Mataranka and Katherine

It was then on to Mataranka where it wasn’t hard to decide to stop three nights.  I chose the park that was right at the springs so that we could head there for a swim whenever we felt like it.  The next day we went and looked at Mataranka (not much to see) and drove out to Bitter Springs.  These are much more natural than Mataranka and you can float down the stream a little distance.  However, the low hanging huge orb spiders and their webs weren’t very conducive for this pastime, so we gave them and miss and headed back to the Mataranka pool.  Swimming here was one of the best places we have been.  The water is a perfect temperature and is crystal clear.  Thirty million litres go through every day if the board is to be believed.  It is not a true thermal pool, as the heated water is only from the warmth of the rocks it passes through, and not geothermal heating. 

Water Fall in Elsey National Park

Mataranka Pool

Bitter Springs

We also spent a morning exploring the Elsey National Park, which includes an area of the Roper River and we did a number of the walks there.

After a final swim on the Friday morning, it was off to Katherine and the Shady Lane Caravan Park where we were given a huge shady site that could have almost fitted two van.  The park is on the road to the gorge, and that afternoon we drove out to have a look and enquire about cruises.  I had been looking at the 3 gorge tour, but it wasn’t open yet.  However, we were told that the first sunset dinner cruise of the season started on Sunday night.  We decided that had to be our special treat for this trip and we booked in.

We went and looked at the thermal springs at Katherine, but after Mataranka, were not overly impressed.  They didn’t look overly clean and there were quite a lot of people in there (it was a long weekend).  We did spend a whole morning at the Katherine museum, which we found well signed and very interesting.

Our lovely big site at Katherine 

And then it was time for our dinner cruise.  We were to meet at the boarding area at 4.15, just at the time it started to pour.  The first thing they did was hand out rain ponchos, very handy as it turned out.  We were then told that the weather was too unpredictable to eat on the dinner boat, so they were transferring the dinner to the bistro area at the information centre.

The cruise was really lovely, especially as the 

afternoon sun went down.  It took two hours and we travelled two gorges.  You have to walk about 500 metres between gorges to get the second boat.  Just as we stepped onto this boat, the heavens opened and it absolutely poured down.  It was so heavy I couldn’t hear the commentary, let alone actually see anything.  But in a few minutes it was over and we could enjoy our cruise again.  The second gorge is far more spectacular and is the one featuring on the tourist photos. 

Mataranka may have got rid of their bats, but not Katherine Gorge

Although initially disappointed that we weren’t eating on the water, we eventually decided that it was a much nicer dining experience back at the info centre.  And the food – it was just glorious.  We shared a table with two other couples.  The first course was a shared platter that included slow cooked crocodile with lemon myrtle, kangaroo, cheeses, dried tomato pate, olives etc served with a large slice of spiced damper.  Next was a sorbet. The main course had to be ordered before getting on the boat, and the choice was eye fillet steak or barramundi.  We both chose the barra, and it was divine, served with rosti potatoes and a shared salad bowl.  The final course was a flourless chocolate cake with a raspberry sauce and flavoured cream.

 

One of the things that has surprised us about the region is the WWII history.  We knew that Darwin had been bombed, but didn’t realise that Katherine and other inland areas also had been.  And we have also been surprised at the number of old airfields and army camps dotted throughout the countryside of the north.  We wonder why we were never taught this in school.  Was it because we grew up in the south and the war did not touch there the same. 

It's a bit scary when things in museums remind you of your childhood