17 June 2026
We are now in Katherine NT. We spent a night at the Devils Marbles and continued on to the thermal springs at Mataranka. From there is was a short day to get to Katherine. Soon it will be a left hand turn towards Western Australia and more remote driving.
The thermal springs flow through a forest of paperbark trees and pandanus palms. The water is warm and crystal clear. The current is gentle as it sweeps you along the channel for several hundred metres to the steps where you can climb out.
The springs are full of rainbow fish and the odd turtle along with feral pigs on the banks. It’s almost a scene from Jurassic Park. A wonderful way to relax, quietly floating through the forest with your noddle.
And don’t be alarmed but there is a crocodile trap at the end of the swimming area. As an aside our neighbour at the campground had been fishing for barramundi the day we arrived. His video shows his rod bending and the line going tight. He thought he had a big fish until its tail came out of the water and then its head. It was a 2 metre long fresh water croc. They say they don’t bite but just who are ‘they’ and do the crocs know they don’t bite?
Final comment, we are now in a world where diesel is below $2.00 a litre. That won’t last.
A Traveller's Tale 