www.sundayterritorian.com.au Sunday Territorian Special Feature, Sunday, January 24, 2010 — 47

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Join the clubSWIMMING options in the Northern Territory are plentiful.

Heading to the local pool to cool down, learn to swim or perfect the

swim strokes are popular options.

There are also a variety of surf and swimming clubs to join.

Swimming Northern Territory has nine clubs: Alice Springs,

Casuarina, Darwin, Katherine, Nightcliff, Nhulunbuy, Palmerston and

Rural, Tennant Creek and Top End Storm (Palmerston).

Each branch caters to people keen to advance their swim style in

a training environment and improve their overall skill and confidence

in the water.

General water safety, recreational and fitness swimming programs

are offered, along with opportunities to advance to club, state or

international competitive levels.

Competition ranges from the McDonalds 9 and Under series to the

four-day NT Open and Age Championships, which will be held at

Casuarina Pool from Thursday, March 11.

Great open water swimming meets also take place in Lake Bennett,

Darwin Waterfront Recreation Lagoon and interstate venues such as

Nagambie Lakes in Victoria and the Sydney International Regatta

Centre in Penrith, New South Wales.

Look out, crocs about

SALTWATER crocs love the wet season.

The monsoonal rains that flood the inland

waterways allow them to move around.

Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife ranger Tom

Nichols said as a result, crocs often turned up in

unexpected places.

‘‘It’s not uncommon for crocodiles to start popping

up in places you might not expect to find them such as

drains and small creeks,’’ Mr Nichols said.

‘‘Members of the public are often our eyes and ears

for saltwater crocodile sightings and we encourage

everyone to report any sightings to us.’’

He said last week there was a croc sighting at Cullen

Bay, and he believed that croc was captured in a trap

soon afterwards.

The Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Service

actively manages saltwater crocodiles with a trapping

and removal program designed to reduce the risk of

crocodile incidents across the Top End.

‘‘We’ve pulled two out of the drains between

Casuarina Coastal Reserve and Leanyer recently and

we retrieved a 70cm saltwater crocodile from Palm City

Spas and Pools in Yarrawonga,’’ Mr Nichols said.

‘‘We urge everyone to be extremely cautious around

any waterways in the Top End and to heed all safety

signs around beaches and recreation areas.’’

On Monday, a 2.2m male saltwater crocodile was

trapped in Katherine region’s Nitmiluk National Park.

Fortunately, swimming and canoeing at Nitmiluk

National Park was prohibited mid December because of

water level rises and turbid river conditions. It is

expected to re-open after the wet season.

Obey signs at waterholes and rivers to stay safe.

And remember that croc danger is real so don’t risk

your life.

For more information, visit www.nt.gov.au/becrocwise

To report estuarine (saltwater) crocodile sightings in

the Darwin region, phone 0419 822 859 or in the

Katherine region phone 0407 958 405.

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