Well, we have enjoyed two days of Mataranka magic! This place is divine! Where we have been swimming is a natural thermal spring which opens up into a large deep waterhole. It then gets narrow and becomes more like a creek but still deeper than my height. The water is body temperature so you never get cold or hot so you can swim for hours! There is a gentle current which allows you to float ever so gently down the creek for about 100 metres. It is crystal clear s...

Another couple of hours drive north to Daly Waters, the location of the first airstrip in the NT. It was used to refuel early international flights and then a WW2 rear guard airbase during the bombing of Darwin. We stayed at the Daly Waters pub in the caravan/camping grounds. After setting up and lunch we had a swim in the pub pool then chilled out in the aircon for a couple if hours before heading over to the beer garden for happy hour and entertainment. The boy...

Wow! What a spot! We were reminded again that sometimes the most simple and free things can be the most perfect. Longreach waterhole (a free camp) is like a long wide freshwater river and a haven for bird life and water creatures. It was so much like summer (35 degrees) and felt like home (Glenbawn) that we had a very special day. We spent the day relaxing, doing puzzles, playing games, swimming, playing in the water and watching the multitude of different types ...

After leaving Gemtree we had a 400 odd km drive to get to the Devils Marbles. We had a few hours of daylight to walk around, explore and climb the gorgeous and amazing rock and boulder formations. The boys of course were in heaven, finding cubbyholes to play in and huge boulders to climb, 'twas a natural playground! Thank goodness the warmer weather has come back now (after a few too many cold days) so we could enjoy a beautiful night under the stars, listening ...

Arrived at Gemtree caravan grounds about lunch time then the boys spent the afternoon looking around, climbing trees and playing cricket while I made a choccy cake. Once it got close to dark we lit a fire and warmed our bones for a chilly night ahead. The next morning we woke at sunrise (shock horror!) to be up and ready to collect our fossicking gear for the day ahead. We went on a tag-along tour with a group of others out to a nearby garnet field to fossick for...