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Visit Litchfield National Park and camp for the night.Litchfield National Park has several waterfalls that cascade over unusual sandstone rock formations. We visit two of them (Wangi Falls and Florence Falls) plus the intriguing Magnetic Termite Mounds. The Park covers around 1,500 sq km's and was established in 1986 and being only about 130km from Darwin is a very popular place to visit. The Park was named after Frederick Henry Litchfield who was a member of the Finniss Expedition from South Australia that began in 1864 in a bid to set up a settlement at the mouth of the Adelaide River. We can go for a swim in the pools here because there is less of a threat from crocodiles than Kakadu, but always look for and heed any warning signs. The Park’s traditional owners are the Wagait Aboriginal people, many live in the area. Wangi Falls and Florence Falls have short easy walks, are great for swimming and of course you should be able to get some great photos. Magnetic Termite Mounds Our first stop in Litchfield National Park is the Magnetic Termite Mounds. There is a lot of information on the displays so make sure you have a read about the many different kinds, how they live, what they eat (more grass than all the other grazing animals around here put together, they are the main grazers up here), and how the compass termites manage to align their mounds so accurately. These termites build mounds that somewhat resemble tombstones: flat and narrow, complete with arches, tunnels, chimneys, insulation and nursery chambers and aligned along a north-south axis. The mounds are aligned north to south to minimise the exposure to the sun. The reason for the unusual shape is temperature control. The termites control the amount of heat the mound absorbs from the sun. Termites need constant temperatures – not easy to do in a climate like they have here. On the other side of the road are a few very impressive cathedral termite mounds. These mounds can be up to six metres tall. Have a look at where Litchfield is part of our 37 Day Tour.
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