110kms south of Katherine is Mataranka hot springs, a series of waterholes which are apparently fed from underground thermal springs. We went to the two main springs for a swim, Homestead Springs and Bitter Springs. Homestead Springs has been dressed up with concrete edging and a gravel bottom and is great for families with smaller children as you can touch the bottom all the way around. Bitter Springs has been left in a more natural state with only a deck and a ladder added. The water is a lot deeper here (David couldn’t touch the bottom) but it is really nice and very clear. You can let the current take you down the river and you can get out at various exit points and walk back down the path to the main entry point again. Both springs are at a constant 32-34 degrees Celcius. Beautiful. Mataranka is also where the book on Elsey Station by Aeneas Gunn ‘We of the Never Never’ was written. When the movie of the same name was made, a replica of the homestead was built and stands in the grounds of the homestead.
