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Talaroo Hot Springs are on Ewamian Country and Ewamian-managed. I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of this area and their deep and ongoing connection to Country, and pay my respects to their Elders past and present.
Like so many of our destinations, Talaroo Hot Springs was not a place we’d heard about before we ventured there. In fact, all we’d seen was a tourism brochure at Undara Discovery Resort.
We’d planned to head back to the coast after exploring the lava tubes but incessant rain—in early July!—put a firm stop to that. So we changed tack and headed further west to Talaroo Station instead, and turned a coastal road trip into an inland Gulf Savannah loop.
Visiting hot springs in 30°C+ heat might not sound that exciting but they really surprised us.
A quick heads-up: Talaroo Hot Springs are a Ewamian-owned and managed site. You can’t simply jump into a hot rock pool here; there’s no free public access to the springs.
TALAROO STATION: KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
In a way, Talaroo Station is like a spacious, privately-run caravan park in a natural setting. It’s got a cafe, a pool, a beautiful camp kitchen, a washing machine and great showers.
But it’s much more than that: It’s on Ewamian country, managed by the indigenous owners, and provides access to the ancient hot springs system and the Einasleigh River.
You can camp or have a little glamping adventure in one of their eco tents.
GETTING TO TALAROO
Talaroo is situated about half-way between Mount Surprise and Georgetown along the Savannah Way.
The homestead and resort is 10km off the main highway on an unsealed road but unlike other dirt roads in remote areas, it’s well-maintained and 2WD-accessible.
The road can get a bit corrugated later in the dry season so just take it easy if you’re towing or are in a 2WD car.
Planning a Gulf Savannah itinerary? Read my full review of the nearby Undara Lava Tubes to map out your stops, or check out the complete Gulf Savannah road trip guide for more regional stops.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
The only time to visit Talaroo is during the dry season, i.e. the slightly cooler months of the year between April and October. In fact, the property completely shuts down over the summer months.
Even in winter, it will still be stinking hot here, think 30°C+ most days. We were there in early July and it was around 33°C in the mid-afternoon—we were roasting.
You’ll probably only need one night here if all you want to do is visit the hot springs. But Talaroo Station is also a nice camping break if you want to relax and hang out at the river for a couple of days.
STAYING AT TALAROO HOT SPRINGS
Talaroo Camping At a Glance
Pros: Spacious sites within walking distance to the Einasleigh River. Lovely new facilities, including on-site café, pool and potable water.
Cons: Limited to zero shade with little privacy.
Costs: From $42 (unpowered) / $50 (powered) (2026); Pre-bookings required
Talaroo only opened in 2021 so the facilities and grounds are still very new and feel quite shiny. 🙂 If you don’t want to camp, you can also stay in an eco tent, some even come with their own private bath tubs!
For the camping folks like us, they offer powered and unpowered campsites with some ‘hedge’ separation for privacy. Like in many outback camps, the ground isn’t lush grass here—it’s dirt with grass patches, and will get dustier as the dry season continues.
The sites are all quite exposed; they’ve planted bushes and trees but it will take a bit more time before the vegetation provides much shade or wind protection. We set up our tent in record time, it was just so hot.
Talaroo has a no-generator rule so either book a powered site or set up your solar panels if you need power.
The outdoor kitchen is spacious with bbqs and a gas stove but I thought putting the microwave above the sink was a bit daft—you’d have to be pretty short to be able to wash the dishes without hitting your head.
I really appreciated the lovely new shower block—super clean.
The Einasleigh River runs right through the property and is just a short walk from the camping area. There’s an easy walking track down to the riverbank with wide sandy sections. Every year is different but you’ll probably find some deeper pools in the Einasleigh River here, great for cooling off during the hot afternoons.
While freshwater crocs do live in the river, they’re harmless if you don’t annoy them. They generally won’t bother you if you go for a quick dip. Check with reception if you’re worried but you’ll see adults and kids playing in the water without any concerns.
ON-SITE CAFÉ
The small on-site café serves drinks and snacks, and if you’re lucky you might get some delicious gluten-free brownies. We had a morning tea treat here the next morning before getting on our way to Cobbold Gorge.
They sell a few basic items but it’s not a shop. The café also doesn’t serve dinner so keep that in mind if you’re staying in the eco tents—you’ll need to self-cater.
If you are sorting out your packing list for a trip out this way, here are a few things I was happy to have with me:
Talaroo Gear Essentials
TALAROO HOT SPRINGS EXPERIENCE: WORTH IT?
You can just break your journey along the Savannah Way, camp at Talaroo and spend a day relaxing at the Einasleigh River. Or, you can take advantage of the hot springs being located on this property.
As I mentioned above, you can’t just rock up in your bathers and hop into the hot springs. The springs are on protected Ewamian country—and the only way you’ll see them is either by joining a guided Discovery Tour or by booking a private hot tub.
HOT SPRINGS DISCOVERY TOUR
Not planning particularly well in advance, the private soak tubs were all booked out so I booked us in for the late afternoon 1.5 hours guided walk + communal pool experience ($40 adult).
I didn’t fancy a swim in the pool at 9am the next morning so I thought the late afternoon one would be more suitable.
In a nutshell: The guided walk and soak was much better than either of us had expected. In fact, we enjoyed this tour much more than the Windtunnel Tour at Undara.
The tour takes you across the travertine terraces on a purpose-built, elevated boardwalk structure from where you look down onto three bubbling, sulphuric springs. Our indigenous guide Thomas told us about the indigenous history and the fascinating geological formation of the springs. The water coming out the springs is between 53°C and 63°C, and obviously far too hot for bathing.
At the end of the guided tour, you get to dip your hands and feet into a natural pool that’s about 50°C. Most people didn’t much appreciate the heat but the husband could have sat there for hours with his hands and feet in the water. He does seem to have a particularly high tolerance for hot water (comes in handy at times 😁).
The tour finishes at the communal pool—not the same as the pool at the café, that’s your ordinary swimming pool.
The guided walk takes about 45 minutes and then you’re left at the communal pool where you can soak in the hot springs water. Here the water has been cooled down to a more pleasant 38°C, and even on a hot afternoon it was surprisingly wonderful to soak for a while.
Despite there being about 18 of us on the tour, the communal pool never felt crowded to me, and in fact, most people were well and truly done within 30-40 minutes of soaking in the pool. It was actually a really relaxing way to spend the afternoon.
PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: Doing the tour on a cold morning would probably create a misty atmosphere with some beautiful photo opportunities. In the afternoons, the light is in slightly the wrong spot and I had quite a bit of trouble capturing the springs the way I’d hoped.
THE PRIVATE SOAKING POOLS
If you prefer a more private experience, you can spring a bit of extra cash and book a 30-minute soak tub.
They are not quite as private as I had expected—you can actually see them from the communal pool and the end of the boardwalk. What’s more, the four outdoor pool tubs are lined up next to each other so you’re sort of bathing next to other people in their own tub.
I can’t say I was particularly smitten by the setup—unlike the artesian bathhouse style at Julia Creek, which I totally loved! So I was actually pretty happy with our ‘forced’ decision of a guided tour and communal pool experience.
WRAPPING UP
We left Undara late in the morning and were happy to only have a short drive that day. It gave us time to explore the property at Talaroo, wander down to the Einasleigh River and join a guided walk and communal soak.
It’s seems a bit crazy to visit hot springs when it’s 30°C+ on a winter’s day but we found it a pretty relaxing way to spend an afternoon in the Gulf Savannah.
Happy soaking,
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