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Four beautiful waterfalls, fields of innumerable termite mounds, and unusual sandstone formations -- these are some of the attractions of the Litchfield National Park.
This national park is 146 square km in area and is reached by an easy two hour drive of 115 km from Darwin.
The Litchfield National Park is owered over by the huge sandstone Tabletop Range and escarpment. The top of this Range is a plateau with water springs which supply water for the Litchfield's four waterfalls (Florence Falls, Tolmer Falls, Tjaynera Falls, and Wangi Falls) which tumble over the edges of the plateau.
Swimming is believed to be safe inside the Litchfield National Park as the area is virtually crocodile-free. (Before you go swimming, always check if the situation has changed there and if swimming is still safe.) Note that the Reynolds River and beyond does have saltwater crocodiles.
Some of the important features of the Litchfield National Park include:
-- Magnetic Termite Mounds
These grey coloured tombstone-like structures dot the landscape of the black-soil plains. They are all aligned north-south and are occupied by termites. They are often erroneously referred to as anthills: they are not built or occupied by ants but by termites.
-- Florence Falls and Buley Rock Holes
The Florence Falls are 20 metres high and have a spectacular lookout and a great swimming hole.
-- The Lost City
This "city" is a jumble of weathered stone formations that for some imaginative souls ressemble ruined buildings.
-- Tabletop Swamp
A small paperbark-fringed wetlands with a small population of waterbirds.
-- Tolmer Falls
Another of the four waterfalls of the Litchfield National Park. There is a splendid view over tropical woodlands from these falls and there are rockpools located above the falls. The endangered Orange Horseshoe Bat lives in caves in the vicinity.
-- Blythe Homestead Ruins and Tjaynera Falls
A little bit of colonial history may be seen in the Blythe Homestead that was found in 1929 and now lies in ruins. Nearby you can visit the Tjaynera Falls/Sandy Creek.
-- Wangi Falls
The Wangi Falls are the most popular of the Litchfield National Park's waterfalls. They feature a beautiful plunge pool that is a great swimming spot. Fruitbats, goannas and kites all inhabit this area.
-- Petherick's Rain Forest
Also known as the Cascade Wilderness Park, this rain forest is a privately-owned area with a gorge, some thermal springs, waterfalls, and the wreck of a Spitfire fighter that crashed here during the Second World War.
-- Walker and Bamboo Creeks
Walker Creek has some rock pools and a camping area. Near Bamboo Creek you can see the ruins of tin mines dating from the 1940s.
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Author: David Paul Wagner
(David Paul Wagner on Google+)
