Day 81 Katherine to Bitter Springs

 

We only had a short travel day with 100 km to Mataranka.to stay for a couple of nights. Caravan count today was 101 heading north. Most people are aware of Mataranka Hot Springs but there are also another spring called Bitter Springs. We had been told by a few people that Bitter Springs was much better. Still in Mataranka. We had to drive about 3 kms to get to Bitter Springs. What an amazing place. Take the noodle , hop in one end and the current takes you about 300m down the creek, crystal clear water and around the 32-34 degrees . They have set it up with access stairs, you get to the end , get out walk back along the path and start again. Took a couple of photos but the Go pro will take you on the float sometime. We were staying at Territory Manor and like a lot of those places, they offer a bar and restaurant and entertainment.

Resident Peacock

We visited Bitter Springs a couple of times but also walked into town to check the museum. Lots of information about Jeanie and Aeneas Gunn. Maybe some of you will recall the novel We of the Never Never. Jeanie Gunn was the author of that iconic novel about a young aboriginal girl so much of the museum is about that but they have added extra about the war time experiences and the history of the local indigenous people.

Aeneas and Jeanie Gunn

Last visit was to the Mataranka Homestead and caravan park which where the springs are . The water bubbles up from underground from Rainbow Springs and then flows down to a thermal pool area which is actually the “Mataranka Springs “Unlike Bitter Springs you can’t float down , you just sit in one place so a completely different experience.

Rainbow Hot spring feeds  Mataranka Pool

The other thing is a replica of the Elsey Homestead from the novel and a reference to the movie of the same name, so you check that out also.

Tomorrow, we start our three-day travel to Alice Springs. We are planning to free camp the whole way