Highway One: across the Top End

Catherine Lawson and David Bristow, along with baby Maya, are doing a lap of Highway One, the road that circles Australia. Find a new video update from them every two weeks.

AT MATARANKA SPRINGS, TRAVELLERS run the gauntlet of little red flying-fox poo to reach translucent pools of clear, limey spring water that simmer at around 34ºC.

Few can resist a warm soak after tough travels on the Stuart Highway, especially since the pools are located right on Highway One at Mataranka, 105km south of Katherine in the Northern Territory.

Protected as part of Elsey National Park, Mataranka Springs is a dynamic spot that provides habitat for a colony of little red flying-foxes that at times number up to 250,000.

The little reds stake out the sagging canopy of the world's largest stand of Livistona rigida palms, and spectacularly fill the skies at sunset as they take off in search of food. 

Hot springs in the Top End

Less than 100m from the hot pools where the spring empties into Waterhouse Creek, freshwater crocodiles are often spotted swimming and basking on sunny logs.

Popular with travellers, Mataranka Springs lies a short walk from the campground at Mataranka Homestead which many use as a base while exploring other sites in Elsey National Park.

These include Bitter Springs, a few kilometres to the north where you can don a snorkel, slide into the water and float downstream in the current to check out turtles, fish and slimy green algae.

Both hot springs provide wonderfully warm, good fun and a place to safely swim on the journey north to Darwin.

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The Northern Territory’s mix of ancient landscapes, biodiversity and culture guarantee a wealth of unique sights. The incredible Kakadu and Nitmiluk national parks are thronged with birds, animals and reptiles. Wander a bit deeper into the Red Centre and you’ll find the precarious rock piles of the Devil’s Marbles, the deep gorges of the MacDonnell Ranges, the brick red domes of the Kata Tjuta and the most recognised symbol of the outback: Uluru.