Boodjamulla

The Gulf of Carpentaria and the well-known Savannah Way has one attraction that really stands out from the crowd - Lawn Hill National Park, or Boodjamulla as it's now called. It's a magical place, and calling it 'an amazing oasis' seems to somewhat sell it short, because it's so much more than that.

Boasting spectacular gorges, beautiful waterways, fossils, and an array of colourful flora and fauna, Boodjamulla has to be seen to be believed. But as great as this place is, that's not what this story is about.

This is remote country and great camp sites up here can be hard to find

In fact, in my books, not even the Boodjamulla National Park camp site stacks up. For a start, it's got bugger-all shade - not good when it's 34 degrees Celsius. You see, some clever dick decided to clear all of the trees. And secondly, you can't even light a fire here at night to keep the mozzies at bay.

And of course, like all national parks, pets aren't allowed.

So while Boodjamulla is a fine, fine place, it doesn't even rank in the 'AC+RV Top 100 Great Places to Camp Before You Die' (hey, Editor Isaac, if that list ever takes off, you owe me a case of Coopers!). So where do you stay? At the neighbour's place of course - Adels Grove. Funny name, great spot.

Boodjamulla

The Gulf of Carpentaria and the well-known Savannah Way has one attraction that really stands out from the crowd - Lawn Hill National Park, or Boodjamulla as it's now called. It's a magical place, and calling it 'an amazing oasis' seems to somewhat sell it short, because it's so much more than that.

Boasting spectacular gorges, beautiful waterways, fossils, and an array of colourful flora and fauna, Boodjamulla has to be seen to be believed. But as great as this place is, that's not what this story is about.

This is remote country and great camp sites up here can be hard to find

In fact, in my books, not even the Boodjamulla National Park camp site stacks up. For a start, it's got bugger-all shade - not good when it's 34 degrees Celsius. You see, some clever dick decided to clear all of the trees. And secondly, you can't even light a fire here at night to keep the mozzies at bay.

And of course, like all national parks, pets aren't allowed.

So while Boodjamulla is a fine, fine place, it doesn't even rank in the 'AC+RV Top 100 Great Places to Camp Before You Die' (hey, Editor Isaac, if that list ever takes off, you owe me a case of Coopers!). So where do you stay? At the neighbour's place of course - Adels Grove. Funny name, great spot.

Adels Grove

All the things you can't do at Lawn Hill National Park, you can do here. Want to light a camp fire? Go for it. Want to bring a furry creature? No problem. In fact, the good people at Adels Grove camp ground will baby-sit your pet while you venture into the National Park. They even have serviced tents and cabins plus a casual restaurant if you're tired of baked beans.

And best of all, Adels Grove boasts beautiful shady campsites situated on an emerald green waterhole. It's perfect for swimming and photography, and would probably have to rank in the AC+RV Top 100 Campsites list (that's if my vote counts for anything). 

The name 'Adels Grove' originates from the name of its founder, Albert de Lestang

The Argentinean-born son of French parents was an amazing character with a thirst for knowledge - in particular, of all things natural and botanical.

De Lestang was born in 1884 and spent time in North America, Africa, the West Indies and the eastern states of Europe. He headed to Australia in 1912 after hearing rumours of an impending war in the Balkans, and no sooner had he arrived than he ventured into Australia's frontier country.

He initially trekked into the wild Cape York Peninsula and Arnhem Land, before settling in the Lawn Hill region. Throughout his travels, he had a thirst for botany, gathering specimens and seeds along the way. But it wasn't until 1920, when de Lestang gained a 75-hectare lease adjoining   a waterhole that his love of botanical knowledge could really flourish. 

Over the next 19 years, he planted more than 1000 plant varieties at the Adels Grove site, recording all of their characteristics in great detail. He was even commissioned by the Australian government to experiment with food trees in this area. Over subsequent decades the collection continued to grow, and in its prime it had more than 2000 rare tree species. De Lestang used to hand water all the plants, filling empty tins at the waterhole, and lugging them to a complex series of channels, where they would feed thirsty trees.

Yet, while Adels Grove had a magnificent start, it had a sad demise. That demise started when a deliberately lit fire ran through the place. The fire damaged almost everything, and virtually wiped out the tree stocks. It was thought to have been lit by whites, who disliked the close relationship de Lestang fostered with the local Aborigines.

While he initially tried to replant and start again, the ageing man ran out of energy, and with no-one to succeed him, he felt his efforts would be in vain. In this extract from a letter, de Lestang recalls: "The priceless botanical collection of over 2000 varieties has been abandoned, the gardens overrun by saplings... [I] have cut all experimental works for lack of equipment and labour, too old and weak to carry on."

There is unfortunately little that remains to this day of Albert's efforts, save for the odd stand of giant bamboo. However, Adels Grove still boasts a mass of large shady trees under which to camp, and an idyllic waterhole. Not to mention, there are a range of services on offer, from the workshop, shop and service station, to accommodation and meals.

Adels Grove certainly has an interesting history, but if there's one thing I can advise, make sure you leave at least four or five days in order to relax and unwind. It's a great place to explore on its own, and it's a superb base for the neighbouring Boodjamulla National Park.