At Club 4X4 we don’t just insure 4WDs, we also drive them, and sometimes, it’s to some very cool places with some very cool people. We’re lucky enough that our in-house 4X4 enthusiasts occasionally get the opportunity to get out on the track in convoy with Pat Callinan and his team and explore parts of Australia only accessibly by a 4X4.
With Pat taking on some of Queensland’s stretch of the Savannah Way from Normanton to Mount Isa, he invited Club’s very own Andy to join him. An avid 4WDer with experience in the army and his own Jeep Grand Cherokee, Andy was quite keen, to say the least. Commandeering a Ford Everest Tremor (dwarfed by Pat’s F150), Andy joined the merry band as they made their way through red dirt, termite mounds and outback townships.
Andy met up with the gang in Normanton where they stayed a night, setting out their plans for the next week. The following day was spent traversing over 300km through the Gulf Savannah, across to Burketown. With flat, grassy plains to the south of the town and immense salt flats and wetlands to the north and rigs that could go anywhere, they had a world of options. Opting for the salt pans, the team headed up and once there, continued to go up.
sunset on the salt pan with man's silhouette
The salt pans are a popular spot for hot air ballooning and an experience that can’t be missed. While Andy preferred to stay grounded and refill his saltshaker while no one was looking, the rest of the team took flight and made the most of the weather they were blessed with.
Of course, Pat offered 5-star accommodation for our Andy—the humble swag. Having left his pillow in Normanton, Andy also had the extra pleasure of resting his weary head on his Club 4X4 sweater, which no doubt got old after a week bobble-heading over rocks and corrugations.
The team did manage to swap out the wheels for some paddles, taking kayaks up the gorgeous oasis that is Lawn Hill Gorge in Boodjamulla National Park. While Andy may have been connecting with the land and learning about its steeped history, I don’t think he had planned on connecting with it quite so physically when what was thought to be a rope in his kayak turned out to be a snake! Nonchalant as ever, Andy managed to relocate the reptile into the water and away from his legs.
3 4X4s parked under an old structure with three people stood in the background
Having had enough to do with live animals, the next stop was the Riversleigh Fossil Site. With no chance of the reconstructed seven-metre freshwater crocodile ending up in Andy’s lap, this was a good stop-in to learn about the area’s prehistoric past (and how their 4X4’s are now fueled).
Mount Isa was next on the itinerary and Pat had a few things planned in this mining hub. Boots, belts and Akubras were donned and bucking bulls and bristling broncs were witnessed at the Isa Rodeo on Saturday night. A great opportunity to get off the road and enjoy some local entertainment.
Sunday morning, the team headed out, following the Leichhardt River, Mount Isa’s lifeblood. About 20 minutes out of town is Lake Moondarra, an artificial lake that feeds into the river. Preferring to move a little quicker on the water after Andy’s snake fiasco, Pat and the team brought out the foil and jet boards. Even in the middle of winter, Mount Isa averages highs of 25, so getting in the water after a few stacks wasn’t the worst thing to break up the 4WDing.
panoramic shot of a dam
Legs sore (from hitting the water, not standing up), belly’s rumbling and a thirst to quench, the team proceeded north, headed for a different kind of outback watering hole. The New Kalkadoon Hotel Kajabbi Pub is inviting to any traveler in Queensland’s red northwest, and for the weary convoy, this sentiment rang true. It’s a classic Aussie pub serving cold beers, hot meals and providing a spot for a swag out the back.
The crew headed back to Mount Isa for two more days to film more 4WDing and lifestyle content before Andy flew out and back home. Andy was stoked with his time on the road, getting to see some of remote Queensland, having his say on Club 4X4 on national television and making new friends in Pat and co. You can catch the episode as a part of Pat Callinan’s 4X4 Adventures on December 13 on Channel 10.
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