Litchfield is a little gem of a national park in Australia’s Northern Territory, just over an hour’s drive south of Darwin. A massive sandstone plateau that is dissected by deep gorges where you find magical plunge pools and gushing waterfalls set in pockets of lush monsoon rainforest with hundreds of flying foxes shrieking in the treetops above. Just as unique to the park are the impressive wedge-like termite mounds that rise like gravestones in neat rows from the red earth.

But there is no mistaking that this is still the treacherous albeit fascinating Top End. Sit on the ground, and you may just catch scrub typhus. Take a dip, and you will almost certainly share that waterhole with a few freshwater crocodiles. Even after months of travelling in this inhospitable terrain, I still shudder at the thought of a crocodile popping up next to me. But I learn and adapt. I don’t sit on the ground, hop into a plunge pool only when other people are already present whom a hungry croc might like to nibble on, and pretend to ignore the hairy spiders that dangle from the ceiling as I take a shower in the evening.

The main attractions of Litchfield National Park are surely its many fabulous swimming holes where the constant water supply sustains a pretty green oasis in an otherwise barren outback landscape. If you’re keen to do some walking before your swim, several bushwalks allow you to explore the more remote areas of the park.

The longest is the 39-kilometre, 3-5-day Tabletop Track, followed by the 22-kilometre, 2-day Florence Creek Walk (walking and camping fees apply; online bookings required before your visit; access to the trail is via Link Walks starting from Walker Creek, Florence Falls, Greenant Creek, and Wangi Falls). Both are challenging, Grade 3-4, long-distance bushwalks that require backcountry hiking experience.

With daytime temperatures hitting the high thirties, we skipped these overnight tracks and instead opted for shorter trails followed by a swim in one of the many rock pools.