Long Day 4: 540 Ks from Three Ways to Mataranka

The speed limit is 130 km/h (78 MPH), and you can go fast through the rather bleak desert of the centre of the NT.  Lots of interesting little things along the way, though.  In Renner Springs, there is the first place (of many) which does not offer espresso coffee or cappucino.  Rats!  They do offer a unique picnic table, though:

And then let's get gas in Elliott.  Oops!

Well, there actually was gas two minutes down the road further in Elliott.  Whew!

Then we came to the lovely Dunmarra, where the proprietor took in a tame corella, named Toot, who was raised by humans.  He tears up everything if he stays in the house, and he gets depressed if he gets put out back, so he gets to stay by the picnic table and talk to everyone who visits.  Toot loves to eat!

But we could be doing Australia by bike.  Here is Peter, a man from Victoria who has done bike trips of thousands of kilometers at a time, who is 57 years old and in fine shape!  He is going from Melbourne to Darwin.  Wowie.  That was too far for us!  Good on ya, Peter!

And the last town we "stopped" at before Mataranka was Larrimah.  Eek!  Not much there.  At least when we were there. 

At least we did not need gas. 

Cakes?

Nope.

Now we are in Mataranka, home of We of the Never Never, and host to Bitter Sprngs, a lovely quiet, bird-filled forest with a thermal pool the temperature of bath water.  What a nice reward after a hard push through the Outback.  We are here for two nights.  Quiet, star-filled, and sweet place of nature.