A short drive down from Katherine, the small town of Mataranka was our next destination. Famous for its hot springs, we found an awesome camp site at Bitter Springs and only a short 5 minute walk down to the springs.

The weather at the moment is hot – there is no other way really to describe it. In the high 30’s every day and generally just hot so a dip in a ‘hot spring’ isn’t exactly the refreshing swim you are after but the kids loved it!

With two night here, we had plenty of time to explore both Bitter Springs and Mataranka Thermal pool. The creek at Bitter Springs is the more ‘natural’ of the two. Some steps have been built for easy access but other than that, it’s a natural setting and you hop in at one end and float down the creek until you reach the exit steps. The water is a beautiful colour of blue and drifting down a river (whilst not refreshing) is always fun.

Day two we set out to explore Mataranka thermal pool. This creek has been lined with a concrete wall to create more of a man made pool effect but it is surrounded by palms and bush so you still feel like you are out in nature. The temperature in the thermal pool is 34 degrees… again not exactly a refreshing swim on a hot day but the colour of the water makes it so inviting.

Apparently an Army base was established in Mataranka in 1942 and the thermal pool was (unsurprisingly) a popular spot with the troops. At the end of the War, a soldier was granted a sub-lease over the Mataranka Homestead and later developed the area as a tourist attraction.

The thermal pools were fun but I think the highlight of our stay in Mataranka was actually the camp site. As always, it’s rarely about the place and more often about the people. Our van backed onto a communal area with a fire pit and soon enough the kids had found a crew of new friends to play with.

Building dens, making spears out of palm fronds, outdoor craft, creating a platform for a base in a tree and building a fire… all fun memories the kids will take away from Bitter Springs.