Day 6 Wednesday 22nd June 2011 To Mataranka

We’re still without connection to internet!!!! This entry will be uploaded at a later date but if I don’t record it every day, I’ll forget what we did.

On the road before 8:00 a.m. and heading for Mataranka. Getting warmer! We actually arrived at the CP too early. Robert made a huge statement. The reception staff had to be the best he’s ever met!!!! There was a group of school kids leaving the park as we came in. Barramundi feeding happens at 9:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. daily so they’d just seen this. There’s a large pond which has a fountain and other pumps to aerate the water along with water plants including water lilies. We’ll watch this tomorrow.

All the sites are $27 regardless of position. We were invited to take a walk around the park and choose the one that we liked best. This is a very pleasant CP; lots of shaded sites with tall leafy trees and grassed areas. There are also motel units that have the appearance of mud brick or rammed earth. Some sites have a couple of toilet/shower units with 4 sites around it – a bit like an ensuite. We had a wait of 2 hours as watering the grass was going to happen soon so we decided to empty the porta-potty. Highlight of the afternoon really.  There’s a restaurant, café and shop. I’ll be heading back to the shop later this week because there are some nice stubby holders, key rings, note paper and natural mossie repellent.

camp site Mataranka and clothes line

Short sleeves and shorts now – warmer clothes now stored under the bed.

We headed off to Bitter Springs, which was just down the road (5 min drive).  The water temperature in the spring is a constant 27 degrees – nice! We had a walk around the area and were surprised by the stunning colour of the water. The clarity and colour were very different to what we’d seen before. Check out the photos. The flow was quite fast and there were a couple of different exit points – one with steps and another with a vertical ladder. It is quite deep in parts but noodles can be hired from the CP so that’s solved my phobia when not being able to touch the bottom.

little fish in springs

Robert did a risk assessment for me by returning to the springs this afternoon while I stayed at the park and read. I’m getting used to the eReader – it’s very natty.

We’re here for 5 days so we have the awning and sarlon shelter thingy happening – very pleasant sitting outside reading. I even did a load of washing which isn’t exciting except Robert finally gave in and bought a folding free-standing clothes airer (like a mini Hills hoist except it’s light and it folds up to this small bundle).  He was never going to have one of those!!! It’s so cool – don’t have to go to the communal clothes line every 30 mins to check if clothes are dry. I’m easily pleased obviously because I really like this invention.

Walking around the park before tea, we came across a pride of peacocks (I don’t know what the collective noun for many peacocks and peahens is but I think ‘pride’ is apt). One of the males climbed onto a large rock and seemed to pose for me to take a photo looking as proud as a peacock. After I’d taken a couple of shots, he hopped down and joined the rest of the pride. Looking at the grass, there’s a lot of evidence that kangaroos abound in the park.

Proud peacock

Angry Boys just started. Yay!!!!