Our first night at anchor in Darwin was a torture. After having spent months in remote anchorages by ourselves, we were now thrown in the merciless claws of civilisation. The music was blasting onshore and the party seemed to have been in full swing, whilst I was tossing and turning in my den with no prospects of falling asleep.
Exhausted, Sorin had long sunk into oblivion. It was a Sunday night and I was wondering with dread if every night was going to be thus animated…the following day, I figured that it was just a special occasion, an occasion that deserved celebrating.
Listening to the local radio, we learned with excitement that, the same day Monday, 1 July, happens to be a big day for the Northern Territory, Territory Day. It is celebrated all across the Northern Territory with food, music and a Fireworks Galore.
Along with the public fireworks display, all Territorians are welcome to take part and launch their own pyromaniacs’ expensive toys. Numerous enthusiasts spend a fortune (we heard the fireworks’ prices on the radio!) to express themselves in a legal and safe manner. In Australia fireworks, beer, sports and outdoors are a thing.
We were excited to find out about this happy coincidence and keen to join in the party. My worries at the thought that anyone can go ‘fireworks mental’ rapidly vanished when I figured the fireworks are only being launched from designated areas. Five blustery-hours with the sky on fire over a blanket of people filling Mindil beach to the bream.
A goose bumps giving moment was the public fireworks exploding from a barge in Fannie Bay accompanied by softly played aboriginal music.
It is an annual night of madness, when Territorians join in celebrating the special occasion of the Northern Territory becoming independent of the Commonwealth Government in 1978.
Since jobs on Mehalah were many and critical to safe onward passage across the Indian Ocean, the following day we sailed from Fannie Bay to the most beautiful marina in our sailing around the world. A tiny, but aired cul de sac on water surrounded by beautiful colourful abodes adorned by tropical plants and bird song.
Nevertheless the captain found the navigation through the channel leading to the marina to be a unique experience. Nowhere else in the world we had to zigzag between boats, moorings balls and various thick lines randomly floating about in order to locate the well hidden grey marina lock. Not something to be done in the dark.
Once tied up to a pontoon in the lock operated marina we cracked on with the numerous jobs we had lined up after almost a year of not being in a marina. We completed most of the jobs on the list and most importantly we had our quadrant broken component rebuilt. It was not easy working in the excesive heat. Excessive to us! It was the coldest time of the year in Darwin and some locals were actually cold!
Another highlight of our short stay in Darwin, leisure-wise, was watching a French movie under the stars, flat on our cushions adorned deckchairs, surrounded by palm trees and tropical bush, munching popcorn with bats flying overhead.
After our final Aussie shopping run and avoiding a budget breaking ($65) territorial haircut at the last minute, we enjoyed a final Aussie scrumptious experience wrapped up with ‘little beers’, courtesy of our Marina Manager (thanks Robbie!) and we checked out setting off on our three day sailing to Samulakki, Indonesia.
Is Australia a special place? Definitely. Were we sad to leave? No. We have more oceans to cross, more places to discover and more people to meet to finally complete our big and one endeavour of sailing around the world.