Day 10: 26/8/25, Karumba.

 Day 10: 26/8/25,  Karumba.

 

Our approximate journey so far, (red), Blackbutt to Cairns, (blue), Cairns to Karumba (by coach)

 
 Leisurely start to the day, breakfast and then a walk around the neighbourhood, photos of the Gulf and the Norman River.

  

 Looking out into the Gulf, Norman River is to the left


 

Brolga sculpture which is spectacular no matter the light, sunset behind it, sunrise reflected of it or as in this shot in late afternoon with the dappled light.

Around 11:30 the courtesy bus took us around to the other side of Karumba and to the Barramundi Hatchery, where we had a self- guided tour of their interactive display (you can do a tour of the hatchery facility but we didn’t opt for that. The hatchery is now supported by the Queensland Government but was originally started in the late 70’s by the local fisherman deciding they had to do something about the sustainability of the industry so started seeding the area with Barramundi fingerlings.

 
 
Example small Barramundi in the hatchery display area. 

 
 Kites waiting for lunch

There is quite a variety of bird life in the area. And prawn feeding time at the hatchery was quite a spectacle with Kites everywhere, and even a few ducks have moved in.


 
 

Lunch is served, the hatchery also breeds Prawns and the Kites don’t seem to mind them.


 

Brahminy Kite looking for dinner

The Karumba census indicated a population around 600, but now it is more like 350 with the decline in mining and the banning of gill net fishing, having said that, I think there is at least one boat per person in the area.

Interestingly there is a processing plant here used for dehydrating zinc slurry for shipment out of the port. The mine is about 500Km away and the company built a pipeline so the slurry could be pumped rather than having to truck it.

Unfortunately, the mining operation is being moved to Mt Isa, however a Phosphate company is looking to utilise the plant facilities which is good news for the town.

Karumba was also the location of a sea plane squadron during WW2 and has a large slipway, now converted to a boat ramp.

 

 
 Enjoying a drink in the sunset Bar, not quite sunset but who cares.


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