Wide open spaces

On the way up to Bitter Springs, we passed near Daly Waters, a small town now famous for its pub, but previously used as a refuelling stopover for Qantas planes on their way to Singapore, as well as being involved in WWII as an airbase and hospital. We pulled off the main road and drove the few minutes in to check out the pub. The servo has an old helicopter on it, and the pub is full of all sorts of traveller memorabilia such as hats, underwear, money and thongs. We enjoyed a beer, some chips and a few games of Uno before driving on to Bitter Springs.

Wikicamps had put us onto a campground called Little Roper Stockcamp. It had great ratings and comments and sounded much better than the other option in Mataranka which is the town next to the springs. Although we generally didn’t book things as it still wasn’t that busy, we booked this one, keen not to miss out. It turned out to be a beautiful place, with a relaxed approach to everything. Each morning, the guys who run the camp cooked up a bunch of ‘Johnny cakes’ which were basically shallow fried damper rolls, a bit like a doughnut but without the hole. They tasted great with maple syrup, and went well with the billy tea they brewed over the fire. Everyone from camp congregated around the fire each morning, and it made for a real communal feel to the place which was lovely. We were all more inclined to say hi to each other around camp and strike up a conversation about the day, and where we had been and were going. There was also a fire going each night, and most people would wander up for a pre dinner drink to catch up on the day and swap travel stories and tips.

The first morning, the kids had a go at helping to make the Johnny cakes, and had a ball getting themselves all messy with the flour and water. As we figured we would stay here for a few days, we spent that first day catching up on washing and just enjoying a lazy day at camp. There were a few other families with kids staying here too so Oli and Em had fun mucking around in the dirt, and visiting the animals they had, which included some cows, water buffalo, a couple of pigs, some chooks and two dogs. Kat also used the time to further hone her camp oven skills by baking some bread. With the help of the kids, she mixed and kneaded the dough before letting it rise. Once it was ready to bake, she made 4 dinner rolls and a cob, all of which came out perfectly, and looked (and tasted) like they had come straight from the bakery. We enjoyed them with a camp oven vegetable soup around the fire that night with the other campers.

The next day we headed to the springs, which is the main attraction. They were unbelievable. The springs themselves are in a natural creek, fed by artesian waters at the staggering rate of 30 million litres per day. The temperature sits at about 34 degrees and is set amongst an idyllic paperbark and palm forest. Apart from steps leading into the creek it is completely natural and there is about a 100m stretch that you can safely swim in. The natural current takes you slowly down the creek, and we had noodles to float on, allowing you to just be taken by the current. The water is also crystal clear with the same sort of visibility you would get in a swimming pool. The array of submerged tree trunks covered in iridescent green moss and algae makes for a stunning underwater scene, with fish swimming all around you. We found one that was sloping down at the perfect angle to allow you to surf down it, with our feet effortlessly sliding over the slimy moss which Oli and I had heaps of fun playing with. We spent a couple of hours floating, playing, and exploring the underwater world with goggles, before heading back to camp to cook up dinner over the fire again.

Kat, who has an extraordinary ability to spot even the slightest hint of a market or garage sale, noticed a small sign as we drove through Mataranka one day advertising the local markets, so with Oli in tow, so she headed in to check them out. Although she didn’t find anything to buy, Oli found a really cool dragon skin pendant which he has loved wearing ever since. They also got to see Nathan Griggs, a world record holding whip cracker, put on a show which Oli couldn’t stop talking about for the next few days. Keen to make use of the fishing rods that had until now sat patiently waiting for a river or ocean to beckon them out of their home of PVC pipe, I took the kids to the Roper River to see if we could catch the elusive ‘barra’ while simultaneously avoiding the crocs that lurk in the water, waiting for a delicious small child to stray too close to the edge. We didn’t have any bait or lures, but a guy at camp had successfully caught a bream using cotton (the naturally growing variety, that looks a lot like bread when on the hook). He gave us a bit which we gave a go. The good thing about cotton is that it doesn’t come off the hook easily which is a definite plus when fishing with kids. We found a stunning spot by the river, set up the chairs and got casting. Unfortunately it was a pretty uneventful fish but the kids were still thrilled to go fishing. We did get a few nibbles, but after an hour or so, we packed up and headed back empty handed. At least we still had hands and all our limbs attached!

We had planned to pack up that afternoon and head the next day, but as the sun began setting, we realised we still needed to sort out where we were going next. We always have the intention to use our down time to plan a bit, but down time is so nice, and chilling out, playing with the kids and doing the more essential chores of cooking, washing etc generally trump planning. We had met a lovely family from the central coast the day before, and Oli & Em hit it off with their two kids, in spite of theirs being a bit older (12 & 9 years old). That all made the decision to stay another day an easy one, together with the fact that we had a bit of time to kill before heading to Darwin to meet Kat’s parents. Our last day was really relaxing. After starting with the morning routine of Johnny cakes and tea around the fire, Oli & Em got to meet and hold some Childrens Pythons (Bangles and Bracelet)  and loved holding them and watching them wrap around their arms. The kids and their new friends all played around the fire for a while that morning, with Oli & Zane playing chess while Em & Cleo played celebrity head. We took advantage of the kid free time to plan a bit and do some packing up. We all then headed back out to Bitter Springs for another soak and play, before returning to camp to enjoy our last afternoon and evening.

This place was definitely another of our favourite places to stay. The kids loved the animals and playing with the other kids, and we loved the way everyone came together by the fire every day. It was a really nice mix of people, and Des & Telka, the owners, were so friendly and relaxed. Once again, we could have stayed longer, but there were a couple more places we wanted to visit on the way to Darwin that so we packed up the next morning and headed north.