VIDEO: Fireworks light up NT skies for Cracker Night
Noisy celebrations lit up our skies overnight as the Territory came alive with fireworks, concerts and community events to recognise the day the NT declared its independence.
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UPDATE, 7PM FRIDAY: MINDIL Beach was packed with Territorians and tourists from all over the country and the world, from as far afield as Sydney, Melbourne and the Sunshine Coast to Finland.
While sitting on the shores of Mindil Beach, tourist Paul King boldly claimed his sleepy town of Lakes Entrance in Victoria was the “furthest mainland town from Darwin” in a bid to prove just how far he had travelled for our iconic Territory Day celebrations.
“We haven’t experienced this for 50 odd years because we can’t do this in Vic,” Mr King said.
“We’ve spent up big today, 500 bucks or more between us. actually 700 bucks between us. We are reliving childhood memories, big time.”
Overall, locals and tourists were very well behaved and mostly abided by the initial legal cracker detonating time of 6pm.
However, one or two crackers were set off 15 minutes early while the afternoon sun sunk below the Mindil Beach horizon.
Once the July 1 daylight dissipated into night, that’s when the fun really began.
From every corner of the Top End, a fizz, bang, pop could be hear and impressive lightshows were in a 360 degree view.
EARLIER, 11AM FRIDAY: TERRITORY Day signifies something different to everyone but to most it means that for five hours, one night a year, lighting fireworks is legal.
Punters leaned into the childlike urge to light up the Territory sky and browsed for fireworks in a frenzy on Friday morning.
They kept cracker retailers across the Top End busy with thousands of Territory locals and tourists flocking to the shops to get their hot hands on a collection of gunpowder fuelled fun to burn after 6pm in celebration of Territory independence.
South Australia resident Garry McMurtrie was pleasantly surprised to find out that his planned holiday celebrating his wife Paula McMurtrie’s 60th birthday had conveniently coincided with Territory Day.
“We didn’t even know Cracker Night was on, an extra bonus it is,” Mr McMurtrie said.
“This will be great fun, they look pretty awesome, we’ll get some pretty things going in the sky.”
TERRITORY DAY: CRACKER NIGHT 2022
Mr McMurtrie said lighting up fireworks would bring a sense of nostalgia to the night and take him back to his childhood.
“As a kid growing up, we had fireworks in the SA but some clown prevented it from happening anymore, we thought this is alright so we can do it again and have some fun,” he said.
“It will be pretty in the sky, it’s good you can be romantic and it’s good that you can celebrate in this way.”
The couple went all out and splashed $500 in return for a 20kg box of fireworks.
“We didn’t expect to spend 500 bucks but that’s okay we’ll light it up tonight,” Mr McMurtrie said.
Siblings Erin and Matthew McCruddden were among many who lined up early Friday morning at the Stuart Park firework retailer to get first choice in the cracker collection on sale.
Originally from NSW, Alice Springs local Alex Edye said lighting up a cracker on Territory Day was one of the last finalities in becoming an official Territorian.
“I started with the rego, the partner and I thought I would do the fireworks too,” Mr Edye said.
“I spent $20 but my mate spent $250 on a box.
“The light show of fireworks is brilliant, it would be rude not to light one up.”
Cracker Night has become a dying tradition across Australia but luckily for Territorians, the chaotic night of unbridled fun has survived for yet another year and will go ahead for 2022.
What to do if you get burnt on Cracker Night?
STICKING a cracker up your clacker, holding a fizzing firework and getting blitzed during a bushfire: These are the call outs firefighters are hoping to avoid this Territory Day.
Assistant Chief Fire Officer Joshua Fischer said the six hour period was the busiest time in the year for fire crew.
“We ask you to enjoy Territory Day, but celebrate it the safe way,” he said.
“Make sure (crackers are) on a stable platform and they’re not going to fall over and become a projectile into crowds, buildings or cars.”
St John NT operations manager Craig Garraway told ABC Radio additional emergency operators and paramedics would be on the road just in case.
“(Burns do) happen across the Territory on NT Day, but most people in the main are pretty good and they are responsible and that's the main thing,” he said.
“We will have additional call takers on and we will also have paramedic, additional paramedics on the road. As I said, the workload for us doesn’t increase too much.
“It’s more for the fireys with all the grass fires because it’s so dry out there.
“If you’re responsible and you do things properly, you won’t have a requirement to ring triple-0 and we asked people only to triple-0 if it’s an emergency.
“Obviously our calls have gone through the roof and our resources are struggling to keep up with everything that’s going on.”
Mr Garraway referenced the iconic NT News headline “Why I stuck a cracker up my clacker” as what not do to on Territory Day.
“We do get the odd job as I said and you all remember the day of the cracker up the clacker”, he said.
“If you’re going to have a drink, get someone else to let the firecrackers off.
“Just do it safely and enjoy the day because we’re very lucky to have this day.”
Mr Garraway advised people on how to treat a burn if the unfortunate event arises.
“The first thing is to cool the area that’s been burnt,” he said.
“Wrap it with cling wrap to keep the air off it and keep it clean and then make a decision whether you need to ring triple-0 if it’s severe enough.
“You want to try and remove the clothing if you can, but obviously if it’s stuck to the skin, don’t tear it off, but we just want you to cool the area down.
“Pour the water over the area and once you get the cling wrap on the area, continue to pour water over it to keep it cool.
“You don’t really want to be using ice if you can get away with it.”
The St John NT operations manager was amazed about how many people still apply oil, butter or even peanut butter on burns.
“It’s a real old lifestyle and it’s probably the worst thing you can do.
“Water is what you want to use nothing else,” he said. “Just use water.”
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