The road to Adels Grove, Lawn Hill

Fri 16 - Sun 18 June

So prepare yourself for a visual feast that really does put one into sensory overload! What an incredible 3 days we've had at Adels Grove. It's completely unlike anything I've seen before in Australia and like so many places you can't really compare one with another - this place seriously has it's own level of magic !! 

We headed off from Mt Isa - fuelled up good to go and eager to get to a Lawn Hill that we have heard so much about from friends these past few years. It was a super drive in off the Barkley Tablelands Highway.

Tufa waterfall between lower and upper gorges

Nice rig that one ;) ;) 

Moving cattle not far from Riversleigh station

We had a roadside lunch stop not long after we saw these cattle heading past and wow the temp was increasing - our first feeling of 30 deg !! Fabulous travelling and camping weather.

The O'Shannessy River coming through Riversleigh Station not far from Adels Grove

Heading over this crossing was the tiniest taste of what was to come. The change in vegetation along here from the paddocks was incredible, paperbarks, cabbage palms, pandanus palms, river gums - simply sublime. 

Amazing array of trees - ghost gum alongside a cabbage palm

On Saturday we headed out to Boodjamulla National Park - Lawn Hill just after lunch (school was in session with 'Sir' Sat and Sun mornings !! ) and we did the Indarri Walk via the Duwadarri Lookout. There are no words I can conjure to describe the vastness, size and colours of this Gorge...it is massive and it is sublime, the flora and fauna incredible and the sounds of busy happy birds are everywhere so subtly.

Heading up & up towards to Indarri Falls lookout

Posers !!

Duwadarri Lookout - audible sighs all round, well from me everyone else had shot off !!

Native Holly - or Christmas Bush I think ?? 

I still don't know how to use the camera all that well however I was so happy with some of the shots I captured along this walk. The reward three-quarters of the way round was swimming where the lower and upper gorges meet at the Tufa Falls - it almost looked like it had been landscaped for a flash resort with Daiquiri Bar and all - the best bit was there was next to no people here and we essentially had it to ourselves most of the time.

Turkey Bush

After an hour or so of swimming we took the easy remainder of the walk back and got ready to head off on an organised evening tour of Harry's Hill at Sunset. 

Jumping on a mini bus with Phil and 20 others from Adels Grove we took the short drive up to Harry's Hill named after what sounded to be an incredible Aboriginal Waanyi man who was pivotal in supporting many in his community during his lifetime. Sadly, he died young in his 50's and the owners of Adels Grove named the Hill after Harry and so when each Sunset tour group heads up the hill with some nibble and a few bevvies - it's Cheers to Harry ! This was a super little tour with loads of info shared about the flora, the place, the history, current owners and such. We had pre-ordered our Fish and Chip takeaway from The Shack - such delicious Beer battered Barra - with VB I hear cause that's all its good for !! A few beers and wow what an off the charts awesome day ! 

Harry's Hill Sunset 

Haven't had a whole fam pic for ages !! 

Stunning !! 

Stu and the troops went for an early morning walk today - whilst I got my throat working !! They got some super pics from the lookout before a hot cooked breaky and a bit of school ! 

Late morning we headed back up to Boodjamulla and did another walk Wild Dog Dreaming showing many Aboriginal Rock paintings that may date back anywhere up to 5000 years ago for the area. Given that Lawn Hill has constant water supply if was a place for the Waanyi people to come for food and water in such arid and  hot conditions. Lunch by the water and then we were off for a fabulous Canoe up the Lower and Upper Gorges. This was even more spectacular that walking around it and we managed to bring the camera in a waterproof container to get more pics. 

Cheeky gubers in a canoe ...I'm in it too !! 

Upper gorge

Happy water lilies 

Upper gorge - colours are breathtaking !! 

We could easily stay here for a few more nights and explore some more - with more places to visit and my boyfriend pulling out the spreadsheet this morning to rejig and check - it will be time to hit the road again tomorrow towards Camooweal. We have all loved experiencing Adels Grove & Lawn Hill in our own way, and for me it's an incredible landscape with an energy that is so hard to describe in words, a breathtaking few days.