Long Way Down Under – Part 3

This is the third instalment of the ‘Long Way Down Under’ – a brief chronicle as me, zoomz and Ash-kun trek our way around Australia. On this leg we make tracks from Cairns in Queensland and cross the border to Daly Waters in the Northern Territory. The previous instalments of the ‘Long Way Down Under’ can be found here:

• Long Way Down Under – Part 1
• Long Way Down Under – Part 2

After leaving Cairns we made our way over the Atherton Tablelands. We called by the Millaa Millaa Falls to take a look.

We then proceeded to the Undara Volcanic National Park to check out the lava tubes (tunnels created by molten lava flowing down a dry river bed).

A spot of breakfast around a bush camp.

Next stop was Cobbold Gorge, a deep canyon carved within rugged sandstone formations. The drive out there had a few minor obstructions.

We enjoyed a boat cruise down Cobbold Gorge to take in a few crocs.

Making tracks to Normanton most of the road was literally a single carriageway. To pass oncoming traffic required two tyres on the tar and two on the dirt.

In Normanton Ash-kun befriended ‘Krys the Savannah King’. At almost 9 metres, it’s a life size replica of the largest crocodile ever captured.

As we were in Gulf Country, we headed to Karumba so that we could check out the water of the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Our next intended stop was Daly Waters but our problem was that there was around 1,200 kms of rugged unsealed road to conquer. And a few river crossings.

Five hundred kilometres into the journey, and in the middle of nowhere, we stopped overnight at the Hells Gate Roadhouse.

We woke early the next morning, we still had 700 kms to make it to the civilisation of Daly Waters. Soon into the trip we crossed the Northern Territory border.

After an arduous drive we finally made it to Daly Waters and what a better way to recover than to hit the historic Daly Waters Pub.

Subsequent instalments of our adventure can be found here:

• Long Way Down Under – Part 4
• Long Way Down Under – Part 5

1. Long Way Down Under – Part 4
2. Long Way Down Under – Part 5
3. Long Way Down Under – Part 2
4. Long Way Down Under – Part 1
5. Ōsaka Castle