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Just back from a trip across inland North
Queensland (north west of Townsville, south west of Cairns, about one-third of
the way to Mount Isa). We took the Herveys Range Developmental Road from
Townsville (now sealed except for 41 kms) to the Gregory Developmental Road
(sealed but narrow in places, look out for road trains!!!!), staying
overnight at Greenvale (immortalised by Slim Dusty in the 'Pub with no
Beer' song), then on to the Lynd Junction - the junction of the Gregory and
Kennedy Developmental Roads).
Our destination was the newly gazetted Blackbraes
National Park, marked on the latest RACQ map 104km south of the Lynd on the
Kennedy Developmental Road, approx. 200 kms north of Hughenden (the junction
with the Flinders Highway) - all of it unsealed and mostly corrugated
stretch and with only a few cattle properties along its length.
The northern section of the NP is on the
Oak Valley property, the southern section on Blackbraes, but we found no
signage indicating a National Park at
either. On the Blackbraes section we met a ute pouring out molasses for the
cattle, who told us that the National Parks & Wildlife did not take over
until October, and that they were concerned at the number of people turning up
looking for the "National Park", where to camp, where the water points were etc.
when there were no facilites of any kind available.
We were travelling in a 4WD, carrying an extra 40L
of fuel, 50L of water, food, camping gear, a satellite phone (no mobile coverage
out here m'dears), a GPS and an E-perp in case of emergencies. On our numerous
trips we have encountered interstate and overseas visitors totally
under-prepared for remote conditions.
On returning to Townsville we contacted the Qld Parks and Wildlife Service
asking if signage could be provided at Hughenden and at the Lynd Junction
and also information on the QPWS website. We are also contecting the
RACQ.
Alex Appleman & Norm Canton
Townsville, NQ
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