Adels Grove – it’s an oasis in the middle of the outback. It’s got outback spunk. And hanging with its residents was quite inspiring.
It’s also got a bedrock of resilience.
When you go into labour months earlier than expected, and you are thousands of miles from the nearest hospital. You need to call upon some sense of inner calm, as well as the Royal Flying Doctors Service.
Michelle Low Mow knows about this … she’s endured it twice as her children Hayden and Charlee were premature births. She also know how to give back generously, installing RFDS donations tins around her property which last month alone rattled out $2, 00 in guests donations.
The ever-calm Michelle and her husband Rod operate Adels Grove, a 32 hectare freehold property surrounded by the 6, 000 square km Lawn Hill Cattle Station property which is a flora and fauna reserve, and not far from Australia’s largest open cut zinc mine.
Aside from RFDS donation tins (we loved the one requesting a gold coin for a loan of an inner tube to float down the river) Adels Grove offers an oasis in the outback experience for travellers.
We fell in love with the Adels Grove vibe.
Fom its creative and comprehensive information for guests and its hospitable collection of local larrikins and grey nomad staff – everyone we encountered seemed just as enamoured with what Adels Grove offers. Michelle and Richard have invested all their energies into ensuring travellers who stumble through their doors feel both welcomed and informed.
Equally enamoured with this area was a chap known as The Frenchman, way back in the 1920’s. Albert de Lestang was a French botanist who transformed the area into an experimental lush paradise. By 1939 he had some 1, 000 species of exotic and native plants, shrubs and trees growing here. The experimental Botanical Garden supplied the Botanic Gardens of the world with seeds produced from the property, until a fire eventually ravaged his dream. Very few plants remain today, but the lush surroundings have been enjoyed by a whole new breed of adventurous types who make it out along the Savannah Way.
One of the jewels in Adels Grove’s crown is the meandering spring on the property, which flows from nearby Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP. The irredescent green creek, the result of high amounts of calcium in the waters, was compelling. So to was the pontoon, rope swing, inner tubes and canoe adventures!
We camped for 5 days (we just couldn’t leave) in The Grove, a shaded camp area right alongside the river.
Our Adels Grove experience was heightened by being ‘adopted’ by those two now very healthy and grown premmie babies … 8 year old Charlee and 10 year old Haydn have as much spunk as their parents, and the place they live. From cricket matches, sleepovers at the house and bringing their dinner down to eat at our campfire, both sets of squids had a ball together.
We were also fortunate enough to be invited by Mrs C (Coral, their creative and considerate grey nomad governess) to join the kids in their School of the Air annexe on the property to bang out our own school work.
What a great insight to experience first hand how kids in remote communities gain an education, and I was mightily impressed to witness the lengths outback parents go to ensure their kids get a stand-out education.
At night we were serenaded by the hoot of Barking owls and screeches of bats, the thump of cane toads, and the slither of Olive pythons. By day we were given giddy waves by darting Ta-ta lizards.
Adels Grove is a great campsite for us to explore nearby Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park (10kms away) and the World Heritage listed Miyumba (Riversleigh) Fossil Fields – both are magical spots in this vast, harsh landscape.
You really connect with the ancient nature of the Aussie bush here as you swim in spring fed waterfalls and canoe past grand cliffs.
It was difficult to haul the Squids off to see these sights, the chance to roam free-range with property kids was by far the bigger drawcard. Hayden and Charlee (who was a regular little Bindi Irwin) enjoyed the chance to have some regular playmates who stayed for more than 2 days as well.
Both sets of kids seemed to be each other’s most appealing natural attractions.
Check back in later when the cameleers deliver more reliable inernet access and I hope to download more images!