Elsey National Park

Elsey National Park
Northern Territory
Map of Elsey National Park
Nearest town or cityMataranka
Established1991
Area138.96 km2 (53.7 sq mi)[1]
Visitation207,700 (in 2022[2])
Managing authorities
WebsiteElsey National Park
See alsoProtected areas of the Northern Territory

Elsey is a national park in the Northern Territory of Australia,[3] extending from 2 km to 19 km east of Mataranka and 378 km southeast of Darwin.[4]

Features of the park include Mataranka Falls,[5] and the Mataranka Thermal Pools[6][7]

The thermal springs are home to a well known colony of the little red fruit-bat, species Pteropus scapulatus, an attraction that has also been discouraged from inhabiting the site for the strong odour of their camps. These fruit eating bats roost during the day at the stands of bamboo, often in large numbers, and leave at night to feed on nectar from trees.[8]

  • Bitter Springs
    Bitter Springs
  • Trees in Elsey National Park
    Trees in Elsey National Park
  • Elsey National Park.
    Elsey National Park.
  • Walter Baldwin Spencer - Crossing Salt Creek near the Roper River, July 1911
    Walter Baldwin Spencer - Crossing Salt Creek near the Roper River, July 1911
  • Mataranka Thermal Springs.
    Mataranka Thermal Springs.
  1. ^ a b "CAPAD 2012 Northern Territory Summary (see 'DETAIL' tab)". CAPAD 2012. Australian Government - Department of the Environment. 7 February 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  2. ^ Government, Northern Territory (21 August 2023). "Park visitor data". depws.nt.gov.au. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  3. ^ Elsey National Park, nt.gov.au.
  4. ^ "Parks and Wildlife Commission NT". Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  5. ^ “Mataranka Falls”.
  6. ^ “Mataranka Thermal Pools” .
  7. ^ Roper region, Northern Territory.
  8. ^ Richards, G.C.; Hall, L.S.; Parish, S. (photography) (2012). A natural history of Australian bats : working the night shift. CSIRO Pub. p. 13. ISBN 9780643103740.