Mataranka------A silent talking termite mound!

Tues 2 June… Just a short drive to our next stop at Mataranka, 110K, home of the famous thermal pools. It was also made famous by the book and later the film, called “ We of the never never” written in 1908 which we have still to read. We arrived here before lunch with the intention of staying 2 nights but we have managed to see and do everything we wanted in an afternoon, so we leave in the morning. When we arrived here, we went for a coffee in the Stockyard Gallery, which exhibits Aboriginal art and also does genuine Devonshire Cream Teas!
We then visited the museum which is a portakabin in the middle of a scrap yard and not a great deal of history. The town boasts the biggest, manmade talking termite mound, which was broken and wouldn’t talk to us. Why??? Would you want a talking termite mound!! It also has an enormous Banyan tree with enough shade for at least 50 Aboriginals. On to the thermal pool which is really a river. The water is 32 degrees and very clear. We put on the masks and snorkels and get in one end and float with the current 200M and climb out up a ladder. There are some tiny fish about but not a lot else except submerged logs and leaf matter. It’s totally amazing just floating down stream under the palms and amongst the lily pads. The pools on their own were reason to stop here. The tourist info lit says it’s a 2 to 3 day stop here though what you would find to do in all that time is anybodies guess!
Our campsite is fine with peacocks and peahens wandering about and a lot of very very noisy sulphur crested cockatoos. We can’t wait for the dawn chorus!