Karumba and Normanton

Carmen Friend
Jun 28, 2018
2 min read

Arriving into Normanton we had been told of a freecamp on the Walker Creek about 20kms outside of Normanton - this would be our first night stop. Normanton was established by William Landsborough on the Normanton River and was a port for the Croydon gold rush in the 1800s. The Normanton Railway Station is a beautiful well looked after Victorian architectural building. It is home to the Gulflander Train which has a variety of trips. There are a number of historical features to Normaton from the drains and drain coverings to the Burns Philip building which is home to the Visitor information centre. In the main street of Normaton is the original water well which was used until the 1960's. There is also an artesian bore within the camping ground too.

Burke and Wills Camp 119 is 30kms outside of Normation on the Savannah Way heading to Burketown. It is a similar story of carving into the trees initials. This was the furthest north the explorers came due to the wet season hitting and the swamp being too treacherous to cross. On the outskirts of Normaton heading towards Karumba is the Muttonhole wetlands - home to a variety of birds throughout the year but more so during the wet season. During the dry season, camping permits (10 per day) are given out so you can free camp on the wetland area. There is also a dedicated fishing platform across the Norman River for those keen on a fish.

These days, Normaton and Karumba are both a major prawn fishing zone and are home to the barramundi and king salmon. In Karumba there is a Barramundi hatchery and it is the centre to the crabbing industry. The majority of the prawns caught within this region are destined for Woolworths supermarkets. Trent was lucky enough to score himself a job as deckhand on one of the local fishing charters. Along the Norman River there is a prawn boat which ran aground and was never recovered due to the time it took to battle the insurance company! Many Victorian and other states grey nomads are found in the area in the dry season trying to escape the cold winters of the southern states! If you are a mad keen fisherman, this area is one for you! Karumba is also the first place looking west along the Savannah Way that you will see amazing sunsets!

We loved our time here especailly with Trent able to score a free trip on a fishing charter and although they caught no fish he got to see a turtle and was about 20kms offshore. A great experience and one he won't forget!