Darwin to Litchfield National Park

Anouk's legs at Aquascene in
Darwin where fish come in
to feed. Rest assured, the rest
of Anouk was there also.

Darwin held one of the greatest disappointments of the trip so far when the free water park - with massive water slides - was closed on the day we attended.  Kids were not so disappointed but dad was inconsolable.

We also went to Crocodylus - basically a crocodile farm with a bit of a tourist show put on - but it was worth doing - and to Aquascene, where the fish come to shore at high tide and they swim around your feet as you feed them.

A furry little critter that Mum
encountered on her way to the loo at 4am.

However, it was mum who enjoyed the most authentic experience wtih the wildlife in Darwin.  As all caravaners know, one of the issues with staying in a caravan is what to do about the need to take the trip to the bathroom at about 3am.  You can hold on for about an hour or so but eventually you have to get our of bed and go.  Its a pain - even if the weather is good - and if you have kids it carries with it the additional risk of waking them up.  Anyway, in Darwin, mum resisted the call of nature for as long as she could but then, at about 4am, she made the trip.  On the way in she met one of her least favourite critters - a large snake.  She describes it as a "brown snake death adder" which means it is a very exciting discovery of a new species.  She did not see it that way.  She was more of the - lets just get out of here - theory.  So we went to a place where there are not likely to be any snakes - Litchfield National Park.

A very short trip down the Stuart Highway and we arrived in Batchelor which is on the doorstep to the Litchfield National Park.  Now, one may have assumed that Nana and Mum would not have loved this place with the frogs in the toilets and the fact that it is overrun with ants.  However, one could not be more wrong.  Here, we have an ensuite site and our own washing machine and we set a new caravan park record with eight separate washing lines!  "This achievement is even more specutacular given that erecting temporary washing lines in the caravan park is banned," a spokesman for the Guiness Book of Records did not say.

Pa very proudly erecting the 8th clothesline
that gave us the world record.

Three generations of washer women ...

Sure, she's happy if she isn't made to
swim...

Litchfield National Park otherwise revolves around waterfalls and swimming holes and we attended a number of them.  Two unfortunate things - one, Dad lost his wedding ring at Wangi Falls and two, Yvette still has a serious aversion to the water.  She shakes and screams whenever we take her near any open water.  Loves her bath and water play but show her a lake, billabong or waterfall and she turns into a quivering mess.  Its not getting any better either after a few weeks of trying.  Maybe we shoul give her some floaties or at least some swimming lessons.....

Wangi falls - a very spiritual place - it is the final resting place
for Dad's wedding ring and about the only place in Litchfield
with flushing toilets.