Wilsons on the road: Saturday 4 May 2013 - Litchfield National Park NT

Saturday 4 May 2013 - Litchfield National Park NT

It’s been a busy time! Sienna and I flew to Brisbane on Anzac Day so I could go and take part in Anita and Murray’s wedding (which absolutely beautiful and so much fun – it was also a nice little hiatus from camping and a wonderful opportunity to catch up with all the family as well). We were away for six days and during that time, Glenn and Yasmin moved around a bit. The first night they stayed at the same place, but after that he packed up and drove down to Litchfield for two nights. It was quite busy over the weekend, so after a bit of exploratory driving he headed back towards Darwin, stopping at Howard Springs Big 4 Holiday Park.

It was great for kids – three pools, a jumping pillow and a playground helped keep Yasmin, and then Sienna when she returned, amused for hours. We also met some lovely people there who had kids, one whom Yasmin befriended almost immediately. Glenn helped one of the blokes out with his caravan battery set-up (well, stuff-up) and was rewarded with a carton of beer in return and the other bloke gave us a few (very nice!) fish after a successful haul on a fishing charter trip. The weather was a touch milder as well, with dew on the grass in the mornings proving that the temperatures are starting to drop at night and aren’t creeping as high first thing in the morning. We didn’t do much else in Darwin, but made sure we made it to the Mindil Markets on Thursday evening, where we all ate very well and Yasmin spent some of her special money on a giant blow-up slide.

Yesterday morning we packed up and left Howard Springs and headed to Territory Wildlife Park. It was a cheaper and more authentic option than the very popular Crocodylus Park and the girls enjoyed most of it. You could walk around or catch a train, as the habitats were spread out and incorporated the natural surrounds as much as possible. A bonus was that you could also bring your bike, so Yasmin rode around on her little $3 bargain that Glenn picked up from the dump shop while Sienna and I were away.

After we left the wildlife park we drove for another hour or so until we reached Litchfield. The camp area that Glenn stayed in last time had some room, although his big spot at the end was already taken. We set up slowly without any tantrums from the girls and even though it was hot, we weren’t dripping in sweat with every little exertion. Once all the chores were done, we jumped back in the car and drove the short distance to Buley’s Rockholes, which were absolutely stunning, refreshing and just what we needed after a long, hot day!

Today we pottered around camp in the morning, pulling the girls apart every five minutes as they bickered over the bike until Sienna went down for a morning nap. When she woke, we set off for Florence Falls, a short walk from the campsite followed by about 135 stairs down to the waterhole. Glenn said the water at both places we’ve visited was lower and colder last week, so there must have been some warm rain somewhere that feeds into the waters. We ate our picnic lunch there, paddled a bit more and then traipsed back up to camp (I carried Yasmin up most of the steps – definitely don’t need to do a workout today!) where we tried to convince the girls it was time for a nap. Eventually they drifted off (so did Glenn and I) and now I have a spare moment to myself while they all continue to sleep!