Crocodiles and freight trains – DAY THREE
Below you will find a detailed description of the route as seen through the eyes of its creator to give you firsthand knowledge of the type of experiences available along this route
The Below map is for reference guide only with interactive info on locations along the route.
A fully interactive and directional guide map is available with the Road Trips printable detailed itinerary for $5 using the below button(coming soon)
Lilyvale Waterhole to Macrossan park (502km 6hr)
1. LILYVALE WATER HOLE to BELYANDO CROSSING ROADHOUSE (285km 3.30hr) Gregory Developmental Rd, Belyando – Walk to River(dry when we were there but still visually interesting, BBQ
You know those movies where people are buried alive, and the sound just as the first load of sand gets dumped on the enclosed box. Now that’s the feeling you get when a sudden downpour hits your caravan in the middle of the night. It wasn’t Johnny that woke us in the early morning but it may as well have been. We headed off early.
2. SUNFLOWER FIELDS
Yan Yan Road runs through some interesting crop fields with Sunflowers as far as the eye can see. Just imagining the fields in full bloom was enough to warm the mood of a cool morning.
3. BELYANDO CROSSING to MACROSSAN PARK (217km 2.30hr) lot 26 Flinders Hwy Dotswood ;
4. BROLGAS in the area
One small note: Aquaplaning with a caravan is not a pleasant experience. However, as the fields came alive with movement these thoughts were quickly forgotten. Gorgeous long-legged grey beauties everywhere. They were eating someone’s crop and not sure what it was but it must have been yummy as there were hundreds (ok maybe a slight exaggeration) and the Brolgas were certainly a more pleasing site.
There is that raise of the finger again…must be getting tired by now lol. It used to be that driving along it would be massive trucks that you share the road with (we are talking of road trips as a youngin with my mum and dad…little bit a time ago ha Ha)….Now it’s caravans. Every standard rest stop (side of the road) appears more and more like an impromptu caravan park which is a little concerning for solo (family unit) adventurers like us.
5. GOTHIC CASTLES
The burnt orange gothic castles of the scrub floor scavengers’ (termite mounds if you haven’t guessed) homes become more prevalent the closer we get to Charters towers. The farming grasslands have turned to scrubby low-lying twiggy tree fields.
Thoughts of those scaly prehistoric beasts start to enter my mind the closer we get to the next campsite. MACROSSAN PARK was our first croc warning campsite so venturing to the creek was off-limits this time around (so hard when it is such a beautiful spot).
6. MASSIVE RAILWAY BRIDGES at MACROSS PARK (217km 2.30hr) Camped the furthest end of Macross Park
The strong arches draw us in, gorgeously weathered and offset nicely with well-rusted nails. Two different but both powerful structures straddled our campsite. One holds a historical regalness, the other the strength of the future.
The opportunity to capture the night nestled between the great structures outweighed the insanity of parking directly under the train line. Having the almost gothic archways at our doorstep set the mood of this magical spot.
All enthusiasm aside, tentatively we scouted the area strictly sticking to well-worn paths like a bunch of grannies doing a nature walk. As the darkness fell so did my mood…did something really have to move in the bushes every time I stepped outside to set the long exposure…..the last shot with the caravan was a little more arty than intended because there was no way I was going out there without a torch he he.
NEXT: Magical Castles of Paranella Park