Monsoon Season

Most of the photographs you see online of Mindil Beach (Darwin) are of the sun setting into the ocean. The famous markets, held during the Dry Season attract thousands of people every year, for a wonderful collective experience.

I really love the photograph above which I shot at low tide on Mindil Beach a couple of years ago. It was awesome to walk out on the mud flats and to feel the squelch between my toes. Almost everyone else at the twice-weekly dry season sunset markets were sitting much further up the beach. I had a real sense of “being alone”.

As the markets no longer trade during the “wet season”, I thought I’d try a visit to the beach to see what sunset was like at this time of the year. In additon to the large groups of Aboriginal people in the nearby park, there were maybe a dozen people (tops) on the beach. As you’ll see below, the colours were significantly different to the “dry season”.

*Mindil Beach, close to sunset, February 2020*

I never stayed until sunset, as the rain began to pelt down heavily. Along with some others, I secured refuge next to the toilet block, ahead of the arrival of my Uber back to where I’m staying.

Arriving back at my hotel, and getting out of the air-condition comfort of the Uber, my glasses fogged up instantly. It’s been happening every day. It’s one of the downsides of being in Darwin at this time of the year.

The heavy rain continued for the next few hours.

Even so, I wandered into town for a bite to eat and a few beers at “Ladies Night” at Monsoons, a bar on Mitchell Street.

“You know this is Ladies Night?”, the muscled shirtless bouncer said to me. “That’s why we’re dressed as we are”, he explained, half apologetically. “That’s why I’m here”, I told him. With a smile he let me in. It was fun to watch the muscled shirtless bouncers wander up and down the street, trying to attract customers.