The view from above of Florence Falls – complete with rainbow – in Litchfield National Park

The final stop on my 10-day tour of the Top End a few weeks ago was Litchfield National Park, a popular weekend getaway for Darwin residents and home to loads of glorious waterfalls and swimming holes. Of course I took advantage of as many walking tracks as I could, one of which winds for about 5km along Florence Creek in relative peace and quiet.

Another highlight of Litchfield is seeing the incredible magnetic terminte mounds. These termites use the magnetic forces of the earth to orient their cathedrals to optimize exposure to the sun. And, of course, the above ground portions of the nests are a gigantic 2+ meters high.

At the end of this tour I settled in Darwin to begin a job for five months – I need to recoup a lot of the money I’ve spent in Australia! It certainly isn’t as cheap here as it was in Asia and South America, and I don’t even want to share how much I’ve been spending. So my blog may be quiet for the coming months, but I’ve got a big trip to WA planned in December and I’ll be sure get my camera ready.

A lovely cricket sitting on some lovely flowers on the Wangi Loop walk at Litchfield National Park

A view over Litchfield National Park from the Wangi Loop walking trail

The top of Wangi Falls – a not very impressive trickle of a stream during the dry season

A wild sulphur-crested cockatoo at Litchfield National Park

The swimming hole at the bottom of Wangi Falls

Posing with Wangi Falls

Looking up the cascades of Wangi Falls

A curious sooty grunter at Florence Falls

A soaked waterfall selfie

The walk along Florence Creek

Swimming holes of Florence Creek

The Buley Rockhole, a lovely swimming hole at Litchfield National Park

The magnetic termite mounds at Litchfield