Mataranka

Mataranka Springs Homestead – they say it’s the home of the Never-Never, but Never-Never say die, we say, especially when you have such people as Deb who will gladly feed hungry travellers steak sandwiches.

We went in for an afternoons work cleaning rooms for a little fuel at the Mataranka United Roadhouse and Hotel, and by the end of it we were offered free board, two weeks work, a bar tab, and lo ho ho and beho-ho-hold we were grafting in the Roadhouse, the pub, in the Yard, and in the motel, and saw-in our first Aussie Christmas, an Aussie New Year and got to know the locals. Massive appreciation to Chris and Christine, who run the whole shebang, to granddaughter Cassie and boyfriend Kiel who worked there alongside us and drank alongside us, to Lou, Cassie’s mum and Chris and Christine’s daughter, her husband, the irrepressible Bernie who made us so welcome, their cheeky blighters young Jake and little Tayla, to Nipper and Heidi and Darren, the staff, who got us so very very drunk on bourbon and to regular customers Kiwi and Wingnut who entertained us, and all the rest who made our time there so memorable. Over $1600 raised for Book Aid, and fuel too, we left well rested, well fed, and, well, sad to leave.