20/03/2010
We stayed another night in Mataranka so that we could experience this place. First up this morning barramundi feeding, you should have seen the size of them, they are extremely vicious when they are feeding, no nibbling just a massive bite and it is all over. Darryl, The feeder, grabbed the big one and held it up, there would have been a feed for a couple of weeks. He then asked if anyone would like to have a go at feeding them so being the idiot I am I said “Yeah I will have a go” I then instructed Patrice on how to use the video camera because if I was going to be bitten I wanted it to be on film. He told me to hold the piece of fish between my thumb and first finger and then hold it just under the water. Next thing this bloody big barra comes up in a flash and just about takes my finger, it left scrape marks on my 3rd and 4th finger and a bit of blood. I then said to Patrice did you get that “No I couldn’t get the bloody stupid camera to work!” “What do you mean all you had to do was press the button” was my response “I did but it didn’t work” It was close to a domestic then and there. We then headed off to Bitter Springs, it is a thermal spring which is around 35 degrees and comes all the way from Barkly Plateau it then flows into the Roper River and then into the gulf. 3,000 litres per minute is bubbling out of the ground. You could swim from a platform down through the spring to another platform. I was going ok until I felt this big hairy thing brush against my chest, it was a stump covered in hairy moss just under the water. I was exhausted from not breathing and trying to swim as fast as I could. Trice then decided to go for a swim with her sunglasses on, they came off to sink to the bottom. The water is crystal clear, so I had to swim down to the bottom to retrieve them. The water is full of mineral and lacks oxygen from the vast amount of vegetation rotting around the edges and long hairy moss. The smell of rotten egg gas was in the air.
We then headed off to the Mataranka Thermal pool which is where they filmed “We of the Never Never”, the replica homestead and supplementary buildings are all still there with displays. This thermal pool is more like a pool with the spring just around the corner. There are bats everywhere over 200,000 of the little suckers, they are perched in the palm trees just hanging around. At one stage they were startled and took off, the noise, the shredded palm fronds started falling out of the sky like rain, they are just destroying this beautiful tropical oasis. We then went for a walk down to the Roper River and it does look like croc country, on the way back we noticed a big gate at the end of the pool which is obviously there to keep the crocs out, it was up! Swimming in the thermal spring is so refreshing so I took the opportunity to have a swim in the buff when no one was around.
After being enthused by the Barra feeding this morning we got the word on the secret fishing spot so off we went in search for “Waballara”, got the fishing gear out and dressed in my long pants and boots, I looked more like a park ranger than a fisherman. We found the spot, it looks like an enormous amount of water has come through here, there is mud everywhere but what the heck here we are on the edge of the Roper River. I cast out a few times and then I felt a heavy drag on the line but it was released so I cast out again but this time I copped a snag. I decided to move along the river bank to try and release my lure when without warning I am in the river over my head trying to save my rod while wondering if there really are crocs in here. Wilma said the look of terror on my face was a sight to see but it was so slippery that I couldn’t get out. Trice moved to try and help me and over she went in the slimy mud and then Wil tried to help her and over she went, John just continued fishing down the river. I eventually got out and here we are all covered in the mud and I am saturated. The surface looked dry and hard but it was only a crust which when you walked on it, it was like walking on ice. In the commotion or should I say terror I lost my lure, sorry Merv..... Our foray into Barra fishing has come to a sudden halt so back to the car to try and get this mud off us. Back to the caravan park for a shower, washing of clothes and more importantly a medicinal round of rums to calm the nerves that went well into the night. We are off to Katherine tomorrow.
We stayed another night in Mataranka so that we could experience this place. First up this morning barramundi feeding, you should have seen the size of them, they are extremely vicious when they are feeding, no nibbling just a massive bite and it is all over. Darryl, The feeder, grabbed the big one and held it up, there would have been a feed for a couple of weeks. He then asked if anyone would like to have a go at feeding them so being the idiot I am I said “Yeah I will have a go” I then instructed Patrice on how to use the video camera because if I was going to be bitten I wanted it to be on film. He told me to hold the piece of fish between my thumb and first finger and then hold it just under the water. Next thing this bloody big barra comes up in a flash and just about takes my finger, it left scrape marks on my 3rd and 4th finger and a bit of blood. I then said to Patrice did you get that “No I couldn’t get the bloody stupid camera to work!” “What do you mean all you had to do was press the button” was my response “I did but it didn’t work” It was close to a domestic then and there. We then headed off to Bitter Springs, it is a thermal spring which is around 35 degrees and comes all the way from Barkly Plateau it then flows into the Roper River and then into the gulf. 3,000 litres per minute is bubbling out of the ground. You could swim from a platform down through the spring to another platform. I was going ok until I felt this big hairy thing brush against my chest, it was a stump covered in hairy moss just under the water. I was exhausted from not breathing and trying to swim as fast as I could. Trice then decided to go for a swim with her sunglasses on, they came off to sink to the bottom. The water is crystal clear, so I had to swim down to the bottom to retrieve them. The water is full of mineral and lacks oxygen from the vast amount of vegetation rotting around the edges and long hairy moss. The smell of rotten egg gas was in the air.
We then headed off to the Mataranka Thermal pool which is where they filmed “We of the Never Never”, the replica homestead and supplementary buildings are all still there with displays. This thermal pool is more like a pool with the spring just around the corner. There are bats everywhere over 200,000 of the little suckers, they are perched in the palm trees just hanging around. At one stage they were startled and took off, the noise, the shredded palm fronds started falling out of the sky like rain, they are just destroying this beautiful tropical oasis. We then went for a walk down to the Roper River and it does look like croc country, on the way back we noticed a big gate at the end of the pool which is obviously there to keep the crocs out, it was up! Swimming in the thermal spring is so refreshing so I took the opportunity to have a swim in the buff when no one was around.
After being enthused by the Barra feeding this morning we got the word on the secret fishing spot so off we went in search for “Waballara”, got the fishing gear out and dressed in my long pants and boots, I looked more like a park ranger than a fisherman. We found the spot, it looks like an enormous amount of water has come through here, there is mud everywhere but what the heck here we are on the edge of the Roper River. I cast out a few times and then I felt a heavy drag on the line but it was released so I cast out again but this time I copped a snag. I decided to move along the river bank to try and release my lure when without warning I am in the river over my head trying to save my rod while wondering if there really are crocs in here. Wilma said the look of terror on my face was a sight to see but it was so slippery that I couldn’t get out. Trice moved to try and help me and over she went in the slimy mud and then Wil tried to help her and over she went, John just continued fishing down the river. I eventually got out and here we are all covered in the mud and I am saturated. The surface looked dry and hard but it was only a crust which when you walked on it, it was like walking on ice. In the commotion or should I say terror I lost my lure, sorry Merv..... Our foray into Barra fishing has come to a sudden halt so back to the car to try and get this mud off us. Back to the caravan park for a shower, washing of clothes and more importantly a medicinal round of rums to calm the nerves that went well into the night. We are off to Katherine tomorrow. 
Michael is a good storyteller but he forgot to mention about my heroic act of taking photos of the aftermath at the Roper River.
ReplyDeleteJohn Cosa
Cosa was laughing so much I thought that he was going to have a heart attack, it is a wonder he didn't fall over himself.
ReplyDeletewhat can i say??? lol idiot!
ReplyDelete