Hello from another slice of paradise...
We paused at Devil's Marbles overnight.
Then did a 700km day to get up here and we were glad we pushed through because we watched the landscape get greener and warmer and we arrived astonished at the disappearance of the flies. The most remarkable thing to look at on that long drive were the enormous termite mounds. In some places there were hundreds in one vista. Each one metres from the next.
Then we arrived at the best kids campground ever. A hippy heaven. Upcycled facilities from the bathrooms to the long central table. The affable, barefoot host cooks up breakfast on a camp stove every morning then brings out several of his pet reptiles for the children to cuddle. He has a licence for several reptiles but doesn't like to keep them locked up for the wet season when there are no guests so he releases them every year and then collects new reptiles the following dry season. During the day there are several animals on the property including some cute piglets. In the evening a central fireplace draws everyone in. At 9 o'clock every night he feeds his squirrel gliders which live in a generous cage. The kids go right into the enclosure and hand feed the animals.
The Mataranka Springs are 3 minutes down the road and Bitter Springs just 10 minutes away. Both are really beautiful. Clear, warm water in large pools. Bitter Springs was especially fun because there is a section of warm spring stream about 100m long that you can climb in at one end, float down then run back along the bush path and do it all over again. Heaven!
One night we headed down to Mataranka Homestead, home of the We of the Never Never Set but perhaps more excitingly, home to whipping superstar (who knew there was such a person??!) Nathan Griggs who did a very entertaining show, utilising two members of our family unintentionally as the kids were sitting on a front step separate from us. Luca has got the whipping bug (Thanks Hayden for introducing this after your own trip!) and thinks he is a pretty cool outback dude now.
Zoe was asked to be the whistle for a steam train! And I was told to keep very very still. Nathan has cracked two whips 697 times in 1 minute. It was amazingly loud
Luca making some noise himself.
Mataranka photo brings back beautiful memories for me. Such a gorgeous place. saw my first wild goanna there whilst swimming. did not know about bitter springs. next time!!
Sounds like a great place to catch your breath and have a really lovely family time. X