Some guidebooks state "Litchfield-do, Kaka-don't," basically indicating that Litchfield is the better of the two national parks. A few months ago, I met a lovely lady named Chrisney, her partner, Josh, and her father Steve. They invited me to come stay with them at Litchfield National Park.
Whilst I was in Darwin several years ago, I didn't really enjoy it or, more accurately, didn't have the opportunity to enjoy it. I had very little money and a debilitating case of heat rash. This time, I'm more relaxed as I'm enjoying this magical journey. Chrisney feels bad about me hitchhiking but I'm very used to it. She managed to get the remainder of the day off work so we could go off on an excursion to Litchfield.
Her family are part of the Mak Mak Marranunggu people. "Mak Mak" means "white belly sea eagle," the bird that represents Chrisney and her land and people. As the traditional owners of the land, Chrisney knows a lot about many little things most others wouldn't know. Chrisney's family has their own cemetery within the borders of the park near the Walker Creek area. Her grandmother was part of the Stolen Generations and was taken to an area where a tin mine exists now.
Most interesting are the magnetic termite mounds. They're not magnetic, but are positioned north and south according to Earth's magnetic field and are built so they get the sun on each side for exactly half of each day.
Litchfield's finest appeal is the opportunity to swim in croc-free plunge pools. For a quick dip I went into Buley Rockhole. There are several pools where locals and travellers alike go swimming.
Unfortunately we got a rather late start today, so afterward we were rushing a bit. Chrisney got a crash course in geocaching but I wanted to show her my favourite geocache container: an ammo box. Florence Falls are amazing.
We didn't go for a swim since we were now short on time and the skies looked ominous. The heavens were burping with thunder as they threatened to hammer down rain at any moment. A few great photos we got, and then Chrisney found the ammo box! She officially found her first geocache. Back to the car we were, and then we drove to Tolmer Falls.
The waterfall and the surrounding area were a "men only" area and sacred to the Marranunggu people. The wet season hasn't really started, therefore the waterfalls aren't as spectacular as they could be. Swimming isn't possible at Tolmer Falls due to crocodiles. The rule in north Australia is that there isn't a sign stating that swimming is safe, do not swim!
With the storm brewing not far away, we quickly made our way to Wangi Falls, which Chrisney said is the best of the three...
...and it certainly is. Traditionally, Wangi Falls was a women's only area. Ceremonies were peformed for girls turning into young women. These waterfalls are fabulous for a refreshing swim. We needed to make a move soon thereafter before we got bucketed on, or worse, zapped by a bolt of lightning. The rain was relentless as we drove home and then talked blissfully about our day. I don't understand this "Litchfield-do, Kaka-don't" nonsense as both national parks are spectacular. If you're in the area, you might as well do both!
After all these years, I finally made my way to Litchfield and with Chrisney providing info about the area that I wouldn't find anywhere else, I couldn't have asked for a better tour guide.
