Thursday 3rd July

This morning we left the lovely caravan park at Bitter Springs just 3 kilometres outside of Mataranka. It has been a really nice and peaceful two day stop over especially having the thermal springs so close.

When we arrived in the village of Mataranka, we visited and had coffee at the Stockyard Gallery which is on the edge of the Stuart Highway. It had numerous paintings that have been done by local aboriginal artists. They certainly put some time and effort into each painting. Each painting was certified and signed by the artist that the painting is an original and the only one of its type. The coffee was only plunger but better than none.

The drive today was relatively short, 106 kms, to Katherine. It is a very different entrance to a large Northern Territory town or village. I mentioned in another post that Queensland towns and villages seem to pride themselves on their appearance while most of the towns/villages in the Northern Territory do not. There are some exceptions such as Mataranka and Katherine.

Katherine has a population of more than 11000 people and the infrastructure to go with it. It came about with the completion of the Overland Telegraph Line and the establishment of the Telegraph Station. It has moved twice in its life, I think mainly due to flooding from the Katherine River. During the Second World War, it had a very large military population which there is still today with the Royal Australian Air Force base Tindal.

After we checked in to the pre-booked Shady Lane Caravan Park, for the next three days, we went into town to collect a parcel from Kimberley Kampers in Ballina. Then we went and booked our breakfast cruise on Katherine Gorge tomorrow morning. I will have to set an alarm to wake us up early for a change.

Then it was off for lunch in the Cinema Cafe. A nice lunch and one of the better cappuccinos we have had for a while. As we finished our meal, the owner Leanne sat and chatted with us. She was like me, born in Dubbo. Leanne advised us where to get really nice meat and vegetables in the town and that was not in Woolworths. We certainly did get some nice meat and vegetables that will see us into Darwin. Then we did have to go to Woolworths to get the items we could not get elsewhere. Like most supermarkets, busy and not enough checkouts open.

Finally, back to the caravan park and sort out the groceries and prepare for an early night before our breakfast cruise.

No photos today, but we hope to have some great ones to share with you tomorrow.