Mataranka

Today we drove to Mataranka and on the way we stopped to look at Newcastle Waters.

It was an important gathering place for drovers for provisions and rest before continuing on with their grueling overland cattle drives. This bronze statue of a drover was in the Memorial Park.

The next stop for lunch was Daly Waters. 

It is the Territories oldest pub built in 1930.

We then made it to Mataranka in time for afternoon tea before heading to the springs for a swim.

The thermal springs are a therapeutic 34o in a sandy bottomed lagoon fringed by a palm forest in Elsey National Park. 

The water is unbelievably clear you can clearly see the bottom even though it is so deep you can't stand in it. You get in at one end and the natural flow of the water takes you along to the other end with no effort on your part at all. Very relaxing and beautiful.