Lawn Hill to Home via Riversleigh.

This is the last installment in our trip to Adels Grove, we travelled home via Riversleigh to Mt Isa and then on to Cloncurry. Riversleigh was amalgamated into the Boodjamulla National Park in 1992 but fossil remains were found there in the early 1980's. It wasn't until 1994 that they realised the significance of the area and it was declared a world heritage area.The Riversleigh fossil field section of the park covers an area of approximately 80 square kilometres and the fossils found there date back 25 million years ago.There are only one or two places on the planet where animal remains are preserved so well because they are in the soft limestone rock. Many different species of animal has been found there and comes from a time when the area was covered by sea to being a lush rain forest to the arid open grasslands of today. Can't believe that people of today think climate change is a new thing!!. Most of the fossil fields are closed to the public but there is a public viewing area as well so lets have a look around.



At the base of the hill in amongst the trees is a man made cave that is the start of the walking trail.

Inside the cave has more interpretive information.

The midday sun ruined this photo of two of the animals whose fossils were found here.

 

Not sure where the fossil was in this rock so I just took the photo of the whole thing.

The trail takes you from the cave around to the top of the hill and then back down the other side to the cave. Looking east from the top.

These strange looking rocks are everywhere, round pieces of quartz glued together with some other type of rock.

Looking back to the car park from the top. There are pallets of pavers there for paving the walking trail at some stage.

Walking trail back to the cave.

One last look around.

The road home.

The Gregory River, this crossing can be very deep. The water runs all year round and is very fast flowing. 

The sign says it all at the approach to O' Shanassy River.

The O'Shanassy crossing looks safe enough but a caravan came off here the day before we arrived.

 Looking down stream from the O'Shanassy crossing.

 Unnamed creek crossing.

This guy was lost and asked us for directions, he was delivering fuel for a council gang along the road, we never saw anyone.  We came across the council another 80 km down the road turns out he was on the right track but one day early. This road is approximately 250km of dirt but mostly is in good order with only a few sections of corrugations. We hope you enjoy our blog as much as we enjoyed our trip, it was 4 days full on but it was great to see some more of the gulf country.

Adels Grove and Lawn Hill National Park Part 2

Hi All,

Welcome to the next installment of our trip to Lawn Hill NP. We spent most of the day at Lawn Hill, it is just an amazing place situated in the most unsuspecting landscape. Lawn Hill NP or Boodjamulla NP as it is called today is approximately 290000 hectares national park and 130000 hectares as resource reserve, the park was gazetted in December 1984 and opened by the then premier of Queensland Mr. Joh Bjelke-Petersen, it was formerly part of Lawn Hill Station. The Aboriginal people (Waanyi), have lived in the area for 17000 years and called this place Boodjamulla meaning place of the Rainbow Serpent. Of course the main attraction in this area of the park is the Gorge that has formed over millions of years by Lawn Hill creek flowing through the sandstone and limestone  of the Constance Ranges, this creek as I have said before is spring fed and runs all year round. Also located in the park is the Gregory and O'Shannassy rivers that are also fed by the underground aquifers.

The Adels Grove air strip is across the road from Adels, this plane is privately owned by the owners of Adels and fly in and out supplies and visitors if needed. Most of their supplies come in by road in the dry season.

Entrance to the National Park.

Lawn Hill Creek.



This plaque is beside the creek and is in memory of a policeman Alfred Wavell who was shot and killed by Joe Flick a part aboriginal and the only recognised bush ranger in NW Queensland. Flick was later shot and killed in a siege shoot out.

Ferns, Pandanus and Cabbage Palms line the creek bank. Gorge wall is in the background.

Duwadarri Lookout only 440 metres, it doesn't say 400 metres of it is up a sheer rock face.

Yeah up there somewhere.

It was a big effort to get up here but the views are spectacular.

The eastern end of Lawn Hill Gorge.

Looking further east.

Looking west up the Gorge.

Looking east again.

Down below is the rangers accommodation and there is accommodation for school camps. Over on the left towards the top is the camp ground and rangers office.

 Along the track to Indarri Falls.

Not far now.

Indarri Falls.

 

The family in the boat below is the policeman from Burketown. They were camping at Adels Grove in the generator and pet friendly area.

The view from the falls lookout is spectacular.

This little guy wasn't at all concerned with us.

 On our way back to the car park, we walked about 2km further than we needed to because we got a bit lost, a well deserved beer was had when we arrived back at camp.

 This is part of the campground at Lawn Hill there is toilets and cold showers available. The skies are so blue.

This is the rangers office and the entrance to many of the walking tracks, you can hire canoes here and paddle up through the Gorge to Indarri Falls. You can also carry the canoes around the falls and continue on or slowly drift back down to Adels Grove and they will take the canoe back for you as you can hire them there as well.

Well I am going to bring you the home stretch through Riversleigh in another part soon, so it's cheers and bye for now.