Geez we're excited campers this morning! Awaiting us as we woke (without alarm) and after packing the van, was the promise of a "must see" pub visit and a swim in the thermal pools of Mataranka!

The van set up/pack up is becoming a slick well oiled machine now but to date have been only getting out the bare neccesities for our overnight stays. Between using the camp kitchens at caravan parks or the adjoining bistro/pub we have minimized the amount of cooking and more importantly dishes that need to be done! We haven't even unpacked the Webber Q!!!

The first stop was at Daly Waters ... the pub to be exact. A good 6km off the highway it was well worth the detour and the recommendation from friends. A fabulous beer garden that had all the clichés that an outback aussie pub could have ... the thong tree, signs indicating the toilet with all the slang terms included (dunny, loo, the longdrop, the jan, thunderbox, the powder room, W.C., the latrine ...). The small stage with the set list displayed that you could imagine was just waiting for that old timer to get up with his harmonica and his dog by his side to play the crowd some tunes. An outdoor BBQ area for "barbie night" and on the menu was steak or barra!

The inside bar area was littered with reminents of fellow travellers that had passed through and by the display over one side of the bar many of those travellers have left feeling alittle more 'unsupported'.

The common theme over the past couple of nights was the presence of English backpackers working the bar, which is not terribly uncommon and I guess no different to walking into an establishment in the UK to find it full of Aussies!

With our bellies full from our pub lunch we were ready to continue on and we made it to Mataranka by mid afternoon.

The thermal pools were lovely, flowing up from the rainbow pools at a very pleasant 34 degrees it is said that they originate from New Guinea and travel underground and pop up at Mataranka and are the origins of the Roper river which flows east and out to the Gulf of Carpentaria. Anyway I could google it but my data limits are getting low!
The kids are enjoying having much more freedom and some proper exercise and activity. The pools although are in the river have been built up with walls and some seating/platforms around the edges and its becoming quite busy which made dealing with Zoe somewhat stressful. Trying to navigate sections where I couldn't stand and try to keep Zoe afloat as well as a current not strong but just enough to make things tricky.
The promise of a whip cracking show at dinnertime was the onlything that got the boys out of the water. Zoe who had lasted longer in the water than we've had her before needed far more convincing even as her teeth chattered away from getting cold.
After dinner in another beer garden I went back to the van and settled Zoe down to sleep while the boys went to watch the whip cracking show. I'll let the boys write something about it but to sum it up by both of them "it was AWESOME!!!"
Tomorrow we are off to Katherine for 3 nights, can't wait!!

Entry by Ben.

At the whip cracking show he did the dangerous trick in the world. It was called the four corners, he broke the world record for 500 whips in a minute. To finish the show he lit his 2 whips on fire as an amazing ending.