Nice slow morning for a change, had a chat & payed our camp fees with the Ranger who told us a few stories about the resident Olive Python who used to move into the ladies bathroom in the evening where it was cool only to be woken up by the screams of surprised early morning campers using the toilets!!!! We had a laugh with him about all the donkeys who were calling out to each other at different times overnight, quite loud when all else is still!!!
Drove down to Territory Manor where we hired some pool noodles for Bitter Springs. Once down the road at BitterSprings we walked into the park and fou nd our neighbours from the campground, we were the only 2 families there for a little while so enjoyed the serenity. The crystal clear water from the thermal spring is a constant 35 degrees, and runs down from a large entry point and swimming area, past beautiful pandanus palms and lush garden to an exit point where you climb out via a ladder and walk back along 100 metre track to do it all over again!!! Very relaxing indeed. The girls loved it and had lots of fun with their new friends from the campground. At 1 pm we headed back to Territory Manor to return our noodles and see the Barramundi feeding. The girls all had a go and were we fascinated by the way they attack their food agreesively, using what sounds like a loud sucking action but have no teeth!! After this we went back to the van for lunch, and Jason and Leanne relaxed while all the kids ran under the sprinklers in the park.
We then walked to the nearby Roper River for a much needed cool swim and all had fun jumping off the swimming pontoons into the very deep river. Even though Eustrine crocs are not known to come as far south, some of us still had hesitations as nearby signs said " Eustrine Crocodile surveylence in force, traps are checked morning and night, floating rubber lures, and complete check of area before season opening are done!!!!! After our swim Jason tried his luck again to catch the elusive Barramuni, as a fellow camper had caught 4 yesterday, in the river apparently the water temp was 27degrees which is in their preferred 27-35 degrees zone for feeding. After dinner we all went "donkey spotting" down the road, but all we managed was to scare the girls as we could only hear them in the distance and couldn't get close enough to see them! Later in the evening when we were all in bed Jason woke to donkey noises that were very close by. We could hear them munching on grass and plodding through the bush, but still had trouble seeing them despite the moonlight....Leanne TRIED to go back to sleep but Jason continued his surveillance and commentary, going outside at one point to get a closer look.....!
Bitter Springs, the water was unbelievable.
Barramundi feeding
The Roper River
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