Zebra Creek Mine Campground

Saddle Creek Rest Area is our next night stop, arriving at about 10 am it became very full by 2pm with a lot of traffic coming in and out all afternoon. A lovely breeze kept us reasonably cool outside. There are towering escarpments surrounding the rest area beautiful as the sun set on them.

Zebra Creek mine campground our choice for the next 3 nights it is about 10 km off the highway on a dirt road. The first 5kms was pretty good the next 5kms on their property was quite shocking for a place that advertises all vehicle access, for normal caravans it is a bit hairy with all the flood ways and dips in the road and is to be taken with care.

The free guided tour is very good and really informative, the mine is the only working Zebra stone mine in the world so is very unique. 

 Primordial rock looks like plowed paddocks on a farm

There are actually 3 variations mined here Primordial, Fire stone and Zebra stone that come out of the same site which is an open cut mine all have a different look.

 The owner would like to leave the Zebra stone in the ground and turn it into an attraction left in place for the future.

Tour jeep

 In the gallery

Fossil found in the mine. 

Zebrarockmine.com.au

Big Horse Creek campground and Timber Creek

On the way to Timber Creek the country is spectacular with ranges. Some of the country has been burnt and is coming back lovely and green.

Timber Creek Police Museum is closed until after the wet, so we only had the escarpment lookout and Police Point to check out later.

 We moved onto Big Horse Creek Campground for the next 4 night’s right on the Victoria River. There is also a boat ramp here as the river cruise also leaves from this place.

The boys wet their lines again and managed to catch a couple of big catfish also a lot of little 15 cm ones. 

A catfish very pretty
 

 There are lots of Boab trees in the campground and surrounds, a really nice spot.

The road to the Escarpment Lookout went right to the top, much easier than walking. From the top one can see out over the town of Timber Creek and the surrounding countryside – just lovely great view to Victoria River in the distance. We were able to see the houseboats anchored at the Big Horse Creek Campground boat ramp.

There is also a memorial at the top to the Nackeroos stationed here during the war, really nice and a credit to the community. Well done to everyone involved.

Police Point is a place on the river where we think the delivery of supplies took place from ships traveling to Timber Creek up the river from Darwin.

                                                                                                                            

 Police Point

Escarpment Walk Trail Victoria River Roadhouse

Tim and I were up early looking forward to doing the escarpment walk trail the sun is shining and a bit of an Easterly wind is blowing that helped to keep us cool.

To start off the trail was good, level and wide enough for two people to walk side by side then it started up hill with steps and handrail, then just a track or should we say goat track.

 Toyota in the distance

The higher we got the better the view. Half way up we were led into a false sense of security thinking the track leveled off and one was almost there,  but NO, more rocks to climb ever upwards.

To be able to see and follow how the gorges and river went the photos do not do them justice!

We could see the colour changes as the sun got higher.

Very very beautiful!

Well worth the early morning start, we hope you enjoy the photos as much as we enjoyed the walk (CLIMB).