There is nothing like spending the day lounging around in the warm waters of the Mataranka Thermal Pools, or perhaps floating downstream at Bitter Springs in Elsey National Park. The plunge pool at Leliyn in Nitmiluk is another experience altogether, with its huge expanse of cold water fenced in by towering escarpment walls, and inhabited by friendly fish. The swimming spots in the Top End’s Parks and Reserves are absolutely the best and each has its own special charm.
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Family picnics on the banks of the billabong, snorkelling adventures in a sparkling creek, a dreamy afternoon under a paperbark tree watching the clouds go by, or a mad swimming race where you beat your big brother for the very first time! Each of these is a memory-creating moment that goes into making up a very special Territory childhood.
I am sure that for many of us these memories include a more unfortunate moment, where we inadvertently came across a bit of broken glass that put a pall on a weekend or school holiday adventure. Luckily it’s easy to ensure that this particular memory is not a problem for our young Territorians today.
There is a special rule, or a by-law, in Northern Territory Parks and Reserves that says that glass containers are not permitted within 10 metres of any waterway. Muddy banks and rocks are slippery. The currents in many of our creeks and plunge pools are deceptively strong. It is too easy for accidents to happen. Broken glass can be almost impossible to clean up completely as the water quickly carries it away into cracks and crevices or pushes it down into the mud where it sits waiting for unwary feet.
Bare feet, billabongs and broken bottles really are a bad mix!
Please remember to take the tinnies if you are planning a visit to a National Park this dry season. Any day out is fantastic and a picnic lunch is very much part of the fun. Plastic and metal water bottles are a great alternative to glass when you are swimming, or better still keep all food and drink in the picnic area and away from the water altogether.
There are plenty of ways to help kids build spectacular memories. Whether you are lolling around Leliyn, bowling along in Buley or marinating in the warm waters of the Mataranka Hot Springs, please keep your glass containers away from the water.
Bare feet, billabongs and broken bottles really are a bad mix!