After leaving the Atherton Tabelands we traveled across the Savannah Way through Gulf country. After a few great camps – especially Leichardt Lagoon – we caught up with our good friends Hank and Deb at the old Mary Kathleen uranium mine.
The old township of Mary Kathleen has had all the buildings removed but the concrete slabs still remain. You just drive in, pick a slab and that’s your camp. Two great nights here with a nice campfire each evening. It was interesting wandering around looking at where the old shops had been and also visiting the mine site itself.
After Mary Kathleen we headed into Mount Isa to stock up on supplies before several days of driving to get to Lorella Springs. Lorella Springs is a 1 million acre cattle property that extends right to the Gulf of Carpentaria. There are a number of springs on the property and some nice thermal pools. The road in was terrible! Heavy corrugations and lots of dust. We were glad to get there in one piece! We were surprised by the number of people that had driven in but there was plenty of room. Had several drives while there to explore different parts of the property.
None of us were looking forward to the drive out and trip along the Nathan River road to Roper bar. After several hundred more kilometres of dust and corrugations it was a welcome site to see a tar road again.
We almost lost one of our gas bottles as the brackets had broken on the corrugated road and I had to remove my driving lights as they were about to fall off.
And then it was on to Darwin!
Charles William Rose
19 Jul 2021… so was Mary Kathleen a uranium mine ?
ian.rose
19 Jul 2021Yes, but closed (for the second time) in 1982.
Ross Plant
19 Jul 2021I’m not sure if Lorella was open when we first went through this area. Lovely sunset images
ian.rose
19 Jul 2021Thanks. Yes, I don’t think it was open when I went by in ‘88 and 2003.