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NEWS
FROM BOTTOM TO TOP: Litchfield National Park
Darwinites are spoilt for choice when it comes to picturesque natural swimming holesAfter more than a week travelling ‘solo’, I’ve now got the crew on-board, including my co-driver and two caravanning kids.
That means the 16ft Gecko ‘expander’ van finally gets put to full use, including the bunk beds, rather than just serving as a mobile man cave.
With a fortnight up our sleeves, the plan is to do a reasonably relaxed, anti-clockwise ‘loop’ from Darwin, taking in the highlights of Litchfield and Kakadu National Parks as well as Katherine Gorge.
Travelling late in the ‘dry’ season, it’s really heating up, with 38 degree days and rising humidity, so we’ll limit any bushwalking to shorter stints before midday.
The upside of the scorching heat is the lack of fellow travelers, so we'll get to enjoy some of the popular spots to ourselves rather than battle the peak season hordes…
First stop is a quick dip at the natural swimming hole and small falls at the Berry Springs Nature Reserve, before dropping the jockey wheel at the quiet and shady Litchfield caravan park, located handily near the park entrance.
Litchfield is a great introduction to the wonders of NT’s national parks, with all the roads sealed, big carparks and easy, hand-railed walks to the pools and falls, which are still flowing strongly despite not raining for months.
Over two days we visit the cluster of Magnetic termite mounds and learn about the wonders of these little critters; have a splash along the little rapids and falls at the Buley Rockholes; watch the big blokes do bombs from the 20m high cliffs above the popular Florence Falls; enjoy the views at the Tolmer Falls lookout; wander through the Lost City and its 500 million year old crumbling sandstone rock formations; and cool off at the very popular and wheelchair accessible Wangi Falls.
Oh, and we take the 4WD track to the old Blyth Homestead, where Harry Seargeant and his family lived and mined tin between 1929 and 1960 before giving up...
Even more incredible than the amount of water (given it hasn't rained in months!) is the welcoming temperature, which isn’t much colder than Mataranka’s thermal springs and a lot less icey than the deep gorges get around the Red Centre.
However, the highlight for us is Tjaynera (or Sandy Creek) Falls. A 1.6km walking trail winds through picturesque, shady forest before opening up to a picture-postcard billabong with rock platforms for diving and falls for swimming under. Even better, we have the whole place to ourselves before a few others finally turn up later. Bliss!
With Litchfield ‘done’, we tow the New Age back down the Stuart Hwy, dropping by another excellent swim spot at Edith Falls. Feeling energetic, we all swim the 400m or so to the small falls at the other side of the large pool, before returning for icecreams from the rustic, campground café.
A few more clicks down the Track and we’re back in the ‘big smoke’ at Katherine, stocking up on fuel and supplies before heading out early for a canoe paddle at the iconic Katherine Gorge.
At $270 for half-day hire of two double canoes, it's not a budget experience but more fun than a boat cruise, particularly when we pull over at one of the small beaches that aren't reserved as freshwater croc nesting grounds and enjoy a private swim among the soaring rock walls.
Although we don’t get past the second gorge, it's surpassed expectations and vow to return one day, kid free, and explore the upper gorges on a more challenging, overnight canoe camping trip…
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FROM BOTTOM TO TOP: Intro
FROM BOTTOM TO TOP: And we're off!
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Written byChris Fincham
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Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
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