Day: 051
Date: Friday, 21 August 2020
Start: Mataranka Homestead
Finish: Mataranka Homestead
Daily Kilometres: 0 (click here for Julie's Strava of our walk and her photos)
Total Kilometres: 5395
Weather: Hot and sunny (record temperatures for this time of the year in the Top End)
Accommodation: Motel
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Ham, cheese & pickles sandwiches
Lunch: Ham, cheese, tomato & cucumber sandwiches
Dinner: Chicken parmigiana, salad & chips
Aches: Nothing significant
Highlight: We spent a very pleasant 30 minutes or so, at 4 Mile, a quiet spot on the edge of the translucent and inviting Roper River, watching nature at work. The river flowed silently by, bordered by tall palm trees and other tropical vegetation. Dragonflies and small insects darted about just above, or on the surface, while small birds swooped low over the river, and occasionally into it, catching the insects. High in a tree, a pair of brilliantly white cockatoos surveyed the scene, while other, unseen, birds called exotically. And, across the river and tethered to the bank, floated an open, presumably baited, crocodile trap, hinting at the possible presence of other living creatures.
Lowlight: None really
Pictures: Click here
Map and Position: Click here for Google Map
Journal:
After sleeping in, relatively, we left our motel room a little before 8am and set out on the River Walk in Elsey National Park along the banks of the Roper River itowards Mataranka Falls. The full distance to the falls and back was more than 16km, so we were unsure whether we would go the whole way on what was already quite a warm day. The path began by passing the nearby exotic thermal pools where people were already swimming/floating beneath the stately palms, including the caravaners who had offered us water and a shower a couple of nights ago.
Most of the walk was through quite dry woodland, but it was easy to see where the river flowed during The Wet. We passed Rainbow Spring where warm water bubbled up from the artesian basin below, and also the peaceful Stevie's Hole where we stopped and ate our sandwich breakfast. Further along, we reached 4 Mile where a seemingly little-used boat ramp led to the river and we took a very pleasant break (see above). Although we could have continued on, we decided to turn back to the resort. We both had tired legs and it was starting to get hot. 10km was enough.
Back at the resort, we took it easy for the rest of the day. Julie made a few visits to the thermal pools while I did some more trip planning. This included working out when we would be likely to reach the Western Australian border (2.5 weeks). Presently, the border is closed to all but essential workers, and it seems unlikely we will get permission to enter, which will put an end to our Australian circumnavigation plans. Nevertheless, I will put in a permit application in the next week and we'll see what happens.
If we can't get into WA, we'll head south to Adelaide and then follow the south coast eastwards to Victoria. However, even that plan may be scuppered unless New South Wales opens its borders to Victoria, otherwise we'll have to spend two weeks in quarantine to get home.
After I joined Julie for her last trip to the thermal pools for the day, we had dinner at the resort cafe, which tonight had a singer going through a long list of country and rock classics (think Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, etc.), and some grey nomads dancing. Once again, it was a beautiful balmy tropical evening for eating outside and a nice way to finish our stay here.
The resort buildings surround the original heritage-listed Mataranka Homestead, which was apparently used in the film based on the famous Australian book, We of the Never Never, which was written at nearby Elsey cattle station in the early 20th Century by Jeannie Gunn. She was the first white woman to live in the area and I would love to have seen what life was like in those days around here. Not easy, I'm sure.
Although the resort doesn't date back that far, it does feel a bit old and rundown, as does our motel room (Julie had a cockroach run up her leg while having a shower). Regardless, the thermal pools and the Roper River are well worth a visit.
No comments:
Post a Comment