Mataranka to Darwin

This is our final leg to Darwin and sees us pass termite mounds in increasingly large cathedrals. This one at Pine Creek was a good medium sized one.
Next stop is Darwin where we have a couple of days to decide how we are getting back home, and where I can stop concentrating on what might be about to bound out from the side of the road.

We've been lucky though, not one road train has overtaken us all the way up the middle, and no suicidal animals have interrupted our termite mound spotting. So all in all it's been a relatively easy trip.

Time to relax.

Tenant Creek to Mataranka

Our last stop before Darwin is Mataranka. The outstanding feature of this drive are the termite mounds. The belief is that there are more termites on earth than all other creatures added together. It's one of those facts that it's hard to appreciate until you visit somewhere like the Northern Territories, but for the past 1000km we've been driving alongside termite colonies which line the side of the road as far back as you can see, and who knows how much further than that. So if there are millions in each one then it's perfectly plausible that there are more termites just in Northern Australia alone.

To combat boredom we try to see who can spot the biggest one. Here's just a tiny sample...

Inbetween termite mound spotting there is the unnerving site of smouldering trees and bush at the side of the road. Again we're suddenly reminded of our vulnerability out here. Luckily enough there has been rain passing over head and the fires have dampened down, but you never know what's round the corner.

What I didn't expect round the corner was peacocks. Surrounding us while we were filling up with petrol.
Arriving at Mataranka Homestead we opt again for a cabin as the sweat is pouring from us as soon as we leave the van.

There is a mildly disconcerting drive along the nearby Flying Doctor Service runway to reach our cabin. Here we are greeted by, well, you guessed it...

A very pretty concierge.

Mataranka Homestead has natural hot springs running through it and a large colony of fruit bats, which should keep the mozzies down a bit.

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