Tempted to visit Elsey National Park for amazing free warm swimming spots at Mataranka Springs and Bitter Springs but thinking you might be a bit tired and don’t want to drive all the way back to Katherine, a 1-hour drive? Well Mataranka Homestead might be for you.

There are over 160 powered camping sites and unlimited unpowered sites at Mataranka Homestead. Meaning, it is first come best served. With so much capacity and space for you to unwind and soak up the country red earth life, they have also been able to provide comforts like toilets, showers, laundry, and rubbish bins to keep everything clean.

​Extra nights at the Mataranka Homestead means you have time to do extra things. Beyond the springs in the Elsey National Parks is Korowan (Mataranka Falls) a 8 kilometre, 4 hour walking trail that follows the  Roper River down to the tufa dams that cross it and form gentle rapids, and also the WW2 Aboriginal Army Camp presenting war memories from the area.

So choose to take things slow, hike, swim, and seek comfort around a fire in Mataranka. Maybe even get some food at Jeannie’s Kitchen restaurant or sip on a cocktail at Meluka Bar.