Mataranka to Darwin, Northern Territory

After spending the night in Mataranka, and swimming in the magical and intimate bitter springs pool we travelled about 420kms north along the Stuart Highway, to the capital of the Northern Territory, Darwin. According to the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) January 2019 in the Northern Territory was “very hot and very dry” with rainfall generally well below average. To us, however, as we meandered along the highway at 80kph, we did not recognise the landscape was experiencing lower than average rainfall. Leaving Mataranka, the landscape seemed to significantly change, the red dirt now blanketed by thick, long grass and lush foliage indicated to us an abundance of rain. We passed inundated sections of land by the side of the highway and were treated to the sight of birds enjoying the opportunity to bath and hydrate. I saw black cockatoos for the first time and was mesmerised. It really was incredibly hot travelling up through the centre of Australia and we were excited to feel the humid air against our skin and not the ravage intensity of the sun. Our enthusiasm did not last unfortunately as we reversed into our grassed and slushy caravan site at the Discovery Parks Carvan Park near the airport. It would go on to rain for our entire stay, making the overall experience feel bleak and less than enjoyable.  I’ll be shockingly brutal here by saying I loathed Darwin during this visit and felt elated to U-turn and head south back down the Stuart highway.   

The Commonwealth Railways were established in 1917 to administer the North Australia Railway between Birdum (south of Larrimah) to Darwin, which was funded by the Government of South Australia and constructed by Singhalese, Indian and Chinese labourers. The original line which opened in 1887 terminated at Pine Creek where this image was taken and extended to Birdum in 1929. Iron ore mining at Frances Creek (about 230 kilometres south of Darwin) saw the line come into prominence during the 1960s and 1970s, however after the mine closed the line’s relevance diminished and line closed two years after in 1976.

Side note: The Frances Creek Iron Ore mine was reopened in 2007 with mining continuing until 2014. In 2021 with the mine in care and maintenance and approvals pending, Linecrest Pty Ltd exported a shipment of iron ore from stockpiles using automated ore sorting technology.
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In 2001, a segment by the 7:30 report on the ABC reported on the beginning of construction works to complete the rail line between Alice Springs and Darwin. The Honourable John Howard the Prime Minister of the day was in attendance to “turn the sod” however unexpected July rains damped the affair. The line was completed in 2004 and serves the passenger train, The Ghan, named after Afghan camel drivers who assisted British colonisers during the 19th century to traverse the country’s interior and courier materials for the construction of the Overland Telegraph Line.