Darwin Litchfield

WE'RE IN DARWIN   -   WEEK 1

FRIDAY 13TH JUNE   -  We left Katherine for our next destination Darwin, a further 270 kilometres north.  On the drive up we passed several signs “Please Arrive Alive” and “Rest or R.I.P”.  After a 4 hour trip, we arrived at Tumbling Waters Holiday Park, 50 kilometres outside of Darwin City.   We chose this park as there were only 4 caravan parks that took dogs and they were all full up. Straight away it had a very tropical feel and was on a lot of land, with different areas for camping, unpowered and powered sites and lots of tall, leafy trees and palms everywhere.  It was a very busy park and most of the powered spots were already gone as lots of people had been there for a few weeks or months.   The sites were on the smallish size, but we managed to get the van in ok.  Parking the car was a bit squashy right in front of the van. 

We had a wander around the park and visited the crocodile lagoon that had 12 smaller freshwater crocs in it.  There was a walkway above the pool to look at them.  Dave the Manager fed them at 5pm each Saturday. It was quite startling to see them lazing on the grass in front of the pool as you’re walking past.  They’re so camouflaged they’re hard to spot at times!!

We read up on the list of activities each week  -   bingo on Thursday mornings, fortnightly trivia nights, cinema under the stars twice a week, happy hour on Friday, markets on Sunday mornings plus Wild Brekkie an interactive wildlife experience.  There was also a lovely licensed garden café/restaurant on site open 6 days a week and a swimming pool – plenty to keep us busy.

SATURDAY 14TH JUNE   -   We drove into Darwin City and had a walk around the George Brown Botanical Gardens.  Unfortunately, during the 1974 Cyclone Tracey, 89% of all the plants were destroyed. They have survived many other cyclones and the direct effects of WWII.  The Gardens were established in 1886 and were named after Darwin’s much loved, longest serving Lord Mayor. They were beautifully landscaped on 42 hectares in a very tranquil and peaceful setting.

A BEAUTIFUL BIG TREE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PARK

Dogs were welcome around the park which surprised us.   Eve’s Garden Café was close to the entrance to the park and was very popular, with a “doggie coral” on the grass outside.  The café was run in the restored original 1897 Wesleyan Church building, the Territory’s oldest church building.  It had a shady verandah and seating at the back of the building.

We went to see the crocodile feeding at 5pm at the caravan park.  The crocs were so lazy they couldn’t be bothered feeding on the fresh chicken wings Dave was throwing in for them.  They really didn’t move much at all.

SUNDAY 15TH JUNE   -   We went back to the Botanical Gardens for the DonateLife NT Service of Remembrance at 9am.  It was a very emotional service and we met some beautiful people and heard the stories from donors and recipients, which were heart-warming.  The organisers did a fantastic job and we also met many of the nursing staff involved in transplants.  They were all so dedicated and kind.  It was a small attendance and we had a lovely morning tea on the Borassus Lawn, followed by a poignant ribbon tying ceremony on the big trees inside the front entrance as a finale to the service.

After the service, we drove around Darwin’s coastline to Fannie Bay and East Point Reserve, a beautifully grassed 200 hectare picnic and playground area with cycle paths.  Unfortunately you cannot swim in most of the waterways in NT as they are infested with box jelly fish/sharks/or crocodiles, so it’s not advisable to enter the water!!!  

We stopped at the Darwin Military Museum at the end of East Point.  It was a fascinating place filled with photographs, memorabilia and first-hand accounts.  We learnt how Darwin was bombed 64 times by the Japanese over a 2 year period and how the Top End was the frontline during WWII.  Warships dropped anchor in Darwin Harbour.  January 19^th 1942 was the day that changed Darwin and Australia forevermore, with 242 Japanese aircraft launching the first of many aerial attacks on Northern Australia.  We owe so much to the efforts of the people that fought so bravely and lost their lives. 

