TK Adventures – March 2021.
Part 2 – Alice Springs to Darwin
As we said hooroo to Daly Waters, I was chomping at the bit to get to our next destination – Mataranka Thermal Pools. This place is literally an oasis in the outback. It’s more than just a place to unwind, I reckon, you can feel the healing energy as soon as you slip into the crystalline waters of the natural pool.
The water is spring fed, bubbling up at a fairly constant temperature of 34 degrees Celsius. The surrounding paperbark and palm forest filters the sun and leaves soft, dappled light playing on the water’s surface. I would have liked to have stayed there a couple of days or at least until my fingers and toes got a bit wrinkly, but the black top beckoned our cast and crew onto our next destination.
Making a TV program like What’s Up Downunder, is such a contrast to actually watching the finished product. Whilst it appears we spend hours soaking up all of the wonderful attractions that our destinations have to offer, in reality, we literally arrive, the cameramen capture the best shots, the presenters record the required interviews and a few nice ‘pieces to camera’ and then it’s back in the car and onto the next location. Almost every place I have visited over the years is added to my bucket list because there is always something we missed out on seeing or, like Mataranka, you just want to experience it all over again!
So, reluctantly we leave Mataranka Thermal Pools and hit the road bound for Nitmiluk National Park.
Nitmiluk National Park is situated about 60 kilometres east of Katherine. We set up camp there for the next two days during which time we’d spend exploring all of this natural phenomenon that has to offer. Located on the doorstep to the majestic Katherine Gorge, we had only enough time to park our caravans, plug in the power and sullage and we were off filming around the area, this time, we were heading for a sunset riverboat cruise up the Gorge.
There are 13 gorges that make up the system and if you’re pressed for time the best way to see them is by helicopter however, we got to linger a little longer and explore them from boat and canoe over two days we were there.
Our sunset cruise gave us a sample of the sheer beauty and magnitude of the spectacular Katherine Gorge.
Our guide, Jason, was a wealth of knowledge and shared with us some of the dreamtime stories of the traditional owners of the region, the Jawoyn People. His stories were captivating and brought the silent gorge walls to life. The sunset was breathtaking. The gorge turned all shades of mauve, to pink to red, I couldn’t help but think how lucky I was to be experiencing this part of Australia and just how proud I am to be an Australian.
Next day we were all up bright and early for an 8am canoeing adventure up the Katherine Gorge. Exploring the Gorge from canoe, was a completely different experience to the previous day’s tour by powerboat. The canoes allowed us to get up close to the ancient rock face that descended from hundreds of feet above to deep into the cool water below. As we paddle along, there were many mini waterfalls and unusual ferns that were determined to thrive in the most harshest of rock façade. The abundant bird life came out as if on cue, gracefully gliding above us and singing their song. They seemed as happy as we were to be there!
The water was so clear and fresh the temptation to get in for a dip was irresistible, so we did! We’d been assured however, the long winding stretch of the Gorge we were allowed to paddle along WAS free of crocodiles!
Canoeing up the Katherine Gorge was such an amazing experience and I found it to be quite spiritual. The 3 hours tour felt more like 30 minutes. I’d do it again in a heartbeat! We left Nitmiluk National Park and headed north to Mt Bundy Station however, a quick stop into Katherine gave me the chance to visit the local dump point to empty my toilet cassette. I know, this part of caravanning doesn’t sound very attractive but the benefits far out way the negatives!
Situated 3 kms east of Adelaide River, Mt Bundy Station is a 20,000 acre working cattle property, comprising mostly of Cattle, around 1 beast per every 30 acres. The camping grounds have everything you need, set amongst well established leafy trees and lovely green lawns, this park has plenty of water direct from the Adelaide River. There are powered sites, a fabulous country style camp kitchen with its own licensed rustic bar plus a very refreshing pool which our crew took full advantage of after a hard day’s work!
Tour Guides
Our Camera crew the two Chris’s
Mt Bundy
Mt Bundy Boys
Mataranka Thermal Pools
Katherine Gorge
Katherine Gorge Canoes
Katherine Gorge Camera Crew
Filming at Mataranka
I loved that there were a couple of retired horses grazing around the campgrounds along with a few peacocks, guinea fowl, a menagerie of birdlife and a couple of prize campdraft horses who were hanging their heads over the paddock fence looking for a piece of bread or a pat.
Park owner Scott, took us on a fabulous 4 wheel drive tour of the property and shared it’s remarkable history. Mount Bundy Station was one of the first pastoral leases in the Top End of the Northern Territory. Established in 1911 the original property was 834 square miles. With its boundaries located within both, the now world famous, Litchfield and Kakadu National Parks.
The first lessee were brothers Frank and Hubert Fred Hardy, colourful and infamous Buffalo hunters. The property was abundant with wild buffalo that had bred up on the floodplains of the Adelaide River and Mary River. Hardy led a tough life hunting buffalo on horseback with a team of aboriginal stockmen and women and processed the buffalo for the lucrative hide market in Europe.
However, it was during WWII Mt Bundy played a significant role. It was the Bombing of Darwin in 1942 by the Japanese which saw a military change to the property as the forces withdrew to Adelaide River as the frontline of defence. The American navy developed a signalling site to warn of incoming submarines and the Australians and Americans based their airforce at Mt Bundy station with numerous hidden airfields repairing the damaged Bombers. Remnants of this war history remain and can be viewed on the property. There were approx 35,000 people, mostly service men and women, living in the Adelaide River/Mt Bundy region during this time. Scott finished off his tour with champagne and an assortment of delicious cheese and crackers, as we all enjoyed watching a perfect sunset over Mt Bundy Station, perfection!
We had all worked up a pretty good appetite after a long day’s work and Scott and his wife Sue and their two beautiful daughters Casey and Rebecca did not disappoint in tuning on a feast! They absolutely spoilt us with an awesome dinner of deliciously slow cooked buffalo ribs and a variety of salads followed by fresh fruit salad and ice cream.
Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, we finished off the evening toasting marshmallows and having a sing song around the open fire. Now that’s what living the dream is all about…
Thanks for reading Part 2 of my 3 part story on my trip from Alice Springs to Darwin. I’ll look forward to wrapping up this journey with you in next month’s TK Adventures when we travel to Kakadu National Park, get up close and personal with some massive crocodiles, I try my hand at Go-Kart racing, we visit Baresand Island with Turtle Tracks Tour and wind down our props at the Free Spirit Park in Darwin.
