Kathrine , Mataranka and Borroloola

We went south 150 clicks to a road called Oolloo. That took us to another spot on the Daly river, a long way further up stream. Another beautiful fishing spot for Barra but alas, as it is at this time of year, it’s hard to get one that is even close to size. Also down Oolloo Road was another gorge and swimming hole , Butterfly Gorge. Drove in, had a swim and a look around before heading towards Katherine. Bush camped just north of Katherine, but with reception, and arranged our Katherine gorge tour. Bess throughly enjoyed the tour where I am a little gorged out , but it was good and a little different all the same. We stayed in a park in Katherine, which was right next to some more hot springs, while we stocked up on food and wine for our next foray, probably a month or 6 weeks to our next super market. From there we went south, down the Stuart highway, to Mataranka. You guessed it, more hot pools! Here we visited Bitter Springs and Mataranka Springs, two different places with hot pools, and although they were beautiful and clear they were too hot to stay in long.
A group of local workers showed us a lovely spot on the roper river, just below where the hot springs flow into it. The water flowed over a natural rock bar for about 30 metres so we were quite safe from crocs and the temperature was perfect, not too hot not too cold just right for this old buzzard 😊😊. We stayed here a few days, as we were waiting for a part for our fridge this time, and with all the lock downs going on it took a little longer than normal. We stayed in the Elsey National Park in a beautiful bush setting and only a short walk to our new found swimming hole. Mataranka itself was a very small town, one street with 3 fuel stations, 3 fast food stores, Post Office and of course a pub. It was quite sad really because the same things happened each day, being the local inhabitants would appear from under the trees about 10 each day and wander over to the parks opposite the pub and wait there until 2pm when the pub could sell takeaway liquor. Very sad but the same thing happens every day.
We finally got our part and headed east along the Roper river to try our luck at several different fishing spots. First one was the Roper Bar, which was a natural rock bar that they had made into a crossing by filling in between the rocks with concrete. Great fishing spot but our usual luck, zero. Next Tomato Island, no one could tell us how it got its name as it ain’t no island. A lovely camp but couldn’t get to the river bank because the pandanus was to thick. Onto the next, Mountain Creek camp, but the same problem with the pandanus. Ah well pushed south to the Towns River and a great camp and a perfect bank to fish from. My luck got better here. In I hooked what we think was a salmon, but after a short time playing it a bull shark turned up and that was that. Hooked another good fish but it wasn’t playing the game either and after a short time rocked/snagged me and again game over. But lots of fun 😎😎. Keeping going south we visited another gorge, Butterfly Falls, I think they are running out of names, and then on to the Southern Lost City. But the same story, it’s all that is left after millions of years of wind and rain precariously stacked on one another just waiting for another few million years or someone to walk close enough 🤣🤣.
Now onto Lorella Springs cattle station, a supposed highlight of this part of the NT, well the road getting there were some of the worst we’ve been on and as it turned out the roads on the station were worse. It’s a million acre property which he has opened up to the public, big mistake, to enjoy kilometres of four wheel driving. Early in the season the public get bogged and then as it drys the public go as fast as possible resulting in terribly corrugated roads. We were too late in the season to see the water holes full, the fishing was lousy even for my low standard and I’ve already told you about the roads.
Driving out to the coast, the west side of the gulf, was the first time I had seen the gulf from the west side. The camping at the homestead was good and they had a lovely setup with once again hot springs with little fish that bite you, and boy they could make you jump. So bad my last swim was cut short as they would not leave me alone.
They had an option to go fishing in the helicopter, and it would take you to spots no one could get to, but they wouldn’t guarantee me a fish, and I don’t blame them knowing my record, and at $850 per head, that’s a lot of fish in a fish shop, I gave that a miss. 😜Surprisingly they had a lot of takers. The whole experience was a little underwhelming and at $25/head per day wether you were staying at the homestead, with showers and toilets, or out on the station with no infrastructure and not a lot to see the return on your dollar was not good.
Now the trucks plastic radiator header tank has a split so will have to find somewhere to holdup to order a new one and get it fitted, ah well that’s life on the road. Stay tuned in for the next exciting instalment, travelling to Borroloola and King Ash Bay.Read more