Litchfield National Park

I did a tour with Indigofera and was at Litchfield National Park for a day and a half. I very much enjoyed the drive through the park and the knowledge Dean (our tour guide) shared with us along the way. You can easily spend a couple of days at the park if you want to do some extended walks or have more stops. But here`s a look into the time I spent at the park.

Litchfield National Park is not as famous as its other brother, Kakadu National Park, but definitely worth the visit. The national park known for its termite mounds and waterfalls, located 120 km outside of Darwin. In 1986 the 1,500 sq kilometers of land became a national park. Litchfield is named after Frederick Henry Litchfield, one of the members of the first European expeditions in the northern part of Australia.

First stop along the way, the termite mounds. There are two different types in the park: the Cathedral Termite Mound and the Magnetic Termite Mound. Overlooking these magnetic termite mounds, it did remind me of a grave yard.

Florence Falls

The Florence Falls plunge pool is great for a refreshing swim.

You can do two walks around here:

Shady Creek Walk, which is a scenic walk. Distance: 1,2 km return. Grade: easy.

Florence Creek Walk: distance: 3,2 km return. Grade: easy. Track can be exposed so cover up and take plenty of water.

Make sure you take some time to wander through the woodlands, one of the nicest walks I did, was the Tolmer Creek Walk. Have a closer look at the Cycads, Cypress pines, lovely views along the way before arriving at the Tolmer Falls. Distance: 1,2 km, grade: moderate, time: around 45 minutes.

Tolmer Falls

Another popular spot to swim is at Wangi Falls.

This is where I went for a dip!

Pool is closed during the Wet Season due to the increased risk of Saltwater Crocodiles and strong currents that make swimming dangerous.

You can do 3 walks around here:

Falls Viewing Platform – distance: 160 m return – grade: easy

Treetop Deck – distance: 800 m return – grade: easy climb and stairs

Wangi Loop Walk – distance: 1,7 km – grade: moderate climb – time: allow an 1,5 hours

With the latest one giving you of the plateau behind the falls and the woodlands below.

If you`re looking for a nice picnic spot, go to Berry Springs Nature Park. It`s lovely to sit, have lunch and take another dip if you want to cool down.

Just a few of the things I`ve learned while there

• Beginning of the dry season, 10% gets burned for new plants and growth, only burning the grass, it`ll make the soil nutritive.
• In the Northern Territory all parks have free entrance.
• The parking sites are not big and when they`re full, it means the pools at the falls are crowded. Giving everyone the opportunity to truly enjoy their experience and not have too many people there at once.
• Buley Rockhole – upper pools are nature`s own five star spa. They originate from freshwater springs, the waters flow toward Florence Falls.
• Litchfield National Park is not only a place for visitors, locals come here for a swim.