Mataranka
The small township of Mataranka sits on the upper reaches of the Roper River, an hour’s drive south-east of Katherine.
This tropical wayside stop is on the Explorer’s Way tourism drive, the main artery that connects Adelaide and Darwin, and is renowned for its thermal pool – a sandy-bottomed lagoon fringed by palm forest and a rejuvenating swimming spot for weary travellers up and down ‘the track’.
Although the township itself is small, with a population of about 250, it services outlying cattle stations and Aboriginal communities so is well equipped with facilities for travellers. There’s a good range of camping grounds, accommodation and a supermarket.
This tropical wayside stop is on the Explorer’s Way tourism drive, the main artery that connects Adelaide and Darwin, and is renowned for its thermal pool – a sandy-bottomed lagoon fringed by palm forest and a rejuvenating swimming spot for weary travellers up and down ‘the track’.
Although the township itself is small, with a population of about 250, it services outlying cattle stations and Aboriginal communities so is well equipped with facilities for travellers. There’s a good range of camping grounds, accommodation and a supermarket.
The area was made famous by Jeannie Gunn’s 1908 novel 'We of the Never Never' – a book she wrote about nearby Elsey Station that is now part of Australian folklore. The Elsey Cemetery, 21 kilometres south of the township, marks the final resting place of many of the book’s characters.
Attractions around town include the Stockyard Gallery that exhibits local Aboriginal art, barramundi hand-feeding tours and the Never Never Museum that displays the local Aboriginal history.
Elsey National Park, eight kilometres from Mataranka, is another of the region’s natural attractions. The massive Roper River slices through this 140 square-kilometre expanse, flowing through large waterholes then tumbling over rocks and tufa dams.
Canoeing and fishing are popular activities and swimming is great at Bitter Springs and the Thermal Pool. Scenic riverside walking tracks to Mataranka Falls are a great way to explore the Park overland.
Attractions around town include the Stockyard Gallery that exhibits local Aboriginal art, barramundi hand-feeding tours and the Never Never Museum that displays the local Aboriginal history.
Elsey National Park, eight kilometres from Mataranka, is another of the region’s natural attractions. The massive Roper River slices through this 140 square-kilometre expanse, flowing through large waterholes then tumbling over rocks and tufa dams.
Canoeing and fishing are popular activities and swimming is great at Bitter Springs and the Thermal Pool. Scenic riverside walking tracks to Mataranka Falls are a great way to explore the Park overland.
Images with thanks to Google Images
