The next morning we were back on the track and taking the road from
Borroloola past Ryan’s Bend to the
Roper Bar Road. This road was fairly rough and we hoped that it would improve. We turned on to the track in to Bauhinia Downs and travelled past the Aboriginal Community and the Old Homestead to Poppy’s Pools. Only one group at a time is allowed into Poppy’s Pools for any 24 hr period so we knew we had it all to ourselves until tomorrow. We took the trailer in all the way to the end of the track and set it up surrounded by the cliffs.
Our camp at Poppy's Pools
The sound of the waterfalls could be heard but the bottom pool where we were was edged by palms and other plants so we could see just a small part of it. There were two rowboats beside the pool so we rowed out for a look. It was lovely to watch the late afternoon sunlight on the rocks and the falls which cascaded over the edges. We went back to camp, had our dinner then went to sleep with the soft sound of the falls as background music, such a peaceful sound.
Poppy's Pools
In the morning we woke to find ourselves in idyllic surroundings. All around us were the high cliffs and beside us, the Pandanus edged pool. It was so special to be enjoying all this beauty in peace and solitude.
After breakfast we got into the boat and rowed across to the falls. It was a warm day and the water was clear and pure. There were schools of tiny fish flashing through the sunlight in the water as we swam. We spent all morning enjoying the pools and falls and taking photos that will never really do justice to how lovely it is.
Finally we packed up and made our way back out to the
Savannah Way and on to
Lorella Springs Station. It took us an hour and a half to drive the 50 kms to the Lorella Springs turn and then almost another hour to drive the 30 kms in.
We enjoyed our stay at Lorella Springs. The campground is beside the creek and the springs are close by. Water lilies and paper barks line the pools and it’s all very attractive.
Lorella Springs
The main building looks great, made of tin and wood with a bar and big entertaining area as well as a camp kitchen. The amenities are made of tin and wood also with the showers heated by a donkey.
Apparently just before we got there the caretakers had absconded with the takings and things were in a bit of turmoil. The person in charge when we arrived usually only looks after things during the wet season but had been called in to help. He greeted us with “how’s it going champs” and then gave us a salmon he’d just caught because he had too many. “The Champs” were really “chuffed” about having fresh fish for dinner so we felt really good. We cooked it up wrapped in tin foil with seasoning and lemon juice and it was delicious!
The afternoon passed happily by with us relaxing in the springs talking to fellow travellers. We walked to where the springs were bubbling hot out of the ground and then took the walking track to the sunset viewing area.
In the morning we took things easy with breakfast, read a bit of our books, packed the camper trailer up then left it behind while we drove around on one of the station tracks out to the old homestead ruins. We left after lunch and headed back out onto the
Savannah Way. The reports from the people camped at Lorella who had come from
Roper Bar was that the road was graded up to Nathan River Station and was good from there on. With that in front of us like a carrot we plodded slowly on.
The Southern Lost City
The first stop along the way was the
Southern Lost City which is only 4km off the road and just appears out of the trees and shrubs with all its interesting shapes and vivid colours. We spent about an hour wandering around the walking track before continuing on to
Butterfly Springs.
The road began to improve just before
Butterfly Springs and when we arrived we found that we had it all to ourselves. We parked where we wanted to camp and took chairs, books and a drink down to the pool where we had a quiet half an hour before anyone else arrived. It was lovely, there was still a trickle of water coming down the rocks and it was so peaceful that we could hear the sound it made as it fell.
We heard a vehicle pulling in as we were walking back to set up camp and a “Wilderness Challenge
Tours” pulled in and camped not far away.
Butterfly Springs
Overnight the bats had a bit of a shindig in the tree overhead. They swooped and carried on, eating the fruit and dropping bits on the ground beside our camp. I went for an early morning walk and then waited for the tour group to leave before having breakfast and a bush
shower. It was so lovely sitting there in the sun listening to the bees humming in the blossoms above and being so very glad to be right where I was. The sun was lighting up the cliffs behind us and the birds were swooping and singing all around.