MONDAY 16TH JUNE   -   We set out early to Litchfield National Park set in 1,500 square kilometres.  It took us an hour to get to the entrance from the caravan park.  Litchfield is named after one of the Finniss team of the first European explorers to the area -  Frederik Henry Lichfield.  For the first 75 years, it was the centre of tin and copper mining in the area. It then fell under a pastoral lease and was designated as a national park in 1986.

Our first stop in the park was at stunning Wangi Falls. It was a short walk from the car park to the main falls which were absolutely breathtaking, with 2 waterfalls cascading down the high cliffs into the large swimming pool. There was a boardwalk around the falls and a longer walk up to the viewing platform overlooking the plateau, through tropical rainforest monsoonal ferns and bushes.

We drove on to Tolmer Falls, another fabulous waterfall in a deep gorge that housed protected rare species of the Orange Horseshoe Bat and Ghost Bat. There was a 1.6 kilometre walk  around Tolmer Creek.

We had our picnic lunch besides gorgeous Buley Rockhole, a series of small waterfalls and rock holes with a walking track to Florence Falls.

Just as we thought we couldn’t’ possibly see anything more spectacular, we came to Florence Falls – a deep gorge with mind-blowing double falls set in a pocket of monsoon forest with a viewing platform looking into the awesome chasm and plunge pool below.

Some of the areas are only accessible by 4WD tracks.  Others were closed.

On the way out of the park, we came to the Magnetic Termite Mounds, some of them standing up to 2 metres tall. They were quite an awesome sight.  The mounds’ thin edges point north-south, minimising exposure to the sun, keeping the termites inside cool.

There were also many 6 feet high cathedral termite mounds around the park.

It was a  beautiful park to visit and well worth the drive out.

THURSDAY 19TH JUNE   -  We went to the evening markets at Mindil Beach Sunset Markets.  They operate from April to October each year on Thursday and Sunday nights from 5pm to 10 pm.  The market attracts up to 20,000 visitors each week.  There were about 200 stallholders.  They employ approximately 1,000 locals and it all contributes to the Northern Territory economy.

There were lots of art and craft, jewellery and clothing stalls, but the main attraction was the exotic range of food stalls – a gourmet’s delight - including Thai, Indian, vegetarian, pizza, ice cream and more.  Everyone was wandering around eating and the smells of food were divine.  We headed straight for the Thai stall as I’ve been hanging out for some spicy Thai food for ages.  I had stir fried calamari and vegetables in an aromatic chilli sauce – delicious. The market was buzzing with people milling around.  We went onto the beach area that was really busy with people sitting around waiting for the sunset to happen.  The sunset was amazing and over all too soon.  We went back into the market for an ice-cream dessert.  There was entertainment throughout the market with a band playing on the grassed picnic area.  Although there were a lot of people there, we managed to find a parking spot fairly easily.  We wandered around the stalls and enjoyed listening to all the music happening in different spots.

TRIVIA:  an amusing definition of Grey Nomads we found on the back of a wine list recently:

The “Land Down Under” has provided the ideal habitat for the recently discovered species of Homo Sapien, the “Grey Nomad.”  First emerging in the sixties around beach areas, travelling and residing in strange shaped boxes on wheels.  They have since evolved to favour much larger and luxurious contraptions.  Rarely sighted in cities, the “Grey Nomad” migrates north during the winter, where they frequent isolated coastal regions, the Top End and are spotted in the Red Centre.  Not at all with grey fur, known to be very friendly, tranquil and inquisitive, they are extremely approachable if offered wine.  Their offspring are often heard to utter: “Have you seen our parents?” and “Don’t spend our inheritance.”  This sociable mammal likes to congregate around waterholes to interact with other Grey Nomads from different habitats.”

It’s been very hot and humid since we arrived in Darwin.  Average temperatures 28 – 30 degrees most days and it’s only winter. We’re glad we aren’t anywhere near here in summer, it must be unbearable. Two nights this week it got down to 23 degrees and was so cold we had to put sweat tops on.

NEXT WEEK:  We will still be in Darwin and going on the Jumping Crocodile River Cruise, visiting Darwin Dam, Berry Springs and the Wildlife Park.