Leaving Carnarvon Gorge we headed north, our ultimate aim being Cooktown 1,500km away.
Our first stop was Lake Maraboon/Fairbairn Dam, just overnight for a rest and to give us an opportunity to get the growing mound of washing done. I am still not driving post retinal surgery due to some slight double vision, so Tim is having to do it all.
Lake Maraboon/Fairbairn Dam. Fairbairn Dam is located 25 kilometres southwest of Emerald, in Central Queensland, almost on top of the Tropic of Capricorn line. Fairbairn Dam was constructed in 1972 across the Nogoa River “Gap” creating Lake Maraboon and is Queensland’s second largest lake. Maraboon is the Aboriginal for “where the black ducks fly”.
Regularly stocked with fish, it is a fisherman’s paradise, especially renown for catching ‘red claw’ a fresh water lobster. We stayed at Lake Maraboon Holiday Village on the banks of the lake and recommend it as a very well managed park, clean, well laid out and the staff are very friendly and helpful. All types of water sports are catered for and they hire boats and kayaks. It also has the most novel dump point we have ever seen. Due to the drought the lake is only half full but still looked massive.
