After the most expensive grocery shopping I have ever experienced in Borroloola, Lorella Springs was our home for 3 days and what and adventure it was. This place is a privately owned sanctuary and expands over 1 million acres! We didn't realise it's size until we arrived. You have the option of staying a the campground and using it as a base to do day trips, or you can camp anywhere you like on the property. We liked the sound of remote camping, but we also liked the idea of not having to pack the tent up every day so we chose to stay at the campground. Plus, happy hour at the bar was fun meeting other travellers and picking up lots of good advice for out trip - while having a sneaky vino. So far, most people we have met are on much longer journeys than ours. Most have been retirees, but we actually heard of young family travelling Australia by bikes. We thought it couldn't be for real, until we actually passed them when driving through Limmen National Park!! Apparently they have made their way up from Tassie and they are travelling with two young kids. Wow, just wow. Anyway, I digress... We did some fantastic hikes while at Lorella and visited many swimming holes. The water is beautiful fresh spring water and croc-free. We did however, venture out on a tinny down "Crocodile Spring". Apparently it is teeming with fresh water crocs but they must have been too scared of us (can't blame them, the girls were quite noisy).
After Lorella we headed to Mataranka via Limmen National Park. The Southern Lost city was amazing! Apparently there are a few of these type of rock formations around this part of the world.
After a HUGE drive day, we finally arrived in Mataranka. We had heard of this campground called "The Little Roper Stock Camp" from a family we met in Lorella Springs. Wow, what character this place has, and is perfect for the kids. We arrived around 6pm and by the time we went to bed we had fed Sugar Gliders, as well as Buffalo, Cows, Pigs and a horse! We even had the privilege of watching "Nathan Whippy Griggs Whip Cracking Show". This guy sure knows his way around a whip and wears a fairly decent mullet with pride. His show was certainly a laugh. Mataranka is extremely popular with visitors due to the amazing thermal pools here which we had the day to explore after a hearty breakfast of Johnny Cakes (hmm, maybe not so hearty, more like deep fried scones) and authentic bush tea. I love this campground!! Tomorrow on our way out we'll devour some more yummy deep-fried goodness and I will also be picking up some freshly-baked bread rolls which are made -to-order right here at the campground.
Mataranka is also the home of "We of the Never Never" which I was meant to read before I left, but didn't, so I'm now kicking myself. There is also a film based on the book.
I'm being constantly amazed about things I never knew about our country, actually, at times I'm feeling quite ignorant - and we are only in week 3!
