Shock! A picture without water in it

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Despite my general discomfort and regular dashes back to the air-conditioned comfort of the car – the girls and Doog have taken to calling me Princess Nancy - I am intrigued by this part of the world. Not since India have I been so physically uncomfortable for so long, but there is also something strangely inviting about it, and the Northern Territorians who call it home clearly do so with great pride.

One of the little oddities that makes it unique are these magnetic termite mounds in Litchfield National Park, built up over time by the co-operative efforts of millions of industrious little creatures.

Waterworld

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Accustomed as I am to roads being closed because of snow, this Litchfield washout was a novelty for me, and a bit of fun for the girlies. (That's our no-can-do non-4WD rental in the background.)

How do you spell relief?

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The positively gorgeous Litchfield National Park, less than two hours south-west of Darwin, has long lived in the shadow of its more famous Northern Territory cousin, Kakadu. But that might be about to change, as Litchfield has just nabbed the No. 1 spot on Australian Traveller magazine’s “Top 100 Things to Do in Australia You’ve Never Heard of” list.

In some ways it would be a shame if too many people found out about it ... but on the other hand, it's probably right to spread the joy.

Catching the cool spray from Wangi Falls, we did the shortest photo op on record - not only because it was so HOT but because the water was so high that the threat of saltwater crocs moving into the fresh water was very real indeed. Yikes.

Everybody loves a hot, wet blanket

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Up here in the Northern Territory there's no such thing as winter. Southern Ontarians might salivate at the prospect (I hear it’s still snowing there and I feel bad, I really do) but believe me, a perennially sweaty crack does not a happy camper make.

Here we have what’s affectionately known as “the wet” and “the dry” - and clearly there’s nothing dry about my current situation. The girls and Doog don’t seem to mind; however I am wilting like a tulip in July, hence the on-my-ass perch at the base of this waterfall in Litchfield National Park. (That's me holding onto Annie so she can use her mask and snorkel without floating away down the bottom waterfall)

The temperature is a steady 33C, which doesn’t sound terribly difficult, but when married to 95 per cent humidity, it’s like being wrapped head to toe in a hot, wet blanket and trying to breathe through a steaming facecloth while you stand in front of a pizza oven cranked to high.

Melbourne’s 40C days I can sort've handle, like a dry slap in the chest. This is something entirely different, and so excuse me if I sit at this waterfall for the remainder of this trip...