Aye, Karumba!

What a day! We were not long on the road when we spotted a wedge-tailed eagle - and then a pair of brolga.  I asked Nick to turn around, so I could try for better photos of the brolgas as they were quite close to the road.

Hah!  Five minutes further along we saw at least 200 brolgas, gathered along a long stretch of water beside the road.  It was amazing! 

They were saurus cranes, pelicans, a black-necked stork ... so many birds!

There is a very interesting article about brolgas and saurus cranes, here.

Once in Karumba we took turns to view the Barramundi Discovery Centre and then enjoyed an impromptu lunch at the Sunset Tavern, looking out to the Gulf of Carpentaria.  

We sat in lovely shade with Mr Dog, watching birds flying and others on the mudflats. Magic! 

There were more birds after lunch, on the way back to Normanton - lots of Radjah Shelducks, a Bustard pair and all the brolgas again ... 

In December 1860, some of the Burke & Wills expedition remained at the Dig Tree while the main party headed North - almost to the Gulf of Carpentaria. 

We'd visited the Dig Tree back in 2014, (near Innaminka, 1580km South of Karumba), so made a slight detour to see the Burke and Wills Camp 119 - their most northern camp, established on 11 February 1861. 

It was so very hot walking at the site - so we had a swim back at our camp!