The "Never-Never"

A Northern Territory tourism ad once carried the slogan “You’ll never-never know if you never-never go”. Mataranka is the capital of the “Never-Never” – made famous by the classic Australian novel “We of the Never-Never”. Written by Jeannie Gunn, it tells the story of her year on nearby Elsey station until her husband, station manager Aeneas Gunn (known as “the Maluka”), died tragically and she returned to Melbourne. The book was compulsory reading for Australian school children through much of the 20^th century!

“Called the Never-Never, the Maluka loved to say, because those who have lived in it and loved it, Never-Never voluntarily leave it. Sadly enough, there are many who Never-Never do leave it. Others – the unfitted – will tell you that it is so called because they who succeed in getting out of it swear they will Never-Never return to it. But we who have lived in it, and loved it, and left it, know that our hearts can Never-Never rest away from it” (from “We of the Never-Never”)

Mataranka is also the gateway to the eastern leg of the Savannah Way – a track that runs down along the majestic Roper River, under the Gulf of Carpentaria, and across to Cairns. (The other leg runs west to Broome and will no doubt figure in our future travel plans).

If Marilyn’s passion was to go to “Corner Country”, then mine was the Gulf. Having planned the trip for many years, I was captivated by place names such as Butterfly Springs, Southern Lost City, King Ash Bay Fishing Club and Hells Gate. As we journey through the Savannah Way, with its rocky ridges and grassy, eucalypt covered plains, the names are now turning, one-by-one, into visual images that are quickly becoming vivid memories.

The towns and roadhouses on the way are places that are so remote they don’t pretend to be character-filled or endearing. Roper Bar store and Borroloola are little more than dust and corrugated iron, but well-equipped to service massive areas incorporating cattle stations and Aboriginal settlements. In the midst of these lie picturesque gems. Butterfly Springs is a relatively small pool that is a precious liquid haven during the dry season – its high rock walls are covered by thousands of butterflies that flutter about when disturbed before settling back on the rock. The “lost cities” are remarkable rock formations that comprise towering pillars of eroded sandstone – once the base of an ancient sea bed. To walk amongst these pillars of the “city” is an awesome experience. Each of these incorporates a fragile ecosystem of plants, animals and a variety of birdlife.

Only a few kilometres from Borroloola is the fishing “resort” of King Ash Bay. Set on the banks of the Batten Creek – a wide waterway leading to the Gulf – the King Ash Bay Fishing Club supports its own ecosystem of retired folk who venture here for months at a time during the dry season to enjoy the fishing, scenery, company and even a rudimentary golf course that has been fashioned in the Savannah scrub!

The relationship between the Aboriginal-run town of Borroloola and King Ash Bay is a mutually dependent one. Borroloola provides essential supplies and services to the King Ash residents, whilst King Ash Bay is a significant source of business for the town. Aside from this interdependence, the two appear mutually exclusive. I didn’t sight a single indigenous person in King Ash Bay (in spite of it being on Aboriginal land), and the only person I spoke to in Borroloola about the services available in King Ash claimed he’d never been there – in spite of it being less than 50km down the road!

It was from here that we were able to venture a short distance further north and set our eyes for the first time on the Gulf of Carpentaria, something Burke & Wills had not been able to do in spite of their epic journey north. We ventured into the clear shallow waters (keeping a close eye out for crocs). Later Ryan and I returned to Batten Creek to fish for a couple of hours in another unsuccessful attempt to land a “barra” (again, keeping a close eye out for crocs). We’re told that the waters are unusually cold for this time of year, and the fishing has been poor. Our efforts have proved no exception to this. Nevertheless we still had barramundi for dinner courtesy of our more fortunate "next-door-neighbour"Laurie, who managed to catch a few on his boat trip up river from here.

And so we have journeyed from the country of the “Top End” and the “Never-Never” into Gulf country. The next few days will see us travel further east to Lawn Hill Gorge, Burketown (where we will visit Camp 119, the northern-most camp of the Burke & Wills journey), Normanton and Karumba – the opposite side of the Gulf to where we are now camped.

Sun rise on King Ash Bay - taken from the front of our campsite!

After three weeks in the Northern Territory, tomorrow we cross the border back into Queensland. For a short period we have “loved it and left it”. Whether our hearts will “Never-Never rest away from it” remains to be seen.