Day 25 18th May 2014 Sunday. An overcast morning so Kevin left early at 6.30am to run down to Bitter Springs and back. He says there were about 100 wallabies that he dodged around on the road. I did a couple of loads of washing. Washed the floors again as they are getting really dirty. We headed off at 9.15 to Bitter Springs for a morning dip in the Thermal Pool. Stayed for an hour and came back so that Kevin could hit the café for scones, jam & cream and a milkshake for morning tea. Of course I had to go and keep him company. Was very nice sitting in 30C watching the peacocks, jabiru’s wonder among the tables looking for crumbs. After lunch we watched the Barramundi feeding at the lagoon and the we headed out to view the WW11 Aboriginal ruins near Roper River, Elsey National Park. After parking by the road Kevin and I wondered down a pathway which led us to several ruins which only virtually have a slab remaining. We then turned off at ’ four mile’ dirt track and headed toward the river and parked and then walked the last 80m to see the river. It was impressive and quite wide. The river flows through the largest stand of Livistonia Rigida palms in the world and the waters are a beautiful emerald green. It is said there a barramundi here to be caught. From here we headed to Elsey Homestead Replica which was constructed for the film ‘We of the Never Never” and now displays historical info and artefacts. A short walk from Mataranka Homestead brought us to the Thermal Pools which have been interfered with by man and have a sandy bottom, cement seating around the edges and is much commercialised in comparison to Bitter Springs Thermal Pools. We didn’t stay long and dropped mum and dad off at the caravan park and then went onto Bitter Springs Thermal Pools for a last dip. Spent an hour just bobbing along. Ran into Chris and his wife who were near us at Newcastle Waters Rest Area and they asked us to thank Dad again for the crayfish that he gave them from when the freezer had a hissy fit. Played cards again tonight and the competition is heating up. Left the A/C on all night.
