It seems quite odd to be packing up again after a month in Katherine – in fact it was noticeable that we were out of practice with the whole pack up routine. Previously we had the whole pack up / or set up routine down to a well-honed art, but it will take us a little while to get back into the swing of doing it again.
Having said that though, all of us were keen to get moving. Our first day was just a relatively short trip down the Stuart Highway to Maturanka where we visited the pristine “Bitter Springs” – a series of thermal pools in Elsey National Park. You were able to enter the pools at one end and swim (or just let yourself get carried along with the current), until you reached the end where a ladder was conveniently placed for your exit approximately 300 meters down stream. The water was a warm bath temperature, crystal clear but with a real bluish hue.
Then it was off to the Jalmurark camping area (in another part of the Elsey National Park), to set up camp. This was a great camping spot with individual camping areas delineated well separated from others, and great solar showers and toilet facilities for only $15.40 a night. After set up we wandered down to the wide expanse of the Roper River where there were pontoons set up for swimming. We were advised that it was a croc management area and so we should be safe from hungry salties. Then we headed off on a 8.5 km return walk along the river to the Mataranka Falls. The walk was quite sandy and hard going during the heat of the afternoon – so another swim was required at the end.
Mary and Barry – we met up with a couple here that used to live in Bacchus Marsh and who were good friends with Ken MacDonald. We are constantly meeting people with some sort of connection to home or people we know……. Proof of the old adage that it’s a small world!
