Litchfield National Park

I got up early and headed into the park so that I could get a head start on the heat for the day lol.

So here is what I have been looking for!!! Waterfalls and walks that are no in the middle of nowhere! Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy going on long walks for scenery and the chance to see different animals, but when you are all alone and it is hotter than hell and you have no idea where you really are, it makes it a big rougher. Litchfield park is where it is at!! There are about 7 sights to see here during the wet season.

My first stop was the Magnetic Termite Mounds, now I know this sounds creepy and it is, but these termites only eat grass so there was no real worry about them J They are called this because this is the only place in the world they are built from north to south. Kinda cool. The one I am standing with is over 5 meters high and over 50 years old. These things are everywhere and they range from little things less than a foot high to ones like you see me in the picture with. There was construction going on in this area so most of the area was closed, but you could still see some rather impressive ones.

My next stop was Buley Rockhole, a place of waterfalls and water holes where you can spend the day cooling off from the heat. There were 2 major pools that you could swim in, but they fill up fast. I would love to have something like this back home to hang around in. It is so relaxing just listening to the waterfall over the rocks that are all different heights. The top watering hole is actually deep enough that you can climb up on the rocks above it and jump in. Of course there were so many people here, I wasn’t about to try and join any of them in the water, figured I could come back at the end of the day.

After this, I took the shady creek walk that would lead me to Florence Falls. Along this walk I was able to go through different areas from savanna woodlands to monsoon forests, you could even feel the change in temperature from one area to another. The path was made up natural dirt floor, man placed stones and some bridges so you could cross back and forth over the river. One of the nice things about coming during the wet season is that there isn’t all that many people around. Granted there were in the swimming areas, but the walkways I usually had all to myself, which was nice. The walk winded in and out of different areas finally bringing me to beautiful Florence Falls. The falls cascade into 2 large falls, but come down from multiple mini falls. It is really a beautiful place that everyone can enjoy. This area you can swim in as well, although I didn’t and I am glad I didn’t here. I met a wonderful couple that told me there are freshwater crocodiles that swim in this area. They say that they are docile and are not like the salt water crocodiles which are very nasty. I want to stay as far away from any kind of big ancestor to dinosaurs as possible.

The next waterfall that I got the chance to see was Tolmer Falls. Unfortunately, you can’t get to the bottom of these falls to swim or anything, but the walk to it is short and the view is pretty. It was a quick stop here because I shortly realized that there was a tour bus that was coming and I didn’t want to have these beautiful views disrupted with a ton of people around, so I hurried off to the next waterfall location.

Wangi Falls was beautiful! You could hear the roar of the falls from the parking lot, so you knew it wasn’t too far away. This is another location that you could usually swim at, but due to the high water levels they closed the swimming areas due to lovely ole crocs. These damn things are killing my swimming opportunities damit….lol Wangi Falls is split into 2 falls, the smaller falls on the left and the larger more powerful one is on the right. The area has a park where you can sit and eat while enjoying the sound and sights of the falls which is very calming. I ran into the same couple again from Florence Falls and they told me that if you were able to swim, you could swim under the falls and there is a big air pocket behind it where you can sit and look out from behind it. The pros and cons about traveling during the wet seasons.

So even though I was able to do Litchfield all in one day, it was way better than Kakdu by far. I can imagine that in the dry season since there is more to do, Litchfield would still be the better option.

I decided to drive back to Darwin to finish the rest of my stay for the week up there. I found a cheap hotel that is pretty centered to everything else that I wanted to see here, so it should work out nicely.

Till next time

XO Noodle