Five new swimming spots to be created in Litchfield National Park

As part of a $12 million investment to boost tourism in the Litchfield National Park, the Northern Territory Government is to create five extra waterfalls and swimming holes.

Part of an investment plan to open up opportunities for commercial tourism ventures in the Territory's most visited national park, the initiative will fund five new swimming spots, accessible by 4WD, at least another 40 kilometres of 4WD tracks, mountain bike tracks, at least three new campgrounds and at least one additional picnic area, within the 1,500 kilometre² landscape.

Northern Territory Minister for Tourism and Culture Lauren Moss stated “this will be the biggest ever investment in new infrastructure to establish Litchfield as a premier tourist destination for adventure seekers.

"Litchfield is our most popular park, and we have listened to what Territorians and travellers want more of, and we are delivering."

The park has been a key driver of tourism in the Top End and Batchelor area and is ideally positioned as a tourism development location, experiencing strong year-on-year growth in visitor numbers.

Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife's Top End District Manager Lincoln Wilson said Litchfield had been targeted for investment because it had the highest visitation, almost 370,000 people a year.

However, with this visitation concentrated at the Park's north, the investment aims to open up central areas, bringing an additional 60,000 visitors annually.

Wilson told the ABC “there's some real jewels out there (in the centre of the Park).”

In the long term Wilson hoped to see the park development extend from the most southern areas near Daly River all the way up to Florence Falls.

As these areas became accessible, he said there would be potential for small business ventures in everything from cafe food to white water rafting adventures, as long as they worked in conjunction with native title holders and key stakeholders.

Development of the new projects will start this dry season and should be completed within 12 months. 

Images: Waterfalls and swimming holes in the Litchfield National Park.

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