Viking funeral brings the crowds to Dinah Beach Cruising Yacht Association
Norse men and women flaunted their costumes for the iconic annual Darwin Viking Funeral. Check out all the pictures.
Northern Territory
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Well-crafted costumes and another successful boat burning sendoff to Valhalla ensured the Dinah Beach Viking Funeral was once again a roaring success in 2024.
Touted as a highlight event for any Territorian who has had the pleasure of attending, the Viking Funeral was once again watched by more than 1600 dressed up attendees.
Paul Butler has helped build the boat for the past 14 years and this year had some help from Flinn Hayward, who painted part of the vessel.
And for him it’s “hands down” the best thing to come to in the Top End.
“It’s awesome, it’s the best thing that happens in Darwin every year,” Mr Butler said.
“It takes two weeks to build the boat and then it burns in about two hours. We make the frame, plank it up and then burn it, it’s awesome to be a part of the event.”
Storm Barber-Reynolds has been to several Viking funerals and said it was an experience everyone had to come down for at least once.
“It’s always a wonderful time with great people and a great community,” she said.
“You’ve got to be here when they burn the boat and send the Viking to Valhalla otherwise you’re missing out on a once in a lifetime experience.
“It’s an 11 out of 10 experience, if you don’t come down you’re really missing out.”
Dinah Beach Cruising Yacht Association general manager Wendy McCallum said the signature event held a special spot in the Territory calendar.
The Dinah Beach location inherited the tradition in the 90s, and Ms McCallum said it was great to have it become a highlight event of the year.
“This is our signature event, we love that everyone just goes to so much effort with their costumes and the community really gets behind us,”
“The highlight of course is the burning of the boat, which is a tribute to vessels that are decommissioned and the sailors that have passed away.
“It’s such a unique event that really resonates, when you’re dressed as a Viking you feel so much more alive, particularly coming off cracker night you get to have that old Darwin feeling a little longer.”
ALL THE PHOTOS
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