WORDS & PICS BEN MURPHY
Mataranka, NT
You’ll never never find anywhere else like Mataranka.
O
ne of the things we love most
about the Territory is its complete
uniqueness and ability to surprise
us with something different at every
turn – not that you’ll even remember
what a turn looks like once you hit the
Stuart Highway! The quaint little village
of Mataranka and Mataranka Homestead
are no exception and provide a welcome
break from the long, impressively straight
stretches of tarmac through the redpainted landscape.
Mataranka, with a population of just a
few hundred people, is but a dot on the
map in terms of size. However, this little
place has more character than most,
offering something very individual as a
travel destination.
Mataranka Homestead is just a few
kilometres off the highway heading east
and borders the Elsey National Park. The
homestead is part of the former Elsey
Station, which was established in the late
1800s, across 5334sq km.
Aeneas and Jeannie Gunn took
over the station in 1902 but Aeneas
died the next year; Jeannie returned
to Melbourne and wrote about her
experiences and the characters she met
in her book We of the Never Never, filmed
under the same title in the 1980s.
A replica of the original homestead was
constructed for the film and is on display
at Mataranka Homestead. Statues of the
characters from the film are scattered
throughout the town’s park – a lasting
tribute of the town’s claim to fame.
The area also has plenty of World War II
history to explore and it was after the war
that the homestead started to take on a
new lease of life as a tourist destination.
Today, it’s a fantastically set up tourist
resort offering a range of accommodation.
It really has that Top End feel,
complete with red dirt sites, lined with
amazing tropical rainforest foliage,
barra-filled rivers and the centrepiece
of the entire homestead – the Rainbow
Springs Thermal Pools. The swimming
doesn’t get much better than taking
a dip in the thermal springs and the
constructed pools filled by the natural
thermal springs provide easy access in
and out of the warm waters.
There’s also camping available in
Elsey NP at the 12 Mile Yards camping
ground where there is also a canoe
launching point. Bitter Springs provides
another great swimming opportunity
within the park.
FASTFACTS
GETTING THERE
Mataranka is 420km south-east of
Darwin on the Stuart Highway.
ACTIVITIES
Swimming in the thermal springs, fishing
for barramundi, exploring Elsey NP.
STAY
Mataranka Homestead:
www.matarankahomestead.com.au
MORE INFORMATION
www.nt.gov.au/leisure/parks-reserves/
find-a-park-to-visit/elsey-national-park
ADVENTURES
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