Continuing in a westerly direction and aided by an easterly wind, the road was, for the most part, in excellent condition and carrying very little traffic.

Croydon, a very well-presented town with an obvious focus on tourism, now has a population under 300 people, well down from the heady days of the gold bloom when it peaked at about seven thousand.

Along with many other well-preserved buildings, Croydon’s Club Hotel stands as a reminder of the gold mining boom in the 1880’s.

Known locally as “the train to nowhere”, the railway was established around 1890 joining the Croydon goldfields to the seaport at Normanton. Nowadays, the Gulflander is a tourist train bringing visitors from Normanton to Croydon, usually as part of organized tour packages. Over wetlands and grasslands to the arid Savannah, ticker holders venture through countryside that most people would never see.

Perhaps one of the tiniest churches in Australia, St Margaret’s Anglican Church is used by both Anglican and Catholic faithful. The bell tower was originally at the former St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Croydon and the actually bell first rang out at St John’s Anglican Church, Golden Gate (a nearby goldfield).

Constructed in 1995 as an upgrade to the town’s water supply, Lake Belmore is the aquatic jewel of the Gulf Savannah. It is the largest body of fresh water in the region providing locals and tourists with a cool, clean, quiet place to swim, fish, ski, canoe and socialize……… or perhaps cook a leg of lamb in a camp oven! 

With the aroma of freshly roasted lamb, sweet potato and onion filling the vehicle, Jack hastily made the five kilometre dash back to the campground to enjoy the fruits of his labour with Mallie.