Mataranka

On Wednesday we got out of bed and packed up the camp trailer and started driving to Little Roper Stop Camp, Mataranka. When we arrived we set up the camp trailer, our tent and the hammock. For the rest of the day we just stayed at the campsite and had a look at the animals. There was buffaloes, chickens, cows and a lot of reptiles including saltwater crocodiles and olive pythons.

On Thursday we had officially been on our trip for 1 month. Soon we were driving to Mataranka thermal pools and floated on our noodles. We had to walk 500 metres to get to the thermal pools. On the walk to the thermal pools we walked on a board walk through a cool palm forest. When we came into the clearing where the thermal pools were the smell made my saliva feel thick. The Thermal pools were like a huge fancy pool in the middle of the bush. When we had finished going to the thermal pools we went back to the campsite and had dinner.

On Friday we drove to Bitter Springs (another thermal pool in Mataranka). When we got there we in with our noodles and drifted down stream and got out at the steps. Unlike the other one you were drifting down a river instead of just swimming in one place. We did three laps and then left. When we got back to Little Roper Stock Camp we had the curry that they were making and then left to see Nathan Whippy Griggs. When we arrived he said he holds 3 world records they were most whip cracks in one minute with one whip, most whip cracks with two whips (120 cracks) and longest whip ever cracked (100 metre whip). He did lots of cool performances including making the sound of a Helicopter, Horse and a Steam Train. My favourite whip he had was his glow in the dark ones but my favourite performance was his final performance. He had a whip that had been dipped in metho that he lit on fire. Since the whip was on fire you could see where it had been. Next he told us that a lot of people thought that the crack was the tip of the whip hitting the ground but it is actually the whip breaking the speed of sound. Next we went back and went to sleep.

Glowing Whip

Bones

Fire Whip

On Friday we went to the Mataranka thermal pools again because we thought it was better. After the thermal pools we went back to the camp trailer and had dinner.

On Saturday we drove out to the Mataranka thermal pools. When we got back me and Dad went out fishing for the first time on this trip and I caught 2 black brim and Dad got a huge wind knot (a knot caused by the wind). When we got back we had dinner and went to bed.