BDR OR BUST

WHENEVER I see on a map the words, Developmental Road, it always grabs my attention for being a less-used route. Apparently the name Developmental comes from the roads being under constant development, and a lot are damaged or washed away from the severe wet seasons in the north of Australia. The facts are that they are always gravel, are variable in their conditions, and were originally built to facilitate the transport of stock in the far reaches of Queensland.

Spending time at Karumba on the southeast coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria and looking for an alternative route across to the east coast of Queensland, I spied the Burke Developmental Road (BDR). Karumba’s a bit of a strange town as, if you’re not a fisherman, there’s honestly not a lot to do. Located right on the banks of the Normanton River, the waters are apparently rich with barramundi and Gulf banana prawns which are the town’s main industries. After visiting the Barramundi Discovery Centre where you can learn the history and behaviour of the barra and other aspects