46. Gregory Downs and Leichardt

COOL - OFF We loved this place & decided to stay another night. The boys could run upstream then float down with the current. The weather was starting to warm up & we knew this would be the last time we could swim in safety without the threat of salties , sharks, stingers & all the other lovelies. After the boys went to bed Kaz & I enjoyed a campfire on the creeks edge for our last night.

LEICHARDT FALLS We had been warned that the track from Burketown to Normanton was extremely rough, but sometimes you just have to have a go. As it turned out it wasn’t that bad a mostly had it to ourselves for a few hundred kilometres. We checked out the tourist info centre before we left Bourketown where Matt was mauled by the resident watch dog. It gave Matty a big scare but he was really good & toughed it out.

MY TWO CHEFS We camped on this rocky outcrop on the Leichardt River. We met a local ranger a young Aboriginal that advised us not to swim here. You can see how people can be drawn to the water. In summer, the temp here can easily reach 55 degrees. We didn’t see any crocs but I did see a 7 foot long saw shark catching fish beneath the falls. At first I thought the shark was simply enjoying the sensation of the falls, but after watching for a period it became evident that the shark was using the rippled water as camouflage or cover to allow it to move in closer to the prey.