Cooktown Memories - 2013 - DAY 28-31 --Normanton to Karumba

Normanton

DAY 28

After setting up in the Normanton Caravan Park we drove around the town and  found the railway station and decided to book a trip on the Gulflander train for a few days ahead.  The weather now was very hot and humid, over 35C, typical for this part of the country.  After buying some groceries we came back to the caravan, put on the a/c and read for a while in the cool van. 

Krys the Crocodile

This huge Crocodile was shot by a young woman in 1957.  Krys Pawlowski was a Polish immigrant and she and her husband made it into the Guinness Book of Records for the shooting of this 8.6 metre crocodile which she shot on the banks of the Norman River in Normanton.  It was something she apparently later regretted as she said it was such a great specimen.  They both became conservationists and had a crocodile farm.

Lovely old Normanton building

The next day we left Normanton and drove to Karumba (72km).  Along the way we saw a lot of brolgas, but the land was very dry and the brolgas were coming closer to the town to find water. We booked into Karumba Point Sunset caravan park and got a shady site which was good as it was now over 35C.  Karumba Point was a pretty area with a few places to eat as well as the usual souvenir shops.  We bought Barra Burgers for lunch and a few souvenirs for the grandchildren.

Great sunset

Dusk at Karumba

The rest of the day was spent relaxing and enjoying doing nothing!

Karumba Point Sunset caravan park

Next day was the same, just relaxing around the van.  I went to a craft market in the afternoon, then we walked from the caravan park to the wharf for a Sunset Cruise, which was great and included drinks and nibbles and some seafood.  No complaints and a lovely way to end the day.

Karumba beach

Sunset

Karumba sign

Wharf at Karumba

Jabiru

We saw the local Jabiru on our sunset cruise

Fred & Wilma the local Jabiru

Sunset tour

Next day we packed the van ready for our trip back to Normanton and our trip on the Gulflander and headed to Normanton where we had a drive through site. Weather was still very hot so we just stayed around the caravan doing some maintenance and tidying up.  Next morning we walked to the Railway Station, paid for our tickets and boarded the train.

DAY 32

Normanton Railway Station 

Normanton platform

The Nomanton station consists of a large arched passage of corrugated iron and curved verandah of iron and timber.  The station rooms now comprise museum, store, tea room and office.  
It is a beautiful old building and we spent some time looking around.

The Gulflander

The carriage interior

Morning tea stop

The Gulflander runs a regular service of  151 km between Normanton and Croydon taking mail to properties along the track.  It is primarily a tourist train now and the train stops at Critters Camp which was named when the construction team was there and noted that there were all kinds of  snakes, frogs, insects etc. The track was laid without ballast so that the flood waters would not wash the track foundations.   The train can only travel slowly but this is an advantage for tourists as it gives a better view of the countryside.

Remains left from the construction camp

The train trip was 2 hours, and we stopped at Critters Camp for morning tea and then the train turned around and we headed back to Normanton.  It was a great trip and we went through some remarkable countryside but we were pleased that we only booked the 2 hr trip as the seats were of the old style, not very comfortable for a longer trip. The train ride was well worth doing and the Gulflander is a fantastic old train and its great to see it still running and enjoyed by tourists to the small town of Normanton.