Aside from grabbing a grape-flavoured snow cone, I didn’t worry too much about the food or drink at tonight’s markets at Mindil Beach.

During the dry season, thousands of people head to the beach in Darwin for the Thursday (and Sunday) Mindil Beach Night Markets, where they grab some food, listen to some live music, enjoy conversation, and watch the sunset.

In fact, many people literally applaud when the sun sets into the ocean.

People in Western Australia take it for granted and gather similarly at places like Cottesloe Beach. But since most Australians live on/near the East Coast, it’s quite a remarkable thing to witness. Hence the applause.

Though the smell of the paela was tempting, the length of the queue wasn’t, and there were far too many people for my liking at the market anyway. So I headed straight to the shortest queue, grabbed my drink, and headed to the beach.

The main reason I was so keen to attend tonight was that I knew there was a low tide.

While most people stay perched (with their takeaway food) on the higher, drier parts of the beach, I love nothing more than getting right out near the ocean, to enjoy the more isolated view, and to enjoy those mudflats. And to move slowly, back towards the beach, as the tide comes in.

Even though I have lost track of the number of times I’ve visited the markets (since the first time I visited Darwin in 1998) but the sunsets never disappoint, especially those at low tide. Highly recommended if you’re ever visiting Darwin. A wonderful experience.