For every beginning is also a continuation, and the book of events is always open (W. Szymborska).: Stunning Litchfield and Kakadu National Parks

The wet season in the Northern Territory starts now in November. It's very hot and humid and lightning and storms are frequent. When I joined my tour group to Litchfield and Kakadu National Parks it was only 6:30, I had taken a shower just one hour before but I was already sweating like a war refugee. And I was told this is nothing yet: humidity can sometimes go beyond 80%...

The first day we visited Litchfield National Park and swam in waterholes with amazing waterfalls - Buley Rockhole, a sort of open-air jacuzzi, and the more impressive Florence Falls. The parks is also known for its magnetic termite mounds, which are all over the place, sometimes towering several meters, each mound inhabited by millions of these industrious little creatures. They make an awkward landscape because when you look from far way not knowing what these mounds are, you'd say they're a vast, irregular cemetery.

Magnetic termite mounds

The best part of the day though was a cruise in Corroboree Billabong. It was at the end of the day, we were the only boat, the light was beautiful and we saw lots of animals up close - crocodiles, buffaloes, dozens of different birds of all sizes,... Among the many birds one caught my attention: they nicknamed it Jesus Bird because it seems to walk on water. It's a small bird with huge feet that look like spiders and it runs over the lotus leaves... This is also the area of the saltwater crocodile, the biggest reptile in the world, therefore there are plenty of places that - although they're beautiful - are not suitable for swimming. Besides the enormous saltwater crocs (who live in salt and fresh water, contrary to what their name suggests) there are also the freshies, who live in fresh water only. They're smaller than their saltwater cousins but still pretty impressive. I asked what happens when everything is flooded in the wet season and the crocodiles move around and got confirmation that this is a problem because it means that a place which is crocodile-free in one given year can become "infested" after the rains, so they always have to check if previously safe spots are still safe. Even those spots there are signs warning that you are swimming at your own risk, but the places are just so beautiful you just can't resist getting into the water.

"Jesus Bird"

That's exactly what we did in Maguk and Gunlom Falls in Kakadu National Park the next day after a visit to Ubirr to see the Aboriginal paintings on the rocks, some of which are several thousands of years old... The Gunlom Falls in particular are a sort of Garden of Eden, they're in a very high place and you swim watching the park at your feet. I had a wonderful long swim, even though I had some trouble in keeping my mind free from the crocodile issue!