Eventually we got packed and set off for Nathan River Ranger Station where we got the key for the
gate out to the Western
Lost City. Not far on the track we came to a tour bus stopped for some kind of repair at a
creek crossing. The operator had it under control and it wasn’t long before they were
on the road again. We decided to unhook the trailer to make it easier as the track was getting narrow and sandy. It took about an hour and a half to drive all the way out there with the track being quite good. We saw a couple of horses galloping through the trees, some brolgas and a
jabiru.
The Western
Lost City is made up of the same formations as the Southern but here we could drive all around and amongst them.
Dwarfed by the Western Lost City
We climbed to the look out over O’Keefe Valley. After that it was back to Nathan River Station where we returned the keys. The road was greatly improved but it was beginning to show signs of roughing up again.
We stopped to look at the Limmen Bight which is a grand stretch of water, then we crossed the Cox River and went in to look at the
camping spots at the
Towns River. We decided to keep on going to Lomarieun Lagoon for the night. So, beside that lovely, water lily filled lagoon we set up for what was one of my favourite camp spots of the trip.
Lomarieun Lagoon
Paper bark trees edged the water and were colouring up as the sun was going down. It was that soft afternoon light and everything was still except for the plop of fish in the water and the sound of the birds. We camped a safe distance from the water as we were a bit wary of crocs but didn’t see any sign of them. It was overcast when we woke but this soon burnt off as the sun rose up in the sky. There were tiny little birds flying around so I stood very still under the trees until they got used to me and kept on fluttering away.
As we left Lomarieun we stopped to look at
St Vidgeon ruins and then again at one of the many tracks that led off the road towards the river to a
fishing camp.
When we got to
Roper Bar we got an icecream from the store and went down to the crossing. This is where Leichardt finally found a way across the Roper after having lost men, horses and his botanical collection in previous attempts.
As we stood there a local pulled up and grinned up at us from his car window, saying “it’s nice here, isn’t it”? We had to agree because it really was.
Roper Bar
I spent some time walking around the old buildings of the Police Station and reading about the history of the place. Before long we were off again and onto the bitumen and then the Stuart Highway in to
Mataranka.
Once we’d set up camp and had lunch we decided to walk to Bitter Springs for a swim.
Bitter Springs Mataranka
Bitter Springs is a great spot, surrounded by paper bark and palms and such clear, blue/green coloured water that we could see the bottom easily and the little fish swimming around us. We spent an hour or so swimming and talking . The current of the water running through was really strong and to float downstream was easy but the swim back was a test of endurance! There was a bridge where you could get out and walk back but we decided to test our fitness and boy, did that get the heart racing.
Next day we wandered around having a look at the town. The museum was really interesting with a display of the war years and how the town coped with the influx of people and the changes it made in their lives. I bought some books at the Stockyard Gallery - “Beyond the Big Run”, “Icing on the Damper” and “Birds of the
Top End” because I was getting frustrated not knowing what birds I was seeing. We drove out to 12 Mile Yards, had a look at the old
Mataranka Sheep Dip and then went to the original hot springs at
Mataranka Homestead. The water was still that lovely colour and it was nice swimming.
We couldn’t resist another swim at Bitter Springs and there went another hour or so before we decided that we’d go out to the
Mataranka Hotel for dinner. We’d noticed that they were advertising a blues musician performing there tonight and that sounded like it would be fun.
When we got to the pub we seemed to be the only customers apart from some locals wandering in and out. We ordered our meal and sat in the
beer garden. The publican came out and started arranging chairs and tables as though he was expecting a crowd. The musician turned up and so did our barra and chips, but still we were the only customers. The publican, his wife and two friends came in and set themselves up at the “main table”. They were followed by another friend, his son, a couple of workers, but no real customers. Next thing a travelling salesman selling perfume turned up and started displaying his perfume for the publican’s wife. Before we knew it, we’d been invited to the “main table” for the performance. The music was good but it was very difficult to take someone with tight blue jeans, worn way too short over white socks and Cuban heeled boots, seriously. When he took a break we took our chance and thanked everyone for a good night then bolted.
