Day 457 | Middle Gorge campsite: Boodjamulla National Park

31 km | zzOz total: 14,219 km

Some days work out differently from what preconceptions a dark and twisted mind can imagine.

I’ve been contemplating meeting the local park rangers as I trundled along the bigger road I met up with early on this morning, that’s the main access road to Boodjamulla, not the obscure track I came in from Doomadgee, morning traffic, 4WDs, with or without caravans, started as they abandoned the national park.

Adels Grove along the way turned into a giant Outback caravan resort, large shaded dining area and bar not yet open at 10am. I went in to see if I could circumvent trouble with those rangers and after a 20 minute fumble around with the computerised system they officially booked me in for 2 nights. I’ve had a lucky break, it’s usually fully booked weeks ahead, but the heat is starting to discourage the general tourists and it’s not yet school holidays.

Cost: $10.90, ie, $5.45 a night.

I’m legit.

A very large man was trying on T shirts, frustrated that they didn’t have size 10XL I guess, he really needed to head to the closest tent or spinnaker maker but I refrained from suggesting this. Both he and the receptionist cracked up with laughter when I was asked for my car registration to complete the booking, err, I’m on a bicycle.

I’d been alerted to this possibility, that’s the booking anomalies, by my recent motorcycle friends, Kev and Cat, but you have to have the rego to complete the booking. Won’t work without.

I’ve got an easy one to remember: ABC 123, as they looked incredulously at me.

You’re laughing at me, I stated in mock seriousness, that’s rather rude.

They really think they are at the edge of the universe themselves out here, after all it takes 5 hours drive on a mostly dirt road to get here from Mt Isa, and I get the feeling they think Isa is on the boundary of civilisation despite the population of 24,000.

That guy could benefit from a few quick circuits of Australia on a bike himself but as usual I kept that one to myself.

After all that I wandered around kilometres of tracks in the park this afternoon and failed to spot a single ranger either there or in the strangely third part vacant camping zone. The online booking system and low price means this: if you are considering staying you have to make a booking a few weeks, or even months, ahead, whether or not you actually use the booking doesn’t matter much because it’s so cheap. Then people are turned away from camping areas where you could easily fit them in after those who have actually booked make other arrangements.

I’ll finish off with the remaining big two walks tomorrow, I’m having the full day here.

Maybe I’ll see a ranger then.