When I was in Normanton the other day, I met a pommy backpacker who was also going to Karumba, hitching a lift with some other travellers. Anyway, I had some beers with her yesterday evening; she was staying at the other end of Karumba, called Karumba Point. I thought it was just a caravan park, but she assured me it was a small township in its own right. Anyway, to cut a long story short as Barry would say, I went for a ride up there for a Dorrie. It looked OK, on the beach front about 6km from Karumba, had 2 caravan parks and a different pub, lots of small shops etc. The water looked nice.

I went back and packed my gear.
While doing that, I shook out this large Huntsman spider from the tent and this Magpie saw me do it and was on it like a bat out of hell. He is checking out the posture, to see how to eat it without being bitten. The 2nd picture is a close up of the first; I have ringed the spider, on its back legs, front legs in attack position. These are not poisonous, unlike everything else out here, but they can inflict a nasty bite. Did I tell you I hate bloody spiders!!! Lucky I did not know it was in there last night!

After a bit of argy bargy, the Magpie wins and bears its fruit away, probably for its chicks. Sucked in spider 🙂

I was going to book into the caravan park near the beach/pub/shops but they wanted $25 a night for an unpowered site, what a rip off, especially the dry old dusty dirt I was offered right down the back. The other park was about 3 km from the shops so I made a decision, nick off. So, I headed to Normanton again, on the way I saw this flock of Brolgas near some water holes but they took flight when I pulled over

There were also all these spider trees, or some type of nest, but they only picked the dead wood, not live stuff, I have no idea what they are

And as it was getting late in the morning and extremely hot by the time I got to Normanton, high 30s, I ended up staying there again at the same park as before and spent the arvo besides the pool reading a book, only $12 per night. Later in the day I had beer and dinner up at the Albion with Steve, Laura and Jaan. It was such a stinking hot night, that at 10pm I was still sweating, it was not until around midnight that the wind cooled the tent enough to get some sleep, even with all 4 sides open. I made a decision based on the build of heat to get my arse into gear and start heading west; I did not want to travel the top end, Darwin and north of Broome when it was too hot. So, I would do an early start and head to the Isa, I needed an oil and filter change anyway, it was my best shot before Darwin.

Day – 105km
Trip – 3568km

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