Tjuwaliyn (Douglas) Hot Springs Park

(Note: Tjuwaliyn Hot Springs Park remains closed to the public as of 2025 pending formal management arrangements and infrastructure upgrades:contentReference[oaicite:79]{index=79}. Visitors should check the status before attempting to access.) Tjuwaliyn, also known as Douglas Hot Springs, is a site of natural thermal pools along the Douglas River. Here, warm water bubbles up from underground, mixing with the cooler river water to create pleasant shallow pools where people once soaked. The area is culturally significant to the Wagiman Aboriginal people – particularly women – and contains sacred sites, including areas from which men are traditionally excluded:contentReference[oaicite:80]{index=80}. Previously, the park featured a basic campground under tall paperbark trees, and visitors could walk along sandy stream banks to find their ideal soaking spot (taking care, as some spring outflows are boiling hot). Dragonflies skimmed the water’s steamy surface, and the surrounding woodland attracted kangaroos and birdlife. The park’s closure has been in effect to allow the Traditional Owners and NT Parks & Wildlife to negotiate joint management and to ensure the protection of sensitive cultural areas:contentReference[oaicite:81]{index=81}. Once reopened, it is expected that new boardwalks, fencing or other measures will be in place to manage visitor access respectfully. Tjuwaliyn is cherished both as a relaxing bush thermal spring and a place of ongoing cultural practice. Its eventual reopening will likely come with guidelines to ensure the sacred site is respected and the environment preserved, so that people may again enjoy the healing waters of this special place in a sustainable, culturally appropriate way.