Sunday...31 July 2011

Today we travelled from Daly Waters to Mataranka, not very far, only a couple of hundred kms. Was thinking on the way how novel it is that we are being overtaken by the huge three trailer road trains they have here in the Territory. Funny seeing them out the right hand window instead of the left! We are not travelling as slow as a Winebago but we have our nominated best speed for fuel economy and where road conditions allow we tend to stick with it. Now I am not saying we are slow enough to watch the grass growing beside the road but it is nice to see things clearly instead of one big blur.
Yesterday we topped a small hill and the view was incredible. The horizon was so far away you could nearly see tomorrow.
Instead of going into the caravan park in Mataranka township we turned off and came out to the Mataranka Homestead caravan park which is right beside the Mataranka Thermal springs. The main spring is called Rainbow Springs and it pumps water out at 30million litres/day at 34c which then runs down to the current thermal pools and then on into the Roper River. We took a walk down to the river and spotted a couple of freshwater crocodiles sunning themselves on a fallen tree trunk hanging into the river. As there are only freshwater crocs in this river you are allowed to swim. Hmmmmmm I think maybe NOT. On the way back from the river there was a rustle in the undergrowth and yep, snake. I saw a small brown beast, Himself says it was not brown but olive and that he had read a sign during our walk through the bush that said the snakes you see are harmless green tree snakes which inhabit the area because of the massive colonies (200,000) of red wing fruit bats that live here.
Enough of the walking through bush for me.......
Himself has been off walking the suggested 1.2km trail through the bush to another pretty spot then back again and is now sitting in the thermal pool relaxing after all his hard slog. I am watching other campers setting up their camps.
Tomorrow we head further north.