Friday 1st June - Tennant Creek to Mataranka

Outback Pub

564km drive today, biggest yet.  As this is the old drovers stock route there is quite a bit of history on the way.  During WWII there were thousands of troops based along the Stuart highway ready to defend Australia from attacks from the north and there is plenty of abandoned airstrips,camps and a hospital.

Daly Waters Pub NT

Daly Waters Pub NT

We stopped at Daly Waters as there is a famous pub there along with WWII relics and the stump of a tree in which the explorer Stuart carved his initial. 

Daly Waters shop NT

Prior to the 1940's, Qantas international flights landed at Daly Waters to refuel and the airstrip and pub were built to service this.  During the war the area was taken over by the army.  Nowadays the pub has a reputation for great steaks and barramundi and being eccentric.



As soon as arriving at Mataranka, we set up camp then went off to the hot spring.  The spring is a constant 34 degrees and crystal clear.  The spring flows in to a creek which has been dammed to make a pool which is surrounded by palms and pandanus trees.  Great to see running water again after our time in the desert.  At last we are in the tropics and the temperature reflects that too.  Two nights ago we were rugged up against nightime temperatures dropping to zero, now we only need a thin blanket at night.



We finished the day treating ourselves to a Barramiundi dinner at the restaurant within the campsite.