One of Australia's most spectacular drives, the Queensland section of the Savannah Way is suitable for both 4WD and 2WD vehicles, with safe conditions and mainly sealed roads. It is recommended you check road conditions before you plan to travel. Past the Queensland Border heading into the Northern Territory the roads deteriorate and become 4WD only.

It is dry most of the year in the Gulf, but in the wet season, usually from December to March, the countryside is extremely green and birdlife prolific. High rainfall during this time means the conditions of unsealed roads can change rapidly. It is advisable to carry a few days supply of food and water and the most appropriate vehicles are 4WD's (if travelling on unsealed roads). The Northern Territiory segment of the road is closed between December and March.

Normanton sits on a high, sandy ridge between the edge of the Savannah grasslands, which extend to the West and the wetlands to the north. Established on the Norman River by William Landsborough, Normanton was the port for the Croydon gold rush and is a terminus of the historic Normanton to Croydon Railway with a classic example of Victorian architecture preserved in the Normanton Railway Station.

In its heyday, Croydon Town was the gold capital of the Colony... a boom town, a frontier town, a gambler's town. By 1889, just 3 short years after the first cry of 'Gold!' went up, busy, prosperous Croydon boasted a population of nearly 8,000 souls, 26 hotels, its own aerated water factory. Croydon now has a much smaller population and boasts only one hotel.

Scattered throughout the low, sun-bleached hills and savannah bushland that surrounds the historical township of Croydon, you can find many reminders of the rich gold mining past that the area was built on.