Gove Peninsula to host the 2024 NT Surf Life Saving Championships

A hazardous two-day drive, stingers and crocs are water under the bridge for the Top End’s brave surf life savers. Here’s everything you need to know about the 2024 NT Champs.

Gove Peninsula will play host to this year’s Surf Life Saving Championships.

The allure of waves and competition is too good to turn down for some Top End water bugs as they prepare for the 2024 Northern Territory Surf Life Saving Championships.

Despite the distance, remote locality, and danger, athletes will take to the water at Gove Peninsula this weekend as they proudly represent their clubs with a chance to stand atop the podium.

Gove Peninsula SLSC will play host to Darwin and Mindil surf life savers for the first time since 2019, in what will also be a celebration of the club’s 50th year anniversary.

Located in Arnhem Land on the Territory’s northeastern tip, the competition will be held at Town Beach, Nhulunbuy, an area known for stingers and the occasional saltwater crocodile sighting.

Nonetheless, the possibility of waves is more than enough reason for the athletes to take to the water.

“The beach environment has all the hazards of Northern Australian beaches,” Darwin SLSC’s president Michelle Taylor said.

“With Gove we are most excited by the possibility of waves.

“In Darwin we only have waves in the wet season so the chance of catching one there is high for this time of the year.

“I believe they are cleaner waves than Darwin and come in sets like down south.”

The competitors will need to keep their eyes peeled at the champs. Picture: Brendan Radke.

The competitors from Darwin will also have to combat a steeper beach than they’re used to.

“The other difference is that their beaches are steeper which means the surf boat rowers need to change the manner in which they enter the boat at the start of the race,” Taylor explained.

“Instead of doing a step in start, we have to do what we call a ‘bum start’, where you have to use your arms as a lever and slide yourself over the side of the boat.

“We have quite a few bruises from practising that in the lead up.”

Unfortunately for the Darwin and Mindil outfits, their youngest members who are still in school will not be able to attend the meet due to the travel requiring a two-day drive.

“Gove is quite a distance to travel and we have five car loads going over,” Taylor said.

“The roads can be hazardous so we are getting our vehicles prepared for the drive.

Senior competitor Bob Creek will be representing DSLSC at the Championships. Picture: Facebook.

“We usually have all ages competing in the championships but this year we don’t have any nippers (5-12) or cadets (13-17) attending as holding it during the school term affected their ability to travel.

“We do have masters and open age athletes and we will have competitors in all the senior races.

“It’s a shame that we don’t have the added vibe of the kids and their families but Gove nippers will be competing.”

In the juniors’ absence, one of Darwin’s most senior members Bob Creek will make the trek east with the crew and at 75 years old, Creek is said to turn back the clock as he sprints up and down the sand.

Wayne MacMahon (Wayno) and Andrew McGuinness will compete alongside Creek in the Masters, the pair described as solid ski paddlers and swimmers.

Darwin will also see a female surf boat crew of three different Darwin crews team up for the champs, comprised of two rowing veterans and two newbies to the sport.