One of the Top End’s most popular nature reserves is set to get even bigger with Litchfield National Park expanding by a fifth under a Northern Territory land deal.
The expansion will unlock for public use more gorges, waterfalls, campgrounds, hot springs and 4WD tracks at the park, 90 minutes south of Darwin. The announcement is great news for caravanners and campers who flock to Litchfield in the dry season, booking out campsites up to six months in advance.
The national park boundary will grow by 30,000ha (about 20 per cent) after the Northern Territory Government purchased a parcel of land on Litchfield’s south-east border, marking the park’s biggest expansion in more than 25 years.
The $7.5 million purchase of Silkwood cattle station, near the town of Adelaide River, is expected to bring more people to Litchfield, which already sees about 250,000 visitors a year.
Under the expansion, more public facilities will be built, including campgrounds, viewing platforms and walking trails. The park will also open up new attractions, including Robin Falls, hidden hot springs, wetlands, gorges and a hunting reserve.
Many of the attractions will be accessible year-round, unlike some current Litchfield sites which are restricted during the wet season.
NT Lands, Planning and Environment Minister Joshua Burgoyne said the Silkwood acquisition would secure the long-term protection of the environment bordering Litchfield.
“Thirty thousand hectares of escarpments, woodlands and wetlands are being returned to public hands, protecting Territory ecosystems and wildlife while opening up a range of incredible new recreational opportunities,” he said.
Litchfield currently has nine campgrounds, including two accessible to caravans and camper trailers at the most popular attractions – Wangi and Florence falls. Most of the campgrounds are 4WD only.
The park encompasses more than half a dozen waterfalls that tumble down from the Tabletop Range into a sandstone-rimmed wilderness of monsoon forest and savannah woodland. It’s a popular spot for freshwater swimming (in the dry season), bushwalking and four-wheel driving. Other top Litchfield attractions include Buley Rockhole, Walker Creek, Tjaetaba Falls, Tjaynera (Sandy Creek) Falls, the Lost City rock formations and the Magnetic Termite Mounds.
