Just another mid-winter day in NQ, 36c, clear sky, no wind and, thankfully, very little humidity! We travelled 280klm on the Savannah Way via Croydon, an easy, flat, straight run. Halfway is Croydon so we parked under a shady tree and had an hours walk around both blocks, settling under the hotel verandah, which was yet to open for the day.

Croydon is distinguished by numerous metal sculptures scattered through out the town . They are very well and very tastefully created, centred on an outback and mining theme. Unfortunately the Info Centre is closed Sunday so we gained no idea of the sculptor, whether he/she is local if indeed it is the work of an individual. Too early to stop...the pub was still not open, so here comes Normanton.

Settled on the banks of the Norman River which flows from Karumba on the Gulf of Carpentaria, about 40klm north, the township bakes in the tropical sun. Our first stop the Info Centre situated in the old Burns Phillips & Co general storage shed. Here we get a free permit to camp on the banks of the Norman about a kilometre north of town. Our attendant smiles shyly as she writes the permit for two days and says "just call back in if you decide not the stay". Ha! Smart tart...we do a drive thru of the dusty, rutted and shadeless riverbank, swing back past the Info Centre to be greeted by "you didn't look like that would suit"! Hussie! 36c, hot & dusty and she has no sympathy.

So now we are ensconced in the Normanton Tourist Park as suggested by a local contact, Peter, and after setting up we headed straight for the 25 metre "unheated pool", ah, the coolness!

This arvo Peter is helping with a function for a charity fundraiser for Angel Flight. Many small aircraft are flying some 10,000klm around Australia to raise awareness and money for this worthwhile team. Peter has asked us to join them for a 4pm light refreshment and BBQ...hope it's air-conditioned!