Warm water gushes from the artesian bore at a 28 litres per second into pipes and under the ground at Corella Country Farm Stay and into the our ‘Artesian Baths in the Paddock’ and fills our Plunge Pools with crystal clear water. Leaving the bore at 47 degrees it cools to 37°C as it reaches the taps and the pressure is as amazing as the water is clear. The water is filtered through limestone and rocks below the earth from as far away as the New Guinea highlands and is of exceptionally good quality at Corella.
Across all States in Australia, there are many artesian bores and thermal pools of which we are just one. The ideal travellers guide to these waters is an amazing book available from our online shop titled (link needed here to the shop) ‘The Great Thermal Way’ by Steve Lambert, now in its 6th edition. Further information and discussion for travellers wanting to travel to artesian pools in Australia can be found on a Meta page started in 2023 titled ‘Artesian Bath Stops in Australia‘.
The gift of being situated above of the Great Artesian Basin, while living in one of the driest continents on Earth cannot be underestimated. Making life possible, in what would be a desolate place without it and inviting guests to our farm stay to share this amazing resource and wonder at the purity of it, is a joy to us.
The artesian water from our nearby bore is 100% potable and filled with beneficial minerals and tested monthly by the local council for mineral content and bioforms to ensure its safety. The pH is 8 which is slightly alkaline and along with the mineral content and low salt has been said to be good for the human body. The feeling after a bath or session in our plunge pool is amazing and worldly cares and pains seem to have dissolved away.
When a day of working or travelling has been hard and long; children need to be entertained or old bones need soothing, the geothermal waters meet our needs in seemingly endless supply. The cattle industry surrounding us would not exist without it, and not only the cattle benefit but the families living remotely value it deeply as well for its life-saving and health benefits.
The Nelia bore was sunk in 1928 by Bodie Brothers, a business still sinking bores today. Originally used by the residents of the then small town but mainly sunk to assist the fettlers maintaining the railway line and to power steam trains, an old tank sat next to the line and was kept constantly filled with water.
The aquifer that the bore pierces is known as the Gilbert River formation and is 339 metres deep. Due to good management of the Great Artesian Basin through the capping of old bores and closing of open bore channels, the pressure at the bore has accordingly increased from 44 head pressure to 54 today. The great work done to manage the artesian basins in Australia has also allowed re-emergence of natural springs in some areas and scientists have recorded population increases in some threatened species of flora and fauna due to the habitat improvement
A major threat to all Australian Artesian waters is the possible chemical pollution and cracking of the fragile rock pockets from the much-discussed fracking processes used by the gas and oil industries eking their way toward remote areas above artesian basins. Fracking is a growing concern across the country because of these concerns. It is with strong resolution that we ask everyone to protect every artesian basin in Australia and to come, experience the water and understand what how this amazing resource deserves protection. Being able to enjoy a bath in the paddock taking in the expansive horizon or the starry night, is a highlight of many who stay at Corella Creek Country Farm Stay.
