30^th June: Litchfield NP

We had a lovely time in Darwin with Karen & Peter but we were happy to get on the road again. We had spent too much money, eaten too much, drunk too much and had too little exercise and too little sleep. But it was fun getting the Coromal out from between then trees and around the holes the dogs had dug. We had to shift some of the rocks that landscaped the place!

Litchfield National Park is only 70 kms down the road and so we were here before MT. Gail thought she might go fishing here in the river but that proved to be too difficult. Besides the snapping handbags often cruise past! This is a lovely park, very green, lots of shade and close to the NP. It is also very popular!

After lunch, we went touristing in the Commodore – all sealed roads. First we came to the MagneticTermite Mounds. I remember seeing these and so we must have bought the children in here. In the floodway where the soil is different – black- these ants build wide but thin cross-sectioned moulds all aligned North – South. Tests have shown that they do always build along the magnetic field force and this only happens here. It is unique in the world and it looks for all the world like a cemetery with large headstones. Elsewhere on the ridge, the mounds are much larger and not aligned. We have a photograph of the Mazda overshadowed by one of the ordinary ones. It is all very “civilised” now with signs, fences and information boards. And so many people!! Nobody would be able to photograph a car beside one!! 

We moved on to the Florence Falls which are spectacular but full of loud, splashy young people as well as 135 steps down. I wasn't keen to walk down as I couldn't go swimming and my leg was hurting. (When we were setting up, I dropped the table in its bag and it hit my leg. I now have a 10 cm crescent shaped gash in my leg which Glen once again doctored! Other leg to the knee scar of the Cape trip!)

 We visited the Buley Waterholes which were lovely but again full of loud young people with eskies. There was barely a park to be had and people drove in and out again without getting out! So we drove to Tolmer Falls over which there was a very high lookout. The walk to it was on flat ground but there were few people there. I am becoming quite phobic about all these people. NP s should be quiet, lovely and peaceful places. Huh! Not with half of Darwin's population at them!!