enough of being thrown around and decided to grace me with some if the wisdom he had been taught while on the 4WD course prior to our departure. The small bit of information changed the drive from very bumpy to only mildly bumpy, by breaking short and sharply just before the bottom of the dip and forcing the suspension to extend down instead of the nose of the car it meant thee bumps didn't have quite the same abruptness. The track also offered us a few decision as to which way to go. With none of them well signed posted (not st all sign posted) we mostly guessed based on what time it was and where the sun was in the sky as we knew we wanted to be heading north east. Our track turned into road for a tiny section in the middle of nowhere for a town called Kajabb, but thankfully that was short lived only lasting a few hundred metres. Out the otheside of the town the track returned, running parallel to a dry river bed. Once back on sealed road we head north to Burke & Willis roadhouse for fuel and a driver change. From there we were back on sealed roads heading north to Normanton which turned to be our lunch stop. I slept or dozed through most of this stretch. I think being kbt be sun all day everyday is beginning to take its toll which is why I've been feeling so exhausted all the time. For Tue bits I did stir for, it was to some exceptionally strange road, a single lane of sealed road with half a lane of unsealed road on either side. When speaking with Rob about it later he said the road we changing between sealed with two lanes and the one lane sealed roads above without warning. Given the time, we had a decision to make, head north along a track which we knew our fuel tank wouldn't last the entire way, or back track a little to a sealed road. The track is a longer route and would have been slower to travel but much more enjoyable to drive, however we both wanted to get to Cairns so head off along the shorter and more boring sealed road to Croydon. Here we tried to fill our car as we had both opted to try keep the tank full, so if we chose, we could get off the road and down some more tracks. Filling the car didn't work as planned. We were told it was too hot and that the fuel was evaporating which is why the pumps kept stopping on us. We popped into the shop all the same for some file drinks before trying to move on. Rib had wanted to do some true bush camping, and heading out into the absolute middle of nowhere but with out fuel this was looking unlikely. We asked where the beamed petrol station was from here as the track Rob was wanting started just outside Croydon. We were told the nearest station was some 150km down the road in Georgetown. It seemed we would have to find somewhere else to get out into the bush. As we set off talking about if our tank would get us up to Strathmore and to Georgetown we head off. As we left the town we stumbled across another petrol station, and their pumps worked! we filled up and set off, already out the other side of Croydon so pressed on towards Georgetown with a few other roads we could try for bush camping. As we approached Georgetown we started taking some of the dirt roads off to see if there was anywhere we could stop for the night. The sun was beginning to set and our light running out. To be honest I was fairly uncomfortable with being ing the middle of nowhere with no idea what was lurking just out of view but I knew Rob really wanted to get out there to say he'd done it. after a few tracks, some very non-committed answers from me and the ever fading light Rob decided we should just head on to a campsite. What a relief for me, but a blow for him. We managed to find a campsite in Georgetown which was still open, so we paid the $20 and set up. After a very unwanted pasta dinner we sat out staring and the crystal clear skyscrapers and musing about the stars.