Mataranka Homestead

Visited: late dry season

Recommendation: This is a caravan park with some special features. Set right next to a thermal spring, it is home to a variety of birds and at certain times of the year, huge numbers of bats. It was a very pleasant area with the potential to find a wide variety of wildlife.

I didn't see too many birds while I stayed here, just the usual common species you would expect for this area. There were also some lizards scurrying around and plenty of wallabies. But the star of the show were the Little Red Flying Foxes. 

There is a short walk from the caravan park to the thermal springs which takes you through a stunning palm forest. The springs themselves are well set up with a paved area for people to sit and leave their belongings. It is very small though and once a few people are in, the springs are crowded. Bitter Springs is probably a better place for those wishing to bathe but this small pool is convenient for people staying at the caravan park.

There is also an informal track along the creek through the palms and I chatted to a ranger there. She was carrying a pig head and getting on a small boat. She explained that while there are no crocodiles in the creek, they were still monitoring it closely. The pig head was bait for a trap on the other side of the creek.

The ranger also explained that the rather large colony of bats were Little Red Flying Foxes and were not present all year round. The spot where we were standing had been made famous by David Attenborough's team filming crocs leaping from the water to catch bats when they flew too close to the water! 

The number of bats here is just incredible and they provoke a mixed feeling amongst residents and visitors. Some people just hate them with the noise and mess they make. Others come specifically to see them. They certainly are quite a sight roosting in the palms. 

But the magic begins at dusk as they head out to their feeding areas. Wave after wave after wave of them fill the sky. It is an incredible sight and I was very moved by the spectacle.