Our GO-MAD Oz Adventure: Day 168

14 July 2013

Woke up early and we were attempting to head to Mataranka today which is just below Katherine. There is barramundi feeding at 1pm at a park here so we were hoping to make it there before 1pm.

Driving, driving, driving...make it to Katherine and had to pick up a few things we had forgotten in Kununurra. Filled up fuel again and realized that while we were still travelling along on WA time, everyone else was travelling on NT time which means we have just lost 1.5hours! We now realise that it is already 1 o'clock and we have missed the barra feeding already! Dammit!

Made it to Mataranka and set up camp on the little roper river. Beautiful spot with only a few other campers, magic. Even better the Bitter Springs are just a walk away from where we are camping. What are the Bitter Springs you may be asking....well they are thermal springs that flow at 30.5 million litres of water a day so they are constantly moving which we didn't really realise till we got there and saw everyone with floaties!

Beautiful spot but without floaties it was tough work swimming with the force of the water and there was so many people around, kids splashing and people swimming up the springs that you have to move for. Luckily there are some tree roots you can stop at to rest cuz I needed it. So unfit! But you keep swimming down to the very end and there are some steps to get out of the water, it is then a short cold walk back to the start of the springs where you jump into the 34 degree spring again to swim to the end again! After 3 times I was buggered and we jumped out to go and see what else Mataranka had to offer.

Down the road a bit is the Mataraka Homestead / caravan park which is home to thermal pools and rainbow springs. We walked through the park and noticed they had a bar and restaurant and vowed that on the way back was beer time. First to the pools which is quite literally what looks like a pool with concreted edges etc but the temperature is again 34 degrees! So good! This one doesn't move as much so you could just sit and enjoy the warmness! You can walk to rainbow springs which was beautiful, just a little pond type thing with bubbling water but unfortunately there was no swimming in here. Wrinkled and ready to move on we headed for the bar....the band had just played their first song so we got a beer and ordered fish and chips ready for some more music. After that one song the band left! They were just warming up for tonight! Haha oh well fish and chips was cheap and ok but not great. Headed back to camp for some fishing in the river and to put the yabbies nets out. Apparently they get cheribin in this river but there's not much around at the moment, worth a go though.