Sat, 27th July, 2024 Mataranka Homestead Van Park, Mataranka to Gravel pit off Elsey Cemetery Road, south of Mataranka, NT (Wendy & Matthew’s birthdays, Mataranka Falls walk, Lynne & Glen and Nathan Griggs Whip-cracking Show)

About midnight we heard a commotion near Mike & Anne’s van - it sounded like the guys who had walked past us and there was lots of shouting about someone with a bat. A car pulled up and they tried to defuse the situation and after half hour and more swearing the guys headed off.

Woke to the sound of rain drops on the roof so those darker clouds did have some moisture in them last night.

24 min in the camper this morning and still cloudy.

We packed up as the others headed down for another dip. We are going to do the walk to Mataraka Falls that we missed last time due to it being too wet. They aren’t coping with the warmer temps so they will pack up and head into Katherine to a van park with a pool!

We headed out then turned down the John Hauser Road and back into the National Park. We had checked all the areas last time and tried flicking our lures but didn’t catch anything. Drove to the end and parked at the 12 Mile Yards (there is a boat ramp and a campground here too - same price as the van park!)

Had an early cuppa then headed off for the 8.2km return walk to the falls. The sky is starting to clear up.

Not far and we met our first creek crossing and the plank is too short. Someone had placed a rock to get over the last bit.

Down a bit is a set of falls which they don’t mention on the map. Sharp rocks so won’t be having a dip!

Walked further down for another photo of the falls.

Continued on through the sand and met the creek again as it heads down to the river. More little falls of the rocks.

Reached the Roper River. No ‘floating logs’.

Across the creek where it flows into the river.

Continued on - easy walking though some sections are loose sand, like walking on a beach.

Lots of cotton bushes about.

Next creek crossing - not sure about going over the tree bridge.

Luckily they have put a plank in!

Only a stick for the next water crossing!

Into rocky country now.

We can hear rapids but the creek has split and they must be further over.

Back to the river. We can hear and just see the rapids upstream we heard before.

Continued on.

Down to the river again and along the edge with pandanus palms one site and rocky walls the other.

Had to be careful getting through here as the rocks are very sharp.

Reached Mataranka Falls in the Roper River - very nice. Just a narrow spot through the trees for a photo so not the best selfie.

Further along I got another photo of the falls. Lots of cockatoos in the trees on the other side of the river.

Lots of big rocks along here. A sign warning about crocodiles of course.

Reached the end of the walk where a creek flows into the river with more little falls. Scanned from the river up the creek and zoomed in on the little falls.

Continued along the creek edge for a bit and saw a marker sign but it just took us to the camping area.

Headed back - there have been kilometre markers along the way which was handy. Now for the 4km walk back. Getting warmer but there is a nice breeze so we are all good.

Didn’t see any crocs, just where the pigs have been digging and some donkey poos. Not many birds either. Back to the camper at 12. Took us 2 and quarter hours with stops for photos etc. The clouds are coming back over again.

Headed back into Mataranka and around to the Territory Manor restaurant for lunch with Lynne and Glen. They are working on Elsey Station (up the Roper River Road) now so it is great we can catch up with them. Been 30 odd years since we last saw them. Lynne had stayed with Mum & Dad and us when she was doing business college - her mum Alma had nursed with mum.

We had a wonderful time chatting the afternoon away. Remembered to get a photo too.

Glen’s cousin and wife are working in Mataranka now so they joined us about 5pm. They had been working in Gove so they were able to give us a few pointers for our trip there.

The band got started and just got louder so we said our farewells and headed off. 

We headed back to the Rodeo Ground to watch Nathan ‘Whippy’ Griggs’ Whip-cracking Show tonight. We gave Jon a call and then video chatted with him, Annalise and our darling Beau. He had his needles today but seemed ok, just quiet. So lovely to see them all via video. They send photos etc so we aren’t missing too much other than the cuddles.

Rang Dan then but Sophia was in bed as she wasn’t so happy about her needles today. Had a chat with Dan for a bit and will try a video chat when we are in Katherine.

Made dinner as more vehicles pulled in for the show. We got out our chairs and walked over and chose our spot.

Nathan is certainly an entertainer and an amazing whip-cracker. He makes all his own whips too and has different ones for different acts. He has been doing it many years and holds a few Guinness Book of Record titles. I tried videoing a few acts on my phone but the quality wasn’t there. He used glow in the dark whips for a few acts which was great as you could see the speed of the whips whizzing around his head. He got a few kids to have a try too as he makes whips to sell to kids etc. I remember last time we were here there were lots of kids trying to crack their whips. He also had a heavy whip made of chain with a ‘cracker’ on the end and managed to get it to crack twice. The chain didn’t seem to move much but the crack was loud. He does his cracking to songs and took requests from the kids and then just googled up the song and cracked along with the song. He had opened with an ACDC song which was great. Boy do those whips move. He doesn’t charge an entrance fee, just passes the hat around and hopes people enjoyed the show and therefore show their appreciation. He also has merchandise to sell. He holds shows 6 nights a week here from May to Sept as he lives in Mataranka now but will be doing a tour south later in the year. ‘Backroads’, a show on the ABC are doing a segment on him and videoed the show so we will have to look out for it. He entertained us for over an hour then we dropped our money in his big hat and headed off.

