Qld - Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park

We have been recommended not to miss Lawn Hill by several people on our travels and we are so glad that we made the effort to go. We re- packed our car with our camping gear and kayak and travelled the 100klms of very average unsealed road from Gregory Downs to our camp area. Thank goodness that we had decided to leave our van in storage. I think we would have shaken everything out of the cupboards with all the corrugations on the road.
The drive to the park is very dry but once you set up camp and head for the water the scenery is breathtaking. The first day we took the kayak on a 6 klm round trip to the top of the gorge and back. We stopped three times along the way to swim in the emerald coloured tepid water. We were so glad that we had our own Kayak as the rental ones are $20.00 per hour. Over the four days we spent hours going up and down the waterways.The bird life is so colourfull, the pandanus and coconut palms that line the water make you feel like you are in a heavenly oasis.
The four days that we camped here the temperature reached 35 to 37 degrees each day so no sooner had we got out of the water we would be dry within a few minutes and then jump right back in. The camp ground was very barren with few trees but with our quick- shade and tent we made ourselves very comfortable in no time at all. Our camp site was only a stones throw from the water so it made our frequent trips down there very convenient. There are several wonderful bush walks around the area so we did those in the early morning and late afternoon.
The waters here are rich in lime and when the water evaporates porus rocks are formed, these are composed mainly of calcium carbonate and are called tufas. They look like they are huge solidifed bubbles and they can be seen mainly around the waterfalls and dried creek beds.
We also drove out to Riversleigh where the fossil deposits are among the richest and most extensive in the world. We went to D-site which is the only area open to the public and could see some of these fossils. Some dating back 15-25 million years ago. Fascinating.
Lawn Hill-a little bit of heaven!