A LOCAL FAVOURITE 

Just an hour-and-a-half drive from Darwin, Litchfield National Park, is not a stop that you are going to want to miss. 

The 1500 square-kilometre park was the original home of the Wagait Aboriginal people. The swimming holes and bushwalking trails have made it one of Darwin locals favourite spots.

During your visit there are a few things that you must do!

• Grab a four-wheeler and head out to Tjaynera (Sandy Creek) Falls, the Blythe Homestead Ruins and the weathered sandstone columns of the Lost City.
• Make sure you get a good look at the Magnetic termite mounds.
• Get a good look at the double waterfall set amid the monsoon forest, and take the 160 steps down to the plunge pool at Florence Falls.
• Take a dip in the Buley Rockhole, a series of cascading waterfalls and rockholes, just 80 metres from the carpark.
• Visit the Wangi Falls, one of the best swimming and picnicking spots.

During your walks keep an eye out for the many species of flora and fauna that inhabit the park. Common wildlife species that you may be able to spot are the Antilopine Wallaroo, Agile Wallaby, Sugar Glider, Northern Brushtail Possum, Fawn Antechinun, Black and Little Red Flying Foxes and the Dingo. The caves near Tolmer Falls are also home to the rare Orange Horseshoe Bat. There are also hundred of native bird species, with Black kites common during the Dry season, with the Yellow Oriole, Figbird, Koel, Spangled Drongo, Dollarbird and the Rainbow Bee-eater inhabiting the sheltered areas near the waterfalls.

When walking the trails through the monsoon vine-forests, if your lucky you may come across the impressive but harmless Nephila spider. The black and yellow female can grow to the size of a human hand, while the tiny orange male is barely visible.

While in a single day you can see the park, two days are really necessary to fully experience the true beauty that is Litchfield. The park offers a number of overnight options, with many different locations of permanent tents, as well as the small township of Batchelor.