TOP END, SAVANNAH & KAKADU CYCLE TOUR

Cycle and explore the heart of the Savannah and the Top End. From Cairns, through the Atherton Tablelands to Undara National Park, Normanton in the Gulf Country. Discover Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park, Mataranka and then into the heart of Kakadu, this trip highlights the diversity of Australia’s north.

Cycling, 4WD, walks and short hikes, swimming and even canoeing if you choose to - this is the eco adventure of a lifetime!

HIGHLIGHTS:
* Atherton Tablelands
* Undara National Park
* Cobbold Gorge
* QLD’s Gulf Country
* Leichhardt Falls
* Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park
* The Lost City
* Mataranka
* Kakadu National Park

Each day you will have the opportunity to cycle between 2-4 hours, broken up into a morning and afternoon session. This roughly equates to 20km – 60km, depending on your cycling speed. At any point in the tour, should you wish to rest your legs and travel in the support vehicle, you have the option. Cycling segments of all ROC Tours adventures are fully supported and flexible to cater to all cycling abilities and different cycling speeds.

To cover the overall daily distances, time will be spent each day travelling on board the air-conditioned support vehicle.

DEPARTURE:
23 June  - 06 July 2010

DURATION:
14 days 13 nights

COST:
from AUD$2650 per person

INCLUDES:
Tour guide, full vehicle support, use of mountain bike, helmet & drink bottles, tent & sleeping mat, meals as indicated

START/FINISH:
Cairns QLD / Darwin NT

ACCOMMODATION:
 Campgrounds & bush camping

MEALS:
13 x Breakfast
13 x Lunch
12 x Dinner

ITINERARY

DAY 1
CAIRNS, ATHERTON TABLELANDS, UNDARA NATIONAL PARK (LD)
Leaving the bustling tourist town of Cairns, we set off for our 14-day adventure through Australia’s Top End, Savannah and Kakadu. This morning, we wind our way in the vehicle through the ranges and rainforest of the Atherton Tablelands. We stop for a few of the highlights like Milla Milla Falls, know as Australia’s most photogenic falls before starting on our first ride, which takes us through the some spectacular rainforest to the misty town of Ravenshoe, which is the highest town in Queensland. If you are lucky you might spot a cassowary or tree kangaroo. Our destination for today is Undara, nestled within a National Park, and home to a series of world renowned ancient lava tubes, underground tunnels that formed some 190,000 years ago. Towering gum trees provide a lush setting in the natural bush camping area, and quirky train carriages have been turned into accommodation and facilities. Explore your surrounds and watch out for wildlife such as wallabies, kangaroos and prolific birdlife.

DAY 2
UNDARA NATIONAL PARK, FORSAYTH, COBBOLD GORGE (BL)
This morning there’s the chance to take an optional tour of the Lava Tubes, giving you the chance to discover the beauty and uniqueness of these landforms for yourself. Forsayth is an historic gold mining town still popular with fossickers, and from here we travel along an unsealed road to Cobbold Gorge, which is situated on Robin Hood cattle station. This gorge is extremely narrow, closing to a mere two meters wide in places, with spectacular 30 m cliffs on either side. The overall length of the gorge is about six kilometres and consists of a series of waterholes and rock falls, however only the last 500 m is accessible by flat bottom boat. Cobbold Gorge is fed by several springs keeping the water level constant, allowing boat access all year round. An excellent waterhole at the mouth of the gorge is an ideal place for a refreshing swim. We’ll camp overnight among the shady eucalypts and enjoy a cruise of the gorge. Dinner tonight is at your own expense at the MacDonalds Deck bar and restaurant.

