We had a 200km journey to the Innot Health Springs today. We passed by this Natural Hot Spring on our journey inland and put it on our list to do on the return to the coast. 

We arrived at lunchtime, relieved that we didn’t have to spend another whole day in the car! This country is huge and you really only get an idea of just how big it is when you get in the car and drive and drive and drive and you end up…in the middle of nowhere. 

After lunch Ray and I wandered to Nettle Creek, just next door to the caravan park. This creek supplies the health springs and can be as hot as 75 degrees. We only found this out later, after we had kicked off the thongs and charged into the creek. We exited faster than we entered! It was boiling! We stood back and took a look at it. There was steam rising off the top of the water, a clear give away as to how hot it was. 

Local legend reports that over 100 years ago this water was bottled and shipped to the finest health retreats in Europe. It was widely known for its health benefits. We could end up healthier than when we arrived! 

Today anyone can stop by the Nettle Creek and enjoy the warm water. (Further along the water is a much more agreeable temperature). Next door the caravan park has taken advantage of the supply of heated water and in addition to this water supplying their showers, they have built 5 pools and spas, all supplied with water from the natural spring. 

The fee to stay the night in the caravan park includes entry to the pools. Each pool is a different temperature ranging from regular pool water to the hottest which was close to scalding. You were only allowed in it for 10 minutes and children were not allowed anywhere near the two hottest pools. 

Later in the afternoon while relaxing around the pool I noticed a lady (nutcase) going from the hottest to the coldest. She would spend 10 minutes in the hottest pool, then almost stumble to the cold pool and fall in. She must have thought it was good for her in some way although changing your body temperature so rapidly can’t be good, can it? 

When Caleb had had enough in the pool we returned to the van, leaving Ray to chat in the pool. As luck would have it, he was in deep conversation with a couple from Croydon (Victoria, that is). 

A couple of hours later a very shrivelled Ray arrived back at the van, very relaxed and looking a picture of health. 

Another night without phone reception or television, we listened to the Blues Brothers CD and planned our next move. 

Ps This photo of the hot springs was taken in the early morning. The steam rising wasn’t this obvious when we went charging into the water in the afternoon. True!