The Ultimate Outback Adventure – Cobbold Gorge Mon 21st May to Fri 25th May

We headed further inland through to Georgetown to restock supplies before heading bush to Cobbold Gorge on the massive Robin Hood Cattle Station. The Station is located 80 odd km south of Georgetown and you pass through the small town of Forsyath on the way. The property is massive, over 10,000 sq km and has over 15,000 head of Brahman roaming this rugged land. We booked in for two nights and stayed four, it was awesome. We had implemented a no screen time policy and the kids had the time of their lives!
The last section of the road was very rough with numerous washouts and corrugations. We managed to pop a few bottles of beer in the fridge but no other major breakages in the van. The kids enjoyed being surrounded by a few hundred head of cattle as they past us down the road.

We got straight into it and booked in for the Tour of the Gorge on the first afternoon. It was more a interesting walk around the escarpments and a lesson in the history of the land and flora and fauna of the area. It was pretty hot out on the rock platforms but again the interesting guides kept the kids attention for a few hours. Ella collected sticks along the way and made Janene carry them when she was riding in Dad’s backpack.  We finished the tour with a boat tour up the gorge. It is very narrow in parts and some 30m high. 
 

The next day was a quiet one. I did a run up to Robertson’s lookout first thing but we hung around the campsite and went for a great swim in the nearby creek, with everyone having thong blowouts as they walked along the rocky bottom. We finished the day with marsh mellows around the campfire, yes folks this is living J



Wednesday was adrenalin day and after Janene had done the same run up to the lookout she took Mya and Tas on their maiden helicopter ride of the property. It was only 15 min but the kids really enjoyed it. Tas rode upfront with the pilot and had no door on his side!

 We spent the rest of the day doing activities like aqua golf which you had to retrieve your balls with the kayaks on the lake. Sunset was spent out at the Quartz Blow.

 

If Wednesday was adrenalin day Thursday was adventure day. The owners were great and draw us a map of how to get to the Dam which had been stocked with Barra. It was an adventure just navigating there through rough dirt roads and numerous creek crossings, let alone the few hundred head of cattle that were sitting around the ‘lick’ station which we had to pass by and find were the road continued on. Unfortunately for the cattle it took us a few goes to find the roads path and we upset many of them as we did circles.

The Dam was beautiful, secluded with not a sole in sight, waterlilies and our own boat for the afternoon. We really struck gold and whilst fishing with three kids is a bit tricky it was pretty cool spot that we will all remember with great birdlife and loads of water lilies but no Barra!

Our last stop was Agate Creek a fossicking area on the south of the property where amateur fossickers with pick and shovels hunt for coloured gem stones. The gold was all mined back a long time ago but we were told by one of the Tour Guides Kerre to head up Black Soil Creek road and they will be chips of coloured Agates everywhere. Sure enough there were little chips of reds, oranges, light blues and even greens lying on top of the surface. Again we all loved it, not something you do every day.

We had run out of food and ate with the Tour group at the restaurant and ended up staying to watch a video shot back in the 70’s about life on the property mustering by horse. A tough life but the family really enjoy it and with choppers today it makes spotting the cattle immensely easier than 40 years ago.

Friday was travel day back to Innot Hot Springs. The road out of Cobbold was slippery as it rained last night and all of today. The car and van qualify for the dirt works awards! It was just over 300km but a long day for the kids in the car with loads of Simon says, saw it and eye spy to pass the time. T bones for dinner and a nice hot dip in the thermal pools.