Daly Waters to Mataranka

Daly Waters Heritage Hanger

My beautiful husband's beard. Off now because of complaints from wife.

Anneas Gunn's grave, Elsey Cemetery, Mataranka

DAY 22 – DALY WATERS – MATARANKA                                                  Sunday, 24^th July

This morning was a beautiful morning, and the first morning for Sarah to put on the shorts and t-shirt!!  And what a great feeling.  We went off first to inspect the aerodrome at Daly Waters which has the oldest hanger in the Northern Territory and was actually the airport for international flights at one stage, as well as an enormously important base during WWII.  In fact, my grandfather, who was the first civilian into Darwin after the bombings in 1943 to organise provisions for the Australian and American forces, flew into Daly Waters on his way from Brisbane to Darwin.  He flew there in one day which was pretty amazing for 1943.  (Thanks Aunty Marg for the info!)  I could hardly believe how this tiny place in the middle of nowhere, and so far from Darwin, could have been so important during the war.

After that we travelled further up the Stuart Highway to the Elsey Station cemetery and memorial.  One of my very favourite books is Jeannie Gunn’s We of the Never-Never.  Actually being up here and seeing the land, makes me appreciate even more what an amazingly gutsy woman she must have been.  It was very special to go to the grave of “the Muluka” and to the graves of others in the story whose remains have been re-interred there.

We then reached Mataranka by about 12:30pm.  I was not going to miss out on another powered site!  It is quite a nice secluded camp site right next to the thermal springs so after setting up (at which I may say we are getting quicker and quicker – especially with Beth and Ben’s incredible help!) we headed down for a dip in the springs.  34 degrees is just the way things ought to be!!  Of course probably too hot for my hubby.   I have never quite seen springs bubble up the way Rainbow Springs bubbles up here.  It is just like they have a spa bubble machine going at the bottom of the water.  Quite amazing.  We went for a walk to the Waterhouse River which runs into the Roper River and saw plenty of turtles and two freshwater crocodiles sunning themselves.  The kids were keen to hop into the river to say hello – Mummy much less so!  The kids just loved our first opportunity to get into the water and wandered around in their bathers for the rest of the day.  Tess and Bridgie in particular just loved discovering all the wildlife in the park here, including peacocks and wallabies which just sit all around the park, not tame enough for you to go right up to them, but tame enough to come and sit among the caravans, even tiny babies just out of the pouch. 

Just lovely to be able to put away all the warm clothes and blankets.  Won’t need them now for quite a while!! Yay!!