Drove back to the gravel pit off the Elsey Cemetery Road that we stayed at the other day and found a spot. About 10 other travellers were already set up.

All quiet so we had a cuppa and read our books for a while. The donkey is still about!

 

25-26th July, 2024 Mataranka Homestead Van Park, Mataranka, NT

Thurs, 25^th

17 degrees this morning with the top windows open now from the warmer day yesterday. Cloudy.

I baked my usual Anzacs and Date Slice.

After a cuppa we headed down for another lovely soak in the thermal waters - hoping it cures me! Ron took a photo of the rest of us enjoying the water. Sometimes there is a lot of people in but then they leave and there is plenty of room.

After lunch the others drove over to Bitter Springs - people rave it is better but we had found it to be sludgy when we were there. The others came back disappointed as it was very crowded and the water was moving slowly so they had to paddle rather than just drift.

Back into the pool here for another soak. Remained cloudy all day.

Lovely temp to be sitting outside once the sun set but a few mossies arrived so that sent the Tassies indoors!

Left all the windows open and changed into summer Pjs though we still have the flanny sheets on. Might change those next week.

 

Fri, 26^th

Perfect sleeping weather, 22 degrees. Overcast again - not good for our solar but we are coping ok.

Another soak in the warm water though it is chilly when we get back out again.

More NT number plates arriving as it is Darwin Show long weekend so might get a busier today.

After lunch we went for a walk around the campground then down to the Waterhouse River. The croc trap was across the river - they had recently caught a 2m freshie in it. A heap of small pigs were on the other side and looked across at us but didn’t run off. The water from the thermal pools goes into the Waterhouse then it flows into the Roper River.

Had a cuppa in the shade of our tree beside the camper then rang Wendy to wish her a happy birthday for tomorrow. She was out with her mum, Heather. They are having a ‘fun day’ at the aged care place she is in so Wendy said they are giving her a birthday treat - even fairy floss!

The others came back from a dip and said it was very crowded now so we won’t bother going down. I rang Rebecca instead and then Kaylene - lovely to have a chat with my friends now that I am not coughing as much.

Got to 32 degrees in the camper, light breeze and the sky has cleared.

By drinks the clouds had come over again and the place has filled up. We had someone pull in next to us but there is still plenty of room beside us.

We had dinner when the others headed down to have another dip - they eat earlier than us. They weren’t gone long but said it was nice.

A group of guys went past talking very loudly and sounding quite drunk. Lots of fires burning in the campsites so hopefully no one hurts themselves.

Wed, 24th July, 2024 Gravel pit off Elsey Cemetery Road, south of Mataranka to Mataranka Homestead Van Park, Mataranka, NT (Erica’s birthday)

12.4 degrees this morning and overcast. The overcast sky then descended into a heavy fog at 7.30am so no sun to warm us up but we refrained from putting the heater on!!

Erica’s birthday today - she would have been 88.

Still foggy as we drove into Mataranka and found the dump point etc.

Sky starting to lift as we headed back down the road to the Mataranka Homestead to park up for a couple of days and soak in the thermal waters here.

Very busy compared to when we were last here in March 2022 but there was still plenty of room. The others opted for powered sites and we parked up below them in the unpowered area. Lovely tree beside us to provide shade as the max temp is going to reach 33, 34 this week - heavenly.

Had a cuppa then put on our togs and walked down to the thermal pool for a soak. Still a bit cool but it was nice and wasn’t too crowded. Plenty of water flowing and it is lovely and clear.

Back to the camper for lunch. Lots of peacocks and chooks wandering about. The peacocks were having a mad race around for a while through the trees then they settled down to wandering slowly again. Funny listening to their honks.

I worked on my blog for a while and Steve checked the truck over. Found some insulation stuff around the exhaust pipe had come off so he pulled it off and redid it - another big job but that’s life on the road, maintenance needs to be done where ever you can do it.

Got to 31 degrees at 3pm.

After a cuppa we headed back down for another soak. Bit busier today. 

My cough is getting better but my ribs are still hurting from all the coughing.

Rang Terry to check on him. He went out to the crematorium to visit Erica’s plaque today. The orchid which the Cancer place had given her when she was having treatment flowered today which was a wonderful sign for him. He is doing well which is great.

Nice to be able to sit outside longer without having to put a jumper on when we had drinks. The others went for dinner in the pub but I had already put a roast in the Ecopot so we had it and roast vegies - the roast meat was so tender and delicious. There was a lady singing which we could hear clearly from our camp and she wasn’t too bad.