Skippy

The disappointment continues.
The camping ground here is closed for an upgrade. We will have to move on after having a look around. This was to be our camp for the night.
Strike two the pool at the bottom of the waterhole is closed. Seems a couple of crocs have got in there, It is very hot this afternoon and I would have enjoyed a dip.
Still did the 1.7 k walk up to the top of the waterfall and back down on the other side with the added bonus that there was a cache along the way.
This is a truly beautiful spot after viewing the waterfall you start up this track that winds through a monsoon forest and ascends a staircase about 300 metres up to give you a view over the treetops. You then pass over the top of the waterfall. Stopping along the way to find the cache near the waterway and then descend back down the other side of the falls.
Since we didn't have a camp we had to move on but we found a lovely spot just down the road called Litchfield Safari Park. We have a powered campsite and as I sit here under my mosquito net you can here the generator humming away in the background. The water is from a bore and they tell you to boil it first if you are going to drink it. There is however rainwater over at the amenities block.
It started to rain just after we set up camp so I had to put up a shelter. It is 10:30 now and the rain has stopped and the moon is peaking between the clouds.
In the distance a dingo howls.

A beautiful couple hundred metre bush walk to the cache. The view of the waterfall was stunning.
Loved a great bush walk nice to see an area of the park that isn’t black.

Another big day for Kanga. Up at 6:30 for a swim in the thermal spring before cooking a hot breakfast. A large male peacock roams the campground with a tribe of females in tow. I turned my back on my breakfast to soak a pan and he legged it over to my breakfast and snatched a piece of my toast while my back was turned. I must have looked a funny sight chasing him out of my camp waving a spatula.
Then on the road and heading North to Litchfield Park. We have been told by several people that this was a spectacular place to visit. But for us it was a disappointment apart from this cache location and the other 2 caches that we were able to get to.
They are doing controlled burn offs throughout the park and lots of areas are just charcoaled vegetation. Other areas are closed because we have visited to soon after the "Wet".
We couldn't go to Bluey's due to smoke haze from the burn off.
At least this cache was accessible.
Amazing how these termites have evolved completely differently than other species.
Drove through lots of black bush to get to this one.
Loved the formations.

Drove over to these other springs in the area.
They were very pretty. Where the one at our campsite was the result of a thermal creek being widened to make a pool by officers stationed in the area during WW2 this was a natural spring. There was waterlilies flowering along the edges and you could float down this spring a couple hundred metres. Just by the landing to get into the water there was a monitor lizard with his head poking out amongst the Lilly pads.
The water was beautiful, warm and crystal clear. It was lovely to float along with palm fronds lining the edge of the water and lilies everywhere.
This was very pretty. I did the swim thru down to a bridge which was about 300 metres..

A lovely little walk this morning before Mrs Parrot was up.
This area is known for its hot springs.
Walked the 1.2 K to the waterhole. A sign said you could swim here but the water was running through a bit fast. Lots of evidence that the area was flooded recently.
At one point there was debris caught up in a tree alongside the path that was way above my head.
On the way back I went for a swim where the thermal water flowed into the river. You could dangle you legs in cold water while warm water flowed over your body.
I then went back to the main swimming area which I had all to myself until the resident friendly wallaby came and joined by the edge of the pond. He appeared to want a drink but the water was just out of reach so I cupped my hands and held them up and he lapped up quite a bit of water. He kept on darting his head up and looking round between mouthfuls. So tame but with still the instinct to check for danger while drinking.