DAY 3
GEORGETOWN, CROYDON, NORMANTON (BLD)
We continue along the Savannah Way in northern Queensland, through historic towns of Georgetown and Croydon. Between Croydon and Normanton, the historic Gulflander Train has a weekly service on a train referred to fondly as the old ‘tin hare’. Established on the Norman River by William Landsborough, Normanton was the port for the Croydon Rush and is a terminus of the Victorian architecture preserved in the Normanton Railway Station. It has wide, wide streets, lots of services and a population of around 1600. The town services a large grazing area and is surrounded by fascinating wetlands where the bird population has to seen to be believed. Normanton is home to ‘Krys’, a life sized sculpture of the dinosaur-like crocodile that was shot in the river and measured a world record 8.5 metres! Normanton has some unique events throughout the year including the Normanton Rodeo, where the locals show the visitors how it is done in the Gulf, and Normanton Barra Competition which brings a lot of people into the town for one fantastic weekend of fun and fishing. We’ll spend the night camping in Normanton.

DAY 4-7
SAVANNAH WAY, BOODJAMULLA NP (LAWN HILL) (BLD EACH DAY) Our journey continues along the Savannah Way! Travelling along this iconic route, we pass through the locales of Burke and Wills Roadhouse, Gregory River, Hell’s Gate and Borroloola. On each of these days you’ll have the opportunity to cycle and explore the Savannah Way as we travel through Australia’s north. Situated 117 km south of Burketown, Gregory lies on the intersection of the road to Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park. The river has wide sandy banks, the water is cool and clear and the vegetation on the banks is thick and lush, the remnants of the ancient rainforest which once covered the entire Gulf Savannah. The river is spring-fed from limestone country and is fast flowing, crystal clear and excellent for swimming. The Gregory River is also considered on of the best canoe courses in Australia and is the venue for the annual Gregory Canoe Race on the long weekend in May and attracts many top canoeists. As the river is the only main water source in the area a great selection of marsupials and birds live in the area making it a great place for wildlife photography as well. Lawn Hill has recently been renamed Boodjamulla, and we spend two nights here at Adels campground, which lies just out of the park and is located along Lawnhill Creek. The second day is spent with an approx 10 km ride into the park. Canoeing is one of the best ways to see the beautiful gorge and park, which one can do in the morning, on an hourly hire basis (at own expense). The swimming is also really beautiful here, with deep crystal clear water and there are several walks that one can take. Laundry facilities etc exist at the camp. The next day is spent riding out along cattle station tracks that run parallel with the Little Ranges. It’s beautiful open country with little traffic, lots of gates to open and good roads, finishing at King Fisher Camp, which lies along a huge beautiful billabong (but unfortunately no swimming in this one!). Hell’s Gate is rich in flora and fauna, and the region boasts one of the world's oldest landscapes. The wealth of mineral deposits, crystal veins and stunning rock formations tell their own tales of the land's environment. Caves near Hell's Gate act as natural art galleries for the pictorial history of these early residents. Wells and other remnants of the Indigenous people’s life in the district can be still found today. Small springs and pockets of prehistoric rainforests, which once covered the region, provide a lifeline to the wealth of birdlife including rare native species such as the Carpentaria Grass Wren and the Red Tailed Cockatoo. Once across the Northern Territory Border, river crossings become more frequent as the road climbs and drops along escarpments and jump ups. It is along one of these rivers that we will be enjoying a bush camp with views along the pandanas palm-lined banks and water-covered blue flowering lilies.

DAY 8
LIMMEN NATIONAL PARK, LOST CITY (BLD)
More river crossings and spectacular lagoons in the morning before arriving in Borroloola. A small town that lies on the coastal plain between the Barkly Tablelands and the Gulf of Carpentaria. It’s a thriving community with a very colourful past that can be viewed in the towns historic museum, which feature a few crocodile Dundee originals. It’s unusual in that it is the home of a number of very different Indigenous cultures. The Yanyuwa, Mara, Karawa and Kurdanji people all live around the town. The Yanyuwa and Mara are referred to as 'saltwater people' and are associated with the Sir Edward Pellew Islands and the lower reaches of the McArthur and Wearyan Rivers. The Kurdanji and Karawa people are classed as 'mainland people' and are associated with land to the south and east of the present township. Although Borroloola belongs to the Barkly Tablelands area of the Northern Territory it's an area that, in both its vegetation and climate, is more typical of the tropical Gulf Savannah that stretches around the Gulf of Carpentaria from North Queensland. After Borroloola we turn north where we explore Limmen National Park, an area recently designated as a National Park. Tucked away in a seldom-visited corner of the Gulf of Carpentaria west of Borroloola, it's a must-do stop on the trans-continental Savannah Way that crosses the top half of Australia between Cairns and Broome. It's a remote and rugged place steeped in culture and history, with spectacular sandstone formations, numerous rivers and wetlands. And so far, no one seems to know it's there, so you won't have to share it all with hundreds of other tourists. Spend the afternoon exploring the Lost City - at 1.4 billion years in the making, these rocks are some of the oldest in the world. They consist of 95 per cent silica and are held together by an outer crust made mainly of iron, giving them their unique red colours, especially at sunset.

