Days 20,21

DAY 20 – Thursday

Woke up reasonably early and Darren made omelette for breakfast.  Had showers and packed the van ready to go.  Caught up with the Andersons (Dave and Sue) and they were heading the same way as us.  The kids decided that they wanted to do a car swap, so Lucas and James hopped in our car with Thomas, and Mitch travelled in their car with Reece.

Arrived at Mataranka Homestead about 11.30am and set up camp.  Waited for the Andersons to arrive then had lunch before putting on our bathers and heading for the hot springs.  The hot springs was a part of a creek that has been developed into a little haven for swimming.  The water comes from underground and is a lovely 28 degrees all year around.  The kids put on their goggles and saw some little fish swimming around. 

We met Lee and Maddie and they showed the boys a croc sunbaking in the river about 100 metres away.  When we had all had enough swimming (and our skin had shrivelled up to make us look like reptiles), we went back to the van and Darren set up the fishing rods to go fishing.  We all went over to the Waterhouse River (about a 200 metre walk) and Darren and the boys did some fishing while I read a book.  The boys got their lures caught on submerged logs a few times, and Darren had to “borrow” one of the hire canoes (which he rowed with a piece of Palm tree) to retrieve them. 

When we got back to camp, Mitch was complaining that he had been bitten by “mozzies”.  In true caring parent fashion we told him to “suck it up , princess” and didn’t take much notice.

After tea we went for a walk along the walking track and saw a couple of crocodiles and a large family of turtles (from a safe distance, behind a fence on a viewing platform!).  On the way back past the springs the boys decided that a midnight swim was in order.  They stripped down to their undies and had a dip.  When we got back to camp we stopped and chatted to the Andersons for a while.  The boys saw some lizards and a cane toad.  Mitch put some Soov on his legs and we all went to bed.

DAY 21 – Friday

We woke up to Mitch complaining of being itchy.  When I had a look, the whole bottom of his legs was covered in bites.  I gave him some antihistamine and put some bite cream on them.  We are not sure what bit him (probably midgies),but whatever it was, it had a feast!! 

We had breakfast and decided to do the river walk before it got too hot.  The walk took us down to a little swimming hole.  The signs said that swimming was ok at your own risk, but that crocodiles may be present.  None of us was brave enough to enter the water, but Darren and the boys laid on the platform and wet their heads in the cool, refreshing water.  They say that freshwater crocodiles wont attack people unless they are provoked, and some people enter the water even though the crocodiles are present – not us! 

We went back to camp and had some lunch, then headed for Bitter Springs.  This is another hot springs, but it is different to Mataranka Springs in that it has been left natural other than a few sets of steps leading into the water.  The swimming area, rather than being a single pool, is a stream about 400 metres long that you can move along with the flow of the water, and then get out at the other end and walk back to the start.  Mitchell and Thomas saw some kids jumping off a tree into the water and had to have a go.  They jumped a few times while Darren went and put his bathers on.  Then we let the flow of the water take us along the stream.  We stopped about half way where a group of Pommie backpackers had made a set of steps their base for the day.  We were diving with them taking underwater photos of the fish.  While we were there we saw a Water Dragon swim across the stream and climb a nearby tree.  Everyone was trying to get a good look at it.  Then Thomas decided to start a bombing competition with the backpackers.  Darren, being Darren, could not be left out, so he joined in as well. 

 When the competition was over, we got back into the car and headed to the supermarket in Mataranka for some bread.  We cooked tea and then headed to the bar to have a quiet drink and watch the live entertainment for a while.  After a quick catch up with the Andersons, we headed to bed.