Indigenous Litchfield Tour
Litchfield Tour Highlights
- One of our personable Aboriginal guides will give you the real story of the area, with fun and laughter.
- We’ll pick you up from your accommodation in a safe, comfortable, air-conditioned tour vehicle.
- You’ll discover magnificent scenery, fascinating pioneer heritage and a rich Aboriginal tradition.
- We’ll show you spiritually important waterfalls and stone country, ancient rainforest and unspoilt woodland, and their places in Aboriginal culture.
- In the dry season you’ll be exclusive visitors to our private land at beautiful Woolaning Spring.
- We’ll present beautifully prepared and freshly cooked wild-caught barramundi, crocodile and kangaroo for lunch.
- You’ll be refreshed swimming in clear, natural pools—out of the reach of crocodiles.
- You’ll take away a deeper understanding of Aboriginal life, its relationship to country and its place in modern society.
- You’ll be enriched by this unforgettable experience.
Litchfield Tour Itinerary
Pick up and return
We’ll pick you up for your Litchfield tour in a comfortable, air-conditioned tour vehicle from your Darwin accommodation between 7:15 and 7:30 am (a bit later for suburban and outlying accommodation). We’ll return you to Darwin about 4:30 pm.
Finniss River Crossing
Back roads from Darwin take us to the Finniss River and beyond, into Tess’s family’s country. We’ll stretch our legs at this shady riverside stop and discover the resources available from this riverine environment.
* During our tropical summer, from about December to May, road authorities often close the back road into Litchfield due to flooding at this crossing. When this occurs we will enter and leave Litchfield by the main road through the pretty town of Batchelor.
Bush resources
At various places we’ll demonstrate seasonal bush resources used by local Aboriginal people for thousands of years, and describe the relationship of Litchfield’s landscape features to local indigenous culture.
Termite mounds
You’ll learn about the many termites, primary herbivores of the Northern Territory, and the huge housing complexes they build. You’ll be amazed at how indigenous people use these industrious creatures and their homes.
Bamboo Creek Tin Mine
We know the Bamboo Creek* area as Marchinbar, an important place for our people. You’ll find out why and learn about the pioneering efforts of our ancestors at the old tin mine here.
* During our tropical summer, from about December to May, road authorities close the road into Bamboo Creek Tin Mine due to flooding. When this occurs we will instead visit Tolmer Falls, which is spectacular at this time of year.
Tolmer Falls
During our tropical summer we’ll take a short walk through Litchfield’s stone country to Tolmer Falls. The stone country comes alive at this time of year with a profusion of life and a gushing of water into Tolmer’s deep chasms.
* During the dry season the stone country around Tolmer Falls is very dry and hot. At this time of year we’ll instead visit the heritage-listed Bamboo Creek Tine Mine.
Woolaning Spring
You’ll be exclusive visitors to Tess’s family’s private land at beautiful Woolaning Spring*. We’ll enjoy a morning tea stop here in our little patch of rainforest by a crystal clear stream. You can take a therapeutic dip in the warm spring waters or explore the remains of Tess’s family’s sawmill camp.
* During our tropical summer, from about December to May, the track into Woolaning Spring is often too boggy to use. When this occurs we will have morning tea at a more accessible spot.
Lunch
We’ll present a freshly cooked lunch of wildcaught barramundi, crocodile and kangaroo, in beautiful surroundings.
Wangi Falls
You’ll visit iconic Wangi Falls, its plunge pool a popular dry season swimming spot and a special place for indigenous women. Cool off with a swim* or explore the nearby lush rainforest, home to a variety of birds and restless fruit bats. For the keen there may be an opportunity for a more strenuous walk around and over the falls.
* When water levels rise to a pre-determined point during our tropical summer, from about December to May, park authorities close the Wangi Falls plunge pool to swimming due to strong currents and the potential for saltwater crocodiles to enter the plunge pool. Viewing the falls, however, and doing the walk around and over them, is safe and especially spectacular at this time of year.
Florence Falls
You’ll see stunning Florence Falls from the plateau-top lookout, a short walk from the car park. Keen swimmers can tackle the 135 stairs that lead down to the clear, refreshing waters of Florence’s stone-walled gorge and plunge pool. Easier walks allow swimming too, in the warmer waters above Florence Falls.
Back to Darwin
We’ll settle into the comfort of our air-conditioned vehicle to return to your hotel in time to catch the sunset over Darwin Harbour, markets and nightlife.
* For a really special way to cap off the day, package up and learn about the different traditions of saltwater Aboriginal people, the Larrakia, on a Sunset Dreaming cruise run by Sea Darwin on Darwin Harbour.
Schedule Details
| Departs | Tours operate daily with a maximum of 12 guests. |
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| Start Time | 7.30 am |
| Duration | 9 hours (approx.) |
| Pick Up / Departure |
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| Drop Off / Return |
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Tour and Pricing Options
| Adult Price | $496 |
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| Child Price | $248 for children up to 12 years old (min 2, max 8) |
Additional Information
Inclusions
- Transport by comfortable, air-conditioned tour vehicle
- Hotel pickup and drop off
- Local Aboriginal guide
- Lunch of freshly cooked wildcaught barramundi, crocodile and kangaroo
- Cool water, complimentary water bottles, bags and fact sheets.
Exclusions
- Personal items
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received soon after booking. Please call us 24 hours before departure to reconfirm. Please bring a hat, footwear for short walks on formed tracks in hot weather, and a swimming costume and towel (optional).
