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Boodjamulla National Park is a very special place.
Also known as Lawn Hill, the park lies deep in the heart of North West Queensland, 300 kilometres northwest of Mount Isa and requires patience and endurance to get there on bumpy and lonely roads.
The National Park and nearby Adels Grove resort were on my bucket list ever since I arrived in the North West in 2016.
I thought I might have missed my chance when the resort went up in flames in the winter of 2019 but the then-owners moved heaven and earth to get it reopened quickly.
Then when we finally booked a trip in the winter of 2020, COVID-19 set in and with Burke Shire shut down to tourists it was touch and go whether it would reopen by the time we made it there.
In fact it reopened just two days before we travelled.
While I enjoyed the hospitality of Adels Grove, it was the magnificent Boodjamulla National Park that really shone with its spectacular gorge country, sandstone ranges and its World Heritage fossils at Riversleigh, so beloved of David Attenborough.
I will never forget the experience of kayaking up the amazing Lawn Hill Gorge, one of the all-time great days of my life.
Lawn Hill Gorge is formed by Lawn Hill Creek, fed by freshwater springs from the limestone plateau to the west.
The ancient sandstone cliffs lining the gorge form a stunning contract with its emerald waters and lush vegetation.
It is appropriate that given the deep time scale of the place the original owners now have a significant say in the running of it.
The Waanyi People have a strong connection with the Park. Numerous visible and spiritual archaeological and cultural sites demonstrate their continuous occupation of the area, with some sites dated at 37,000 years old.
Now Boodjamulla National Park will be jointly managed by the Waanyi People and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service under a new plan launched this month.
Given the Waanyi people have also bought Adels Grove, this will herald an exciting time for the traditional owners who are also working with New Century Mine near Gregory.
I look forward to the Waanyi welcoming me to country again some day.
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