Mataranka to Kakadu Day 34 to 44

There has been a shift in climate since approaching Katherine. Shorts and thongs are the new uniform. We arrived at Mataranka to 32 degrees and 14 overnight. Driving along the Stuart Highway we have seen the landscape change and change again. Spinifex and desert oak, then low rocky scrubland and now tall eucalypt forest. Through it all are cattle stations, some of them too big to fence. It must be cost effective for the farmers to lose a few stock rather than build the fences. Ant hills appear like tombstones, then grow tall and castle-like the further north we travel. 

Animals love it up here. Our campsite is home to little wallabies and flying foxes. You can’t miss the Fork Tailed and Whistling Kites which are constantly circling, nor our favourite Apostle birds who descend to scratch crumbs from beneath your feet. Lorrikeets, Blue faced Honey eater, Great bowerbird, Red tailed Black Cockatoo and even the little Blue Kingfishers will all be spotted by those with a keen eye. But it is the Hot Springs that draw people to Mataranka. 

Water filters down through the rocks miles away and emerges here through the limestone at about 35 degrees. A swim in the pools has been a real treat for us. Floating along with the slow flowing current at Bitter Springs was just magic. 

Our neighbours here are a musical family who provide the entertainment each night. On their night off, the standard dropped somewhat, until someone produced a snake. People flocked to hold the Northern Tree Snake which proceeded to bite a French tourist on the hand. Nothing says “sorry” like a few complementary drinks from the bar. Territory First Aid. The snake is only mildly venomous. Walking back to the tent Kael spotted, and I disposed of, our first Cane Toad. Then two more. I live to give. Yep, this is the real Australia.

Much to her delight, Lissa has discovered frozen spinach. Little ice hockey pucks of frozen green goodness.

None of us could resist a repeat visit to the hot springs after packup on our last morning. Snorkelling downstream at Bitter Springs revealed a world of limestone and giant tree roots with turtles fleeing to safety. Above the water, birds and palm trees even a White Chested Sea Eagle (it seems he has been stripped of his former lewd title).

Katherine forms the bottom corner of the humid triangle linking Darwin and Jabiru in Kakadu. It is the birthplace of Cadel Evans and Mango growing country. Travellers are often stocking up on supplies on their way South to Alice or West to Broome. Consequently, campsites are at a premium but we managed to secure a cheap and somewhat basic site by the river.

Katherine has its own attractions close by. We decided to visit Edith Falls and leave Katherine Gorge for our return visit. 

The falls themselves are a modest sight in the dry, with more appealing pools perched above.  It’s hard to imagine a better swimming spot with plenty of deep water to dive into. 

Katherine also has hot springs which the kids all enjoyed. Kael joined some local indigenous kids on the rope swing, Naomi found a $2 coin on the rocky bottom and Eva bobbed about with her floaties.

Kakadu demands a visit, however, the park seems a little more work than the likes of Uluru. A fellow traveller referred to it as Kakadon’t, preferring other lesser known destinations nearby. They had never been to Kakadu. We proptly ignored their advice and headed straight to one of the scenes from Crocodile Dundee, Gunlom Falls. If it’s good enough for Paul Hogan, it’s good enough for me. Pass me a Fosters.

After setting up in the heat, we took a dip in the plunge pool at the bottom of the huge rock face. The dry season sees only a small volume falling down the 50m cliff. We didn’t spot the resident 1.8m Freshie but there was a File Snake submerged in crack between rocks on the water’s edge. The real prize is the pools at the top of the falls. Dinner had a backdrop of the pink sunset with the silhouette of trees and the sound of dingoes and Blue Winged Kookaburras. Just in case we missed the clues, small bats buzzed above our heads to remind us that we have arrived in Kakadu. Kakadon’t try and talk me out of enjoying this place.

The steep climb to the top at Gunlom is a small price to pay for such clear pools, just begging to be swum in. There is a window of stifling heat from midday to about 5pm. The pools provide both shade and swimming which seem the only antidote. A series of increasingly secluded pools continue upstream separated by small waterfalls.

Kael and I came across a couple of sand goannas sunning on the bank. We had learned from a Ranger talk the previous evening that the arrival of the poisonous Cane toad has sadly kept their numbers low. Goannas are amongst the favoured sources of bush tucker protein as well as turtles, fish, magpie geese and crocodile eggs.






Be under no illusion, ants are the rulers of this world. The evidence has become less subtle with termite mounds now resembling cathedrals. Eden became paradise lost when our tent became infested with tiny brown terminator ants. We were warned by our neighbours, but the lure of shade was too great. With our fridges chewing up battery power like a termite at Bunnings, and our tent demanding a spring clean, we made tracks for Cooinda on the Yellow Water Billabong. It proved to be good timing as we seem to have inherited a tummy bug in our travels. An intestinal ant perhaps? Kael has been hit hardest with the rest of us just feeling lethargic. 

A guided Ranger walk along the wetland bank was a good option as we reined in our plans. There he was, our first Saltwater Croc relaxing on the surface of the river just 20m away. 3 metres from teeth to tail. Wow. 

He would need to rest too with all the birds, fish and feral pigs around just begging to be snapped up. We have seen brumbies, a donkey and buffalo droppings as big as wedding cakes.


With energy levels returning to normal, we made our way to Maguk also known as Barramundi Gorge, and we weren’t disappointed. It is one of the more accessible falls with an easy walk to a deep plunge pool. 

As we approached the falls fish became more plentiful in the pools and we spotted our first Barra. It is amazing how the combination of midday heat and a strangers “all clear” are enough encouragement to ignore the crocodile warnings. That fresh water is just magic. My decision not to skinny dip, born of modesty, proved to be wisdom as an inquisitive Sooty Grunter decided to bite my finger. It was more of a peck than a pash. Fish were everywhere. I counted 12 different species including Barra, Saratoga and Long Tom. 

It was just the ticket to lift our spirits.