Just over 1500km later, arriving in the Top End..
We were wondering what the explorers thought, as they made their way in the heat, through the palm sand tropical woodlands, past the termite mounds and happened upon a warm, glorious, spring fed waterway?
Eureka!
Undoubtedly they decided to declare it a National Park, grab a noodle from the caravan park and float down it!
We certainly did! And with water and air temp at 34 degrees, why stop at once?
Bitter Springs in Elsey National Park, Mataranka, (so named for the bitter taste of the water) was fresh and beautiful. As we sailed the current, under the water swam fish, and turtles among sea plants and flowers! Axo1000 & I even spotted a sea snake (monitor? lizard??) gliding across the surface. And if you didn’t have the goggles on, there were reeds and water lilies and luminescent blue dragonflies hovering just above the surface. At the end, a short walking track took you back to the start.
The travellers like us (denoted by noodles and children in rashees) swam together with the locals and on the way downstream there was plenty of time for a natter, to meet new friends and hear the stories of many fellow explorers – of the 21st century kind.
It was just a short bike ride home to the campsite, where the kids loved playing with new buddies also travelling around Australia and some local animals. There were 2 dogs, Mitsy and Kelly, a cow called Spot and a baby Wallaby called Ned. There were even frogs in the amenities and we spotted at least 2 every night.
Loved it!
A Tale of Ten Cities 
Spectacular!
Haven’t been keeping up!! Boy you’ve really covered a heap of ground and everyone still looks so happy!! It all looks fantastic, especially Bitter springs the time lapse on Uluru. It must be hard to choose the best shots, they all are so good!!
Hey Will that water looks crystal clear we have been to a place like that before!!!
How lovely to laze in such balmy water and drift along on a noodle.
Wow you guys are so lucky that water crystal clear, I’d know I would swim there!!!!!!
Wow, that water looks fantastic, although, I still don’t feel the need to take the plunge as I find it hard to believe at this stage that Sydney will ever warm up!
hi bloggiE Miss spencer knows if she is having a girl or boy. do you want to know? i missed
you at my party
Hi Alice,
I totally want to know. Go Girls! I miss you too. I wish I could have come to your party.
Today I got to hold a baby crocodile, an olive python called Vince, a blue tongued lizard called Ann, and bearded dragon called Ninja. We also swam with the crocodiles!!!!!!
Love BloggiE
Hi Wheatley’s!!!!!!! We are loving following your blog and think the water looks great. Max sent to tell you he has been there and it was brilliant. We are having fun at school but we miss you lots. we are going to perform our Kung Fu Panda dance for Showcase in a few weeks. Tennis is fun but we all still miss you heaps. We will keep watching your blog and seeing your great adventures and sending us your postcards! love from 2S
Hi 2S
Yes, Max is right – it was great. Good luck on Kung Fu Panda 2. Hope no one gets stage fright. I’ve got to tell you Darwin was pretty good. We went to the Mindil Markets like in “Are We There Yet. Miss Spencer should take you on an excursion to Kakadu. That’s where we are now.
Congratulations Miss Spencer. Good luck on your baby girl. I have a suggestion for the name. ELEANOR!!!!
Love BloggiE
hey ele miss spencer is having a girl!!!! love Alice xxoo
Toby says: I like you swimming with baby crocodiles Eleanor. William what do sea snakes look like? I know how to write a new word it is Koby & I know how to spell it too.
Hi eley
Guess what today is show case day and we are doing a Kung Fu Fiting dance and we are singing 3 song called some eyes are brown, a Dinosaur feeling hungry and Goats eat Flowers. Love Grace