On the second day of our Top End trip, after we walked Wangi Falls walk, we were ready to walk some more. We went further by the Litchfield Park Rd and stopped at Cascades.

There are two walks in there: Lower Cascades Walk and Upper Cascades Walk. Initially we thought that we might do both of them, as they, actually, looped, but as it became very hot (+35, again!), we chose the shortest one.

After we got some food for our minds near the termite moulds, it was time to relax and cool down somewhere near the water. We decided to stop at the Buley Rockhole - a series of miniature cascading falls which have created many little water holes which are ideal for cooling off in the hot weather. It’s actually a series of rock pools fed by the same stream that tumbles over the cliffs at Florence Falls. It’s a pretty spot but if the carpark looks full it’s probably a good time to head for the Falls. When we were there (3.30pm Monday afternoon) we found the only one free spot, so be prepared!

Before I continue with description of our Top End journey, I'd like to say couple of words about campsites where we stayed. We hadn't booked anything, except one site in the middle of our trip, hoping that we will always find a unpowered site for us.

Read more to know if it was that a good decision.

Mushroom picking is an usual autumn activity for those who was born in East Europe / Russia. It is absolutely unusual way to spend a weekend if you were born in Australia, as most of the mushrooms / fungi here are potentially fatal. However there are two types of wild edible forest mushrooms: Saffron Milk Cap (Lactarius deliciosus, sometimes referred to as pine mushrooms) and Slippery Jack (Boletus portentosus), which grow in some pine forests (Macedon Rangers and Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Mt Oberon in NSW). When the Europeans transplanted the pines, around 100+ years ago, the fungi spores were captured in the transferred root/soil clumps – fortunately for us.