Our home away from home while in the field was at Adels Grove, about 40km north east from Riversleigh. It’s a sizeable accommodation complex by Lawn Hill Creek, with camp sites, permanent tents and motel rooms. To take advantage of the good, dry season weather, they have a large deck, where meals and entertainment are held.

The property itself was first established by Frenchman Albert de Lestrange in 1920 (‘Adels’ are his initials). He dreamed of planting a botanical garden in the Savannah, and by the late 1930’s had planted over 1000 different varieties of both exotic and native plants. Unfortunately, the locals were very suspicious of Albert, and in the early 1950’s a fire destroyed his dwelling and much of the property (some say it was deliberately lit). Albert was forced away to Charters Towers, where he lived in a nursing home until his death in 1959. Fortunately, some of his plants survived him, and the beautiful, shady grove is his legacy.