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Verified
Anne O2022-11-26Beautiful day in Litchfield Every single part of the trip was my favourite - fromchatting about all things Litchfield on the way out there,to swimming in a pristine pool underneath a rushingwaterfall, having walked through stunning rainforest, toeating the freshest barramundi I've ever tasted with limeleaves off their tree…. Of all the time my friend and Ispent in the top end, this day with Tess and Greg wasour absolute highlight. I could not recommend them anymore highly.With much love from Anne and VivienneVerified
Caz M2022-11-22An unforgettable experience Wow! What a brilliant day. We learnt so much. Tess and Greg are absolutely lovely. We learnt so much. Some very funny stories were shared. I was moved to tears over the way aboriginal people were persecuted and very sad to hear that it still happens today. It was, however, wonderful to visit their land and that of Tess' family. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch, swam in the creek, visited Tonga Falls, Wangi falls, Victoria falls and Billabongs, saw many birds and a crocodile and Tess taught us much about the flora and fauna and how her people hunted and lived off the land. Thank you so much for sharing your culture and experiences with us. Highly recommend this tour. Worth every penny.Verified
Jason A2022-11-08Fantastic tour with tess We enjoyed the whole trip and the knowledge / experiences delivered by Tess will be looking at doing it again I highly recommend itVerified
Leroy2022-11-07SOUL ENRICHING - A day I will never forget The time we spent with Aunty Tess and Greg was honestly one of the most magical, soul and spirit enriching days of my entire life. As the ONLY Aboriginal owned tourism operation in the region the tour wasn't only magical in sense of the places you see but the cultural knowledge added so much meaning the stunning landscape and scenery. I choose to only spend my money on genuine experiences, that are Aboriginal owned and this did not disappoint. They were personable, friendly, knowledgable and so genuinely kind and human. When I tell you I travel constantly, running a national business but this was a moment I could stop, listen, learn and sit in culture and my spirit is enriched because of it. Deepest of gratitude to you, your people and your ancestors for allowing us the this experience, I will never forget it.Verified
FarAway5574302022-10-15Litchfield spectacular Yesterday was a special day on tour on country with Tess & Greg. Beautiful springs, gorges, wonderful lunch cooked on the open fire with wild caught barramundi and crocodile! Tess is the only aboriginal tour guide and her country is where Litchfield National Park is now. I feel so grateful to have experienced Litchfield through Tess’s eyes. Do yourself a big favour and book this must do tour whilst you’re in Darwin NT.Verified
Hajnalkatl2022-10-12A privilege to learn from them both. We had a fantastic day with Tess and Greg. It was such a privilege to learn from them both. Tess grew up in Litchfield park learning from her elders, both Tess and Greg have worked as park rangers in various parts of Australia and bring an abundance of knowledge about plants, animals, geology, land Care etc with them. We learnt about traditional uses of plants and animals- the dreaming stories that don’t make it into children picture books ?. They spoke openly and honestly about challenges and problems with the community and possible solutions. Tess is an amazingly intelligent, kind, articule and generous guide. We had a fantastic time swimming in a few different springs and had the nicest lunch cooked by them.Verified
boyci2022-10-11Indigenous Litchfield Spectacular- just amazing The information from Tess and Greg was brilliant, no question was unanswered. I would highly recommend you taking this tour with these two lovely people, it was an unforgettable trip with a small group, the tucker was superb and the sites were incredible,thank you.Verified
Joy D2022-10-11Absolutely blown away! This tour was recommended by a friend and although we thought it a little pricey for our budget we wanted to experience something authentic. We are only in Australia for a year so we are trying to do as much as possible in the time.Determined to get a taste of culture and insight into the indigenous history we booked this tour.I was absolutely fascinated from the get go. Tess and Greg were phenomenal hosts / guides and were happy to answer every single one of my questions, even the ones where my ignorance about the country's history was apparent.We swam in creeks, and put out heads under the Wangi Falls (despite my intrepid fear of snakes and crocs) I felt safe with Tess and Greg.The knowledge we gained was immense! Although I have to admit some of it was hard to hear and made me ashamed to be British, but the story of resilience and rectification which is a fight that Tess is still fighting daily is awe inspiring.If you want a basic day of swimming and viewing the beauty of the landscape of Litchfield National park, then book with a mainstream tour operator.If you want a genuine day of education from someone who has lived and breathed that very land and is connected to it through generations, if you want to hear the bad along with the good, and if you want an intimate personal experience where you are not just a number but an actual guest, then this is the tour for you.This has turned out to be one of our favourite days since we landed in Australia and it is chock full of memories that we will cherish and remember forever.And as for Tess's barramundi at lunch, that is a recipe I'm stealing! I'm not a huge lover of fish, but that is the best fish I have ever eaten!Highly recommended! Thank you Tess and Greg! We wish all the luck with this and all your future endeavours! From Joy and Kara.Verified
allison a2022-10-09Highlight of our trip to the top end It was an absolute privilege to be guided through Litchfield and Tess's country with Tess and Greg. Greg knows everything there is to know about the land, the flora and fauna, and Tess gave us a unique and honest cultural experience and perspective. Delicious lunch and wonderful swimming spots too! Tess and Greg are both fabulous guides and wonderful people, we really enjoyed and learned from our day with them and we will remember this highlight of our trip to Darwin always.Verified
Heidinewie2022-10-06Do this tour! So glad i booked this trip with Tess and Greg. She has the local history/indigenous persoective frim growing up here and Greg has a lifetime of knowledge of olants and animals. I wanted to support a local small business rather than do this ourselves. It was chilled out, fun and active. My young bits loved it too!
