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  • Caravan World

    FAMILY-FRIENDLY AUSTRALIA

    Oct 03, 2019 7 minutes
    Words CATHERINE LAWSON
    Pics
    David Bristow

    LITTLE ROPER STOCK CAMP

    430km south of Darwin

    It’s the holiday camp for kids where you get to relax, with enough bulls and buffalos to lure kids to the rails, squirrel glider feeding sessions and pythons for kids to cuddle around the campfire. Located close to Mataranka’s uber-popular thermal pools, Little Roper Stock Camp lures a lot of families with its $20-per-night campsites (kids stay for free), and a laissez-faire attitude that lets kids be kids.

    After soaking and swimming all day long in Mataranka’s twin hot springs, campers gather around the communal campfire for cold ales and chats. At dawn, follow your nose back to the campfire to fill hungry bellies with Johnny cakes for $1 a pop and mugs of free, freshly brewed tea — a Little Roper specialty cooked up by owner and ex-ringer Des Barritt.

    There’s a weekly stock camp dinner and show ($50 a head), hot showers and power if you need it, and just before bedtime, Des rounds up the kids to hand feed the squirrel gliders. Little Roper Stock Camp isn’t just one of the cheapest places to stay with

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