DAY 9
BUTTERFLY SPRINGS (BLD)
A day spent outside of the bus as you have the opportunity to ride to our next campsite, appropriately named Butterfly Springs. The Crow Butterfly finds shelter in the shade around the cool pool, a great croc free spot to swim and relax for the afternoon.

DAY 10
ROPER BAR, SAVANNAH WAY (BLD)
Today we head westward along the Savannah Way alternate route, which takes us to Roper Bar, the only settlement on the Roper River, which lies 606 km south of Darwin, 312 km east of Katherine and 1235 km from Alice Springs. Ludwig Leichhardt first explored the Roper River in 1845 as he made his way from Moreton Bay to Port Essington. Leichhardt crossed the river at Roper Bar, a rocky shelf that conveniently lies at the high tide limit on the river. He named the river after John Roper, a member of the expedition. During the 1870s the Roper River was opened up for river cargo. Paddle steamers plied the river bringing supplies to the men working on the Overland Telegraph. About 20 km downstream from Roper Bar lies the wreck of the paddle steamer Young Australian which worked the river and the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria for over 20 years bringing supplies firstly to the Overland Telegraph and later to the cattle stations in the region. It also became a common stopover point for drovers on the coastal route from Victoria River Downs and the Kimberley to North Queensland. In the 1880s and 1890s it gained a reputation as a wild, outback outpost. Our camp, with facilities, lies a short distance from the river were we can enjoy a beautiful sunset and have the opportunity to have a go at wetting the line.

DAY 11
MATARANKA (BLD)
In the morning we will ride out to the old police outpost, which is a fascinating look at how people have tried to carve out a life out in the bush. A good road takes us out to Mataranka. A small township and near the Stuart Highway in the famous 'never-never'. Mataranka is home to a superb thermal pool and stand of cabbage tree palms and paperbarks. Refresh yourself with a dip in the thermal pool to refresh those aching muscles and enjoy a walk along the Little Roper River.

DAY 12
GUNLOM FALLS (BLD)
A morning ride to the crystal clear bitter springs. With 32 degrees water, a snorkel and mask is like swimming in one of nature’s best aquariums. This plunge pool is one of the most picturesque places at Kakadu, with spectacular views over the southern region of the park. The camping here is beautiful.

DAY 13
KAKADU, BARRAMUNDI GORGE, YELLOW WATERS (BLD)
We spend the next two days further exploring the scenic beauty of Kakadu National Park. We head to the Termite Plains for our ride into Barramundi Gorge. We climb to the top of the falls to enjoy the view and explore the serene chain of waterholes. As the day progresses we travel to Cooinda, home of the Yellow Waters boat cruise. The cruise is optional, but highly recommended for the most spectacular array of wetlands bird life – and usually quite a few saltwater crocodiles, too!

DAY 14
NOURLANGIE ROCK, UBIRR ROCK, DARWIN (B)
Our last day begins with a ride to ancient Aboriginal art sites at Nourlangie Rock and breathtaking view from Ubirr Rock. We will also visit the Information Centre and more amazing ancient Aboriginal rock art sites at Ubirr Rock. Leaving Kakadu in the afternoon, we travel to the Bark Hutt Inn, and arrive in Darwin late afternoon. Almost two weeks of sun, exercise, good food and camping on the Savannah Way and through Kakadu will leave you feeling very satisfied!