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Old October 8th, 2010, 07:23 PM posted to rec.travel.australia+nz
Frank Slootweg
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Posts: 275
Default Camping on the Burke Developmental Road?

A Mate wrote:
On 8/10/2010 4:09 AM, Frank Slootweg wrote:
[Since this group is dead as a doornail, I might as well take this
opportunity to ask questions and see if there are still any
subscribers/lurkers.]

Has anyone driven the Burke Developmental Road (in Northern Queensland,
from Normanton to Chillagoe)?

If so:

- Is it a worthwhile trip (considering that we like the outback, wide
open spaces, etc.)?

- How about camping, both in the wild (i.e. beside the road, on a rest
area, on a parking stop) and on some form of official campground (for
example on the property of a homestead, etc.)?

- Any other info?

FYI, we will be there around early April and will betravelling in a 4WD
campervan.

Thanks in advance for any and all responses.


My recommendation would be to take the Gulf Developmental Road. It's
just 60km longer. You would go through Croydon, a regular metropolis at
the height of the Gold Rushes; Georgetown, with its excellent Mineral
Museum; Mount Surprise, with the nearby Undarra Lava Tubes. The road
surface is much 'friendlier' - especially at the likely tail end of a
big wet - mainly sealed with many streams bridged. Good facilities for
camping too - each of the named centres has Council Camping Grounds.


Thanks for your responses.

We did the route you mention in 2009. Came from The Lynd, visited the
Undarra Lava Tubes, and then did the Savanah Way all the way through
Boroloola, Roper bar to Mataranka. Had a great time.

Next year we want to do some of the 'left-over' unsealed tracks, i.e.
the ones which we've not yet done on all our earlier trips.

The Burke Deveopmental Road is one of those left-over tracks. It
doesn't make any sense, because we will come north to Normanton and will
go south again through Croydon, i.e. quite a silly loop, but traveling
is to enjoy, not to make sense.

Thanks for your warning (in your other post) for the possible BIG/long
wet. We will see how things are when (if? :-)) we get there.

Today we bought a new edition of the HEMA Road and 4WD Atlas, so we
can have even more fun preparing our trip.

Thanks again.