That year the "wet" lasted longer than usual and the road to Burketown was not good so we had to give Leichardt Falls a miss. Just driving the 40km from Normanton to Burke and Wills last camp spot was a real bone cruncher at that time. We also learnt that roads from Burketown to Lawn Hill were closed.

You had to book a site before going to the NP to camp. If I recall that was the only park back then that this was a requirement, probably due to the small number of campsites. We booked something like 3 months ahead.

We were running early to Lawn Hill so we camped beside the Gregory River for a day or two. The fast flowing river (where they have a big canoe race each year), bush, Pandamus, and plenty of bird life made it a truly fabulous spot, though from what I have read in recent times on various Forums it tends to get a bit overcrowded nowadays.

The NP camp area was good, though a bit thin on for shade as Pandamus and bush only covered the edge of the 10m banks on the edge of the water. In fact you had to walk down quite a number of steps to get to the waters edge. Walks in the NP lead to some great views. The Cascades walk goes through this magnificent rainforest like area then leads to a very steep climb up the Island Stack for fantastic views of the gorge and surrounding dry/sparse countryside. It is from here that you really appreciate just how different this spot is to the surrounding area.

The walk to the Indarri Waterfall via the Duwadarrie Waterhole Lookout is even steeper and not recommended for those who suffer from vertigo. Here the gorge walls go straight down, and the path back then was not very well defined, and is quite close to the edge as the warning signs stated. On reaching the falls there is a platform and ladders so you can go for a swim. There are a number of other walks, particularly the upper gorge, but they were closed when we were there as they were under repair due to the wet.

It was hot whilst we were there so we went swimming, along with many others, each day of the week we were there. Definitely not to be missed is hiring a canoe and paddling up the gorge, including the upper gorge after going up the portage. The views of the gorge and waterfalls from water level are just unforgettable. We did a day trip back down to Adels Grove and wandered around the remains of the Frenchman's Garden. Well worth a look, and marvelled at what was achieved and imagined how it must have looked in its prime. For us we preferred the camp at the NP.

We had planned to go down to the Riversleigh Fossil Fields, staying there for a few days, then on Camooweal. However at the time they were building the nearby Century Zinc mine and the huge trucks had badly cut up that road such that many travellers were getting punctures from sharp rocks. Talking to a couple of campers, and looking at their shredded tyres, plus on NP Rangers advice we went back to the Gregory River for a couple of days instead.