Last Cab(pervan) to Darwin Part 3

Banka Banka West Station Sunset – the campsites are set on a 350,000 acre working cattle station in the Barkly Tablelands

Contrary to popular belief the English biologist Charles Darwin never visited the city of his name. He did sail around the southern coast of Australia in the HMS Beagle on his 5 year circumnavigation of the world from December 1831 to October 1836. The Beagle did return to Australia without the great man in 1839 under the captaincy of Commander John Wickham who named Darwin Harbour after his former mentor. Darwin city established in 1869 as Palmerston then changed its name due to common usage in 1911 when the Northern Territory had its beginnings. What has all this got to do with anything? Nothing really other than I have run out of decent movie quotes and we are getting nearer to the city day by day.

Mt Isa town centre alongside its raison d’etre (source – queenslandplaces.com)

Mt Isa is familiar to most people as a mining town in central west Queensland. In fact it is the site of one of the world’s richest mineral deposits. Now a city of some 19,500 people it has a reputation, as most mining towns do of hard work and hard play but the town itself is pleasant enough and the town centre a good stop for travelers to top up on their shopping (we did at a Woolworths), petrol or an overnight stay. Burke and Wills came through the region in 1861 on their trek and following further intrusion by miners and farmers the area was the unfortunate centre of 12 years of running battles from the early 1870s between the indigenous inhabitants, the Kalkadoon people and the Queensland constabulary and armed government patrols. All this resulted in the effective elimination of the Kalkadoon (estimated 900 deaths over the ten years) and the restoration of mining and farming back to normal. But then things became very unnormal. In 1923 a single prospector, John Miles stumbled upon large copper, silver, lead and zinc deposits which established Mt Isa (named after the Mt Ida copper mine in W.A.) and enabled it to become one of the most successful rich mineral mining regions in world history. All this has its downside of course including the discovery of high blood lead levels in children. In 2008 the then mayor also responded to a rumour that there were 5 times as many men as women in the town by stating that this made the town a great place for “not so attractive women” to live. In fact a census showed the gender balance closer to fifty/fifty and the mayor with egg on his face. But then what do you expect from rural Queensland? Mt Isa today is a juxtaposition of smoking chimney stacks and slag heaps nestled alongside what could well be described as a normal country town.

We had planned to stop overnight at WW2 Campsite near Gunpowder just on from Mt Isa. It is so named because of its war memorial, is a free camp with lots of room under nice gumtrees and with a toilet block. We had stopped here before and enjoyed the stay. It is also well situated about a half hour past Mt Isa and before Camooweal near the Queensland/Northern Territory border. The last time we passed here was during covid restrictions and ironically there was a bit of a WW2 feeling as we had to produce our papers at the border to pass on through to Queensland. Although obviously we didn’t have downed airmen smuggled away in the rear of the van. This time though we sailed through at 110 kmph. We usually travel four to five hours a day or around 400 kms. Today we had made such good progress we pushed on into the NT across the Barkly Highway and stopped at the Barkly Roadhouse some 180kms from the intersection with the Stuart Highway known as Three Ways. South goes to Tennant Creek and Alice Springs, north to Darwin and east of course was where we were coming from.

Barkly Homestead and Roadhouse on the Barkly Highway, Northern Territory

Barkly Homestead and Roadhouse is a very popular stop for travelers as it provides large tree clad sites and a nice understated bar and restaurant which is very popular with thirsty travelers. As the result of a kitchen fire the restaurant burned down in December 2022 but is now back up and running and better than ever. We spent a pleasant evening here over a couple of beers and wines. May is the start of the “great winter migration” north from Victoria, NSW and South Australia and these evenings are great opportunities to chat with other travelers and find out about the best free camps and stops around the country. And in true Australian style these grey nomads “know everything”. To be fair though we have stayed in many a camp first heard of in an evening conversation.

Banka Banka West Station campground

We had one night at Banka Banka West Station, a popular campground set up on the Banka Banka cattle station that is situated an hour up the Stuart Highway from the Three Ways turn off some 960 kms south of Darwin. Then a night at Bitter Springs just outside the small town of Mataranka. The area is so named because of the natural thermal pools in the Roper River which flows through the Elsay National Park in the Katherine Region. The campsites are set under large gum and melaleuca trees. Such a restful evening after a hot soak in the springs. Mataranka is some 420kms south of Darwin. We had four days to kill before we were due in Darwin and the start of the “big cricket event” and we decide to spend them in Litchfield National Park. Such a good choice and deserving of a post on its own.

Bitter Springs thermal pool

Some nightlife at Bitter Springs camp