Tuesday saw us headed for Elliott to camp. Just a few stops to make along the way and a couple more days and we will be in the capital.

We stopped at the Barkly Homestead for fuel and it was the most expensive yet at$2.06/lt. Only because they use 500lt of diesel a day to run the generators as they are not on the power grid that far into the outback, so that's fine we expected that. I had phone reception so while I was waiting for Pat to arrive I checked out Facebook. We are travelling separately, I have my car and he is towing the van.

As we were travelling well ahead of schedule we decided to go to Daly Waters to stay instead of Elliott. I booked us into the caravan park and bought tea at the new bar there, why not... when I checked in they gave me a voucher for a couple of drinks at the bar ..... good old freebies will get me every time.

On Wednesday we had a leisurely pack up as we were only driving 150km to Mataranka Springs for the night.

After setting up at Mataranka Pat and I put the kayaks into the Roper River to do a few hours of paddling. Yeah Yeah I know CROCODILES RIGHT? Well the place we chose had been cleared and was open for swimming by the rangers with a baited croc trap on the edge of the river bank. The trap is for salty's only because freshies are harmless unless cornered.

As we slowly made our way up river the wild life we saw was fantastic, this included fish, birds, turtles & freshwater crocodiles. We have paddled a different section before so we new they would be there.

As is often the case when I go to get out of the kayak, I roll it and I get dumped into the water ( I don't seem to bend in the right places anymore). I learnt a long time ago not to wear my watch so I was lucky there. Soaking wet with no dry clothes only towels is no way to travel back to the camp even if it was funny. Pat had just put the camera away thank god.

After returning to camp Pat & I changed into swimmers and went down to the springs for a swim. The amount of water running through the pool is enormous. The American Air force guys decades ago cemented rocks into this section of the water flow to form a swimming pool that allows the water to constantly flow through so the water changes all the time. The temperature is a pleasant 31 degrees.

About a dozen of the local school children were having a blast in the pool while we were there. It was great to see them having so much fun. No way does it feel like winter here as the ambient temperature gauge in my car shows 31 degrees.

Thursday was another short hop so we took a detour out to Bitter Springs and walked around there for a while before heading into Katherine to stay with friends of ours Dave & Vicki Travers. They left Miriam Vale and have been in Katherine now for 10 years. Time really flies when you are not watching. It was great catching up with them again.