The Stuart Highway is an amazingly long drive whether coming from Adelaide or from the east coast, via the Barkly Highway. Beyond Threeways at Renner Springs, the country undergoes subtle changes where the spinifex desert is replaced by monsoon woodlands. The local hot springs rise from the same source as those 450km to the north where the true tropics commence at Mataranka, the capital of the Never-Never.

The region was made famous by Jeannie Gunn in her classic books, We of the Never-Never and The Little Black Princess. Nothing ever-ever happens here, which was the reason Jeannie named the area as such, but nothing could be further from the truth. This is the birthplace of one of the largest Australian perennial streams and the Territory’s mighty Roper River. The river is born from low spots in the Great Artesian Basin. Just east from the tiny Mataranka village dozens of hot springs gush and bubble forth from the earth.

Elsey National Park

Many springs are located within the 13,840-hectare Elsey National Park. In the wet season, streams rage and roar when floods sweep everything that nature or man has no need for into the Gulf. However, during the dry season only slow meandering streams consisting of large dormant pools separated by braided channels remain.

Rainbow Springs, Bitter Springs and Thermal Pool are the main attractions. The hot 34-Celsius spring water rises from underground at 30.5 million litres per day. The spring’s humid temperature creates ideal conditions that support the largest stands of Livistona palms in the world, which along with ancient paperbark, Pandanus groves and scrubs, has created a tropical ambience that resembles a rainforest.

During WWII the region was home to convalescing wounded troops and several military installations. Many are still in evidence along the whole of the Stuart Highway. Massive troop build-up occurred after Darwin was bombed by the Japanese on the February 19, 1942, killing 236 people.

Mataranka has all the mod-cons, including a pub, store, fuel/take-away, workshop, medical centre, B&B, hotel/motel and gallery/café. The nearest springs are Bitter Springs, 3km from town. The springs are in the Little Roper River. They offer safe, deep water swimming, an informative walking track under the fringing gallery forest, barbecues, tables and eco-friendly toilets for day users. Nearby are the Mataranka Bitter Springs Cabins and Camping (pet-friendly) and the Territory Manor Motel & Caravan Park. The up-market Manor has a swimming pool, spa, camp kitchen and more. Daily fish feeding in the barramundi pond is a must-see.

The Mataranka Thermal Pool is another popular destination. It is part of a bubbling hot spring-born creek where sitting about in the warm water is heaven after a long road trip. Nearby are the Little Roper and Waterhouse Rivers that unite downstream into the Roper. Visitors can base themselves at the Mataranka Homestead Cabins and Campground, 7km from the village. The springs and the river are 150m away from the homestead complex and campground.

The rivers have good fishing with barramundi on the menu – if you are lucky enough. The area was chosen for the 1982 movie We of the Never-Never. A replica of the original Elsey Station homestead is located at the complex.

If you are searching for something more affordable and want a relaxing bush experience turn onto the John Hauser Drive, 2km before the Mataranka Homestead to find the National Park’s 12 Mile Yards and Jalmurark Campground. This is a nice drive with the sealed road passing several springs that are most active just after the wet season when the basin is full and overflowing in many low places. For the fit there is a long walking track from the homestead to the 12 Mile Yards. Take a fishing rod to catch lunch and dinner on the way. Also take drinking water as the local limestone water does little to quench thirst, though the locals reckon it is great for kidney stones.

The campground has green lawns, hot showers and ablution facilities. It is situated on the bank of the Roper River where you can launch the tinnie at the boat ramp and catch a barra. Don’t believe the pub tales that freshwater barra are poor eating. They may be when living in weedy billabongs, but the high-content limestone water that rises from the basin between Burketown and Mataranka puts these fish on par with their saltwater cousins. Canoeing and boating are popular here too.

Take the 4km long walking track from the 12 Mile Yards to the Mataranka Falls where the river plunges over a limestone bar, known as a tufa dam, making a great photo moment. The track closely follows the river where the music-like lullaby of rapids generated by the river pouring over tufa dams into crystal plunge pools, makes for a pleasant ambience. A virtual rainforest gallery fringes the banks. The fishing is outstanding with sooty grunter, saratoga and barramundi taking lures. There is nothing like cooking your catch over a coal fire for lunch.

What about crocodiles? Well, I for one don’t swim in deep pools, only in knee-deep shallows with plenty of escape margins all about. The upper Roper River is generally free of saltwater crocodiles, though there are plenty of freshwater species. They are harmless to man, but caution is advised always as saltwater crocodiles are expanding their territory – it is your call…

The springs are deemed crocodile safe and almost everyone swims in them to enjoy what many people claim is therapeutic. Indeed, I can testify to this after a long road trip, when sitting in the free-flowing spring a stone’s throw away from the Mataranka Homestead and draining an icy-cold beer. It’s an ancient world medication that drains away the weariness of body and soul.

Mataranka is a water-world that is miles away from the long desert-like conditions to the south, especially towards the end of the dry season when drought-like surroundings prevail. The springs and their shady forests are a true oasis that defy the imagination.

Yet many travellers hardly stop in their rush to reach their destinations as quickly as possible. What a pity because they miss out on one of the Top End’s most beautiful attractions. It matters little if you are into camping, fishing, taking photographs or watching nature, the springs have it all. The list of birds in the area contains about 120 species that range from emus to tiny wrens. The local streams hold dozens of fish species, including those that are easily observed and caught. Most people release bony tarpon and saratoga that are caught. However, sooty grunter and barramundi are favoured for eating and rightly so.

Besides freshwater crocodiles, there may be rare sightings of a saltwater crocodile. Elsey National Park also has many species of frogs – including the self-introduced cane toad – along with snakes, monitors, lizards and turtles.

Marsupials are well represented with agile wallabies and antilopine wallaroos, rats and mice. There are no real kangaroos in the Top End, where these are replaced by the antilopine wallaroo, which is of similar size to the grey kangaroo.

Between October to January a myriad of little red flying foxes arrive in the park to pair up and mate. The Mataranka Thermal Pool appears to be their favourite haunt. Numbering close to 250,000 this is believed to be the entire population of the species in NT. They are very damaging to the trees, their combined weight breaking off huge branches – a natural defoliation process. However, mega-bats are beneficial as seed dispersers and only outnumbered by a billion insects… including mosquitoes. Take Bushman gel insect repellent.

Elsey Memorial Cemetery and National Reserve

Don’t miss the chance to visit Elsey Memorial Cemetery when travelling on the busy Stuart Highway. The turn-off is near the Roper Highway, 5km south of Mataranka. Another 15km, on what was once the original Stuart Highway constructed during the war years, takes you to the cemetery where most of the characters of Jeannie Gunn’s book, We of the Never-Never, are interned. The track continues to Warlock Ponds, which is bridged by the Ghan railway.

Here, you can experience where Jeannie lived for a year before her all-too short 13-month marriage to the ‘Maluka’ Aeneas James Gunn came to a sad end. Gunn died of malaria fever and dysentery on March 16, 1903. Characters such as the Maluka, the Fizzer, the Dandy and others are eternally united here. Some of the bodies were transported from as far as the Victoria River.

The old road is well worth the drive as it passes huge termite cities in the open woodlands where wallabies, wallaroos, bustards and emus laze under shady trees. Don’t be surprised to see the odd water buffalo or herds of donkeys.

Information

parksandwildlife.nt.gov.au/elsey

Google the various accommodation centres and Mataranka for bookings and details.

Best Times: The dry season – May to September.

Fishing is allowed in most places in the park. Bag limits apply. No pets are permitted.

Roads are all sealed, though some wet season flood damage may be evident in May.