Mataranka & Elsey National Park

This small village is a handy base for exploring the nearby Elsey National Park where the main attractions are the Mataranka Homestead and swimming at the thermal pool.

Elsey National Park is 9km from Mataranka. It features a palm forest that is home to wildlife including hundreds of bats and it feels like a bit of an oasis, particularly if you’ve just arrived from Alice Springs. There is great swimming at the thermal pool, Bitter Springs and also in the Roper River.

Coming and going

Greyhound coaches stop at both the town centre and the homestead on their Alice Springs–Darwin run. It sometimes stops for enough time to see the thermal pool, but usually not for long enough to have a swim.