Wednesday 11th August - Litchfield National Park to Darwin

Last night the Australian campers had their lights out and seemed to be in bed by about 8pm, whilst the European section of the campsite was up late around their fires.  We had a German couple in a hired camper on one side and a young French couple in an old Land Cruiser the other, the latter having the guyís father in tow who had flown out for a couple of weeks to visit his son.  Franco-German animosity seemed alive and well as there were frosty stares between the camps, but we were invited by the French to join them around their fire - obviously a bit of Entente Cordiale.

Wangi Falls is the most popular spot in the park, but at 9am it was still relatively quiet and a short loop walk up the escarpment to the top of the falls and back down really illustrated the microclimate that the river and plunge pool produces.

It's shady and humid around the water with lush, tropical ferns and creepers, whilst the exposed plateau top is a stark contrast, being hotter and drier with the usual scrub grasses and acacia trees.

Again we saved ourselves for a swim a little later in the day to get maximum relief from the hot conditions, and we had the plunge pool at Walker Creek to ourselves (there was a large lizard sunning himself on the rocks, but he never actually entered the water).  A number of camping spots line the creek for those willing to backpack with their gear, each with its own private swimming pool.

After a spot of lunch we headed back to the Land Rover for our final stop in Litchfield NP, the Bamboo Creek tin mine.  We both find old ruined buildings and the rusting remains of machinery particularly atmospheric and evocative, and Bamboo Creek was no exception.

Mining started in the 1940s and lasted about 20 years, with the tough conditions, especially in the wet when roads were impassable for several weeks, eventually leading to its abandonment.

Exiting from the park via the northern entrance, we headed towards Darwin with our mobile signalling a text message when we regained phone coverage as we passed through Berry Springs.  It was from Mitch and Chelsea, the Land Rover owners who we first met in Tom Price and then again on the Gibb River Road, inviting us to stay with them whilst we were in Darwin.

A glass of bubbly and a dip in their pool in the afternoon sun was our welcome to the NT capital, which wasnít bad as welcomes go.  After being shown our bedroom, with a real bed, Anne was extra happy about being able to unpack her toiletries into our bathroom, not something you can really do in caravan parks.  It was then down to the nearby yacht club to catch the sunset over the bay and have something to eat.  Chicken parmesan for  Anne and lamb shank for me, which made a nice change from our normal fare, not to mention the fact that somebody else did the cooking and washing up. SPOT