THE BEACH FILES - CARLTON

One thing Tasmania has in abundance is gorgeous beaches. It's true that the water temperature is less than ideal for most of the year if you're a cold water coward such as I, but for meandering, dog walking and salt air sniffing there's definitely a generous selection to choose from.

LOCAL TOURISM

It's a pretty common experience for many of us - but playing tourist closer to home is something a lot of people don't always get around to doing. For people who like travelling, the allure of the unfamiliar is often far more tempting than poking around the corners of our own back yard.

INDEPENDENCE

A couple of weeks ago, the Northern Territory has its annual Territory Day celebrations. Much like the similarly timed Independence Day in the USA, the Northern Territory has developed its own tradition of celebrating self governance through the detonation of fireworks (somehow the standard total fire ban that's in place around this time always gets waived). Personally, I've always found it kinda strange how DIY explosive devices have become synonymous with declarations of geo-political autonomy.

OF WINE AND SUNSETS

I'm the first to admit that while Darwin beaches are quite lovely from an aesthetic point of view, they're a bit of a let down in the recreational sense. It's not that it's completely impossible - I've certainly indulged in the odd dry season paddle - it's just restricted in seasons (from October to May we have some rather nasty poisonous box jellyfish lurking in our seas) and generally considered to be a calculated risk with all those crocodiles swimming about looking for some human hors d'oeuvres.

BEACH STILLS

Another image series from some recent beach walks. Gorgeous as it is, I've started some different circuits recently as a break from routine is always welcome, so my next walkabout image series should be a little different.

DE LA PLAGE

There's a newish cafe on the scene for us northern suburbanites, who tend to spend our leisure beachtime around the beaches of Nightcliff and Casuarina. Although there are a few pop up food and coffee shacks along the foreshore these days, on the whole there's been a long-standing dearth of places to grab a drink and a snack.

A self-proclaimed 'Turkish-Belgian inspired beach cafe', De La Plage is a laid-back beachside establishment whose casually ramshackle setup alongside the Surf Lifesaving Club belies its delicious and not-unreasonably priced menu. Sitting in the cool shade of the foreshores wispy casuarina trees, it's the perfect spot to wile away the hours over the weekend - and often puts on some juicy tunes to boot.

Mostly staffed by a crew of the fairly constant flow of cute European backpackers that Darwin attracts for most of the dry season, the service is....ok, well to be honest it's a little on the slow side but then again this is not an eat and run kind of space either. It's a lazy day kind of cafe, where you'll get the most enjoyment by relaxing on the grass; at a table, in a hammock, on a beanbag or on your own rug, and watch the waves and the gulls until your order arrives...

KING TIDE

Over this side of the globe the phrase 'king tide' is just another way of describing the biggest of our high tides. As I recently mentioned, Darwin doesn't get much surf. What we do get though are some substantial tidal variations - approaching 8 metres in height. King tides happen a few times a year, but aren't especially noteworthy during the dry season when the winds are relatively calm. However a monsoon season king tide accompanied by stormy winds is the kind of event that gets people to the beach in droves. The evening's entertainment feature of recent days has been a churning sea accompanied by 10 metre high seawater plumes slamming into the rocky shore.

A RAINY EVENING AT THE BEACH

Highlights from an evening wander at Casuarina Beach.
I've been on many lovely beaches around the world, but this sandy strip of coast has a very unusual energy about it. Wandering with my hound in the evening, I often feel like I'm caught between two worlds - between this realm and the next. It's a relaxing way to finish off the day, floating between realities.

SURF'S UP

I know, I know...How could it get more cliche than an Aussie blogger living by the sea and using a lame surf catchphrase?

But I promise you, Darwin is stuck in one of the corners of Australia that gets almost zero surf. I suspect Darwin would be a much different place if we did (crocodiles and toxic jellyfish notwithstanding). And as such we don't have much of what would be considered stereotypical Australian beach culture up here.

IT'S BETTER TO TRAVEL ALONE THAN WITH A BAD COMPANION

How does that William Morris mantra to minimalism go again? “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful". (Great advice dude, but there are some people out there that think their room full of beanie babies is a beautiful thing, just saying.)  Granted, my idea to take a camera around more often as a better way to make use of my downtime was exactly what I needed (my DSLR is great, but it's not very practical to carry around day to day), but it seems my go-to point and shoot impulse buy from a couple of years ago is an awful piece of gadgetry...well, that is to say it works but doesn't come close to what I want out of a camera. Maybe I'm too picky, but it's decided - I don't like it and we're not friends.

LOW TIDE AT SUNSET

COCKATOO SUNSET

Red tailed black cockatoos at dusk. Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin

HERMIT PARTY

Last week I participated in the Darwin Harbour Clean Up Day, and headed out on the early ferry to Mandorah, a small community that is a short 15 minute ferry ride from the Darwin CBD, though by car it's closer to 2 hours! There is a pretty amazing assortment of shells on some of the more remote beaches around the Top End, so I tried to squeeze in a little shell collecting on the side too.

POSTCARDS FROM THE BEACH

BEAUDELAIRE BY THE BEACH

I think I would be happy in that place I happen not to be, and the question of moving house is a subject of perpetual dialogue I have with my soul ~Baudelaire.
 
Which is another way of saying I've decided, for a multitude of reasons, that it's time for me to move on - back to Australia. I've given myself a generous block of time to get ready, and will be heading off for the antipodes by Spring.