Litchfield: termite towers, sandstone streets and swimming holes

We really enjoyed Litchfield. It gave us waterfalls and swimming spots, but also a collection of shapes in the landscape that were worth a stop in their own right.

The magnetic termite mounds were first: narrow structures lined up in a remarkably consistent direction. Their north-south alignment helps manage the heat reaching the mound through the day. There were much broader cathedral mounds nearby too, making the termites responsible for a fairly varied skyline.

At the Lost City, the builders were weather and sandstone. The rock pillars rose around us like the remains of buildings, with gaps and passages that kept changing the view as we walked through.

Water was the recurring attraction. We visited waterfalls, clear pools and rock shelves where the water spread into smaller cascades. A photo beside a crocodile trap caught one of the less relaxing thoughts that can accompany a swim in the Top End; we were very content never to see one catching anything while we were there.

The smaller details were good too: tiny purple flowers, patterns in the grasses and segments of ripe pandanus fruit beneath the trees.