June 1, 2026 • 8 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Because we know that yesterday was the first of June
and that marks the first day of the season for
Surf Life Saving with the organization holding a raising of
the flag event well yesterday evening, I believe it was
at Nightcliff Beach, the urging people who want to take
a dip in the ocean to check, look and survive.
(00:21):
Joining us on the line now is Surf Life Saving
NT CEO Andrew McGinnis. Good morning to you, Andrew.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Yeah, good morning Katie Andrew.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
We know those beach patrols have now commenced it some
of Darwin's beaches whereabouts.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
So at Nightcliffe Beach we'll have a lifeguard every afternoon
from Monday to Saturday, and then on Sundays the volunteer
lifeguards from the Darwin Surflight Saving Club will be patrolling
in the morning and then again in the afternoon, and
the Mindle Beach Club they'll be patrolling East Point Beach
(00:58):
which is just across from the Lake Alexander there and
we'll also have lifeguards at the Mindle Beach Markets on
Thursday evenings and Sunday evenings.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Do you find many people get out and about in
the water. I mean it's I know that there's the patrols,
but there's still the risk of crocodiles and all sorts
of things in our water.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Yeah. Look, Nightcliffe Beach, just on Sunday alone, we had
probably two hundred and fifty people on the beach and
at any one time we had up to sixty seventy
people in the water. Nightcliffe Beach is becoming, i think,
the beach of choice, and maybe because it's a little
bit smaller and look, you know, it doesn't matter where
(01:42):
you go in the water and coastal region around Australia,
there are risks and that's one of the reasons why
we always promote come and swim at a patrol beach
where you know we're at least keeping an eye out
for those risks, those hazards and trying to keep territorians
as safe as possible if they want to enjoy the water.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Yeah, I totally agree. I think that it's it is
wonderful to have those lifeguards keeping a bit of an
eye out and keeping territorians safe. Now, tell me, we
obviously don't have the typical surf conditions here in the
Top End, except maybe during you know, during the wild
wet season. Swell yep a cruise. More so keeping an
eye out for crocodiles, for jellyfish, that kind of thing.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Yeah, so the volunteers they usually always next the beach
before they open it, just to check for box jellyfish.
At the moment, the environmental conditions are not conducive for jellyfish.
We actually haven't seen them for quite a few months
at the moment. But we do need to remind everyone that,
you know, stings have been recorded in every month of
(02:49):
the year, but at the moment we don't have the
environmental conditions for them, which is great. And yeah, just
like last savers keep an eye out for sharks and
other marine our lifeguards are doing the same. And obviously
you know, we keep a close eye on the socials
because look, if there is a crocodile that's moving through
our beaches, there's usually someone who's going to see it
(03:12):
and they'll put it up on socials, which means, you know,
information gets shared around very quickly.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Yes, spot on, what is the advice if somebody I know,
the conditions aren't quite right at the moment, but if
someone does receive a jellyfish sting, what do they need
to do?
Speaker 2 (03:28):
So vinegar is still the first DAID recommendation. So liberally
pouring vinegar over the area of the sting for at
least thirty seconds, it neutralizes the unfired the matters of
cells which are where the little darts come from that people. Unfortunately,
it won't do anything for the pain, but it certainly
will neutralize them from further invenimating you. And there's a
(03:52):
lot of research going on at the moment which is
actually just reinforced how effective vinegar is in that particular
first DAID treatment.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
Andrew tell me, do we get any sort of dangerous
conditions when you know, like if there are high winds
or anything like that. In terms of the environmental conditions.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Yeah, we're fairly lucky. In the dry season, we get
the afternoon sea breezes which come in from the northwest,
which gives us a little bit of a wave, but
we don't have the same sort of rips and large
wave conditions that you get down south. And the environmental
conditions where you tend to get jellyfish is not as
(04:30):
northwest winds. But you also need high cloud cover, high humidity,
and water temperature above sort of twenty five degrees and
at the moment we're on that cusp, we're on the
water temperature of the moment for about twenty five twenty
six degrees, So we don't have as I said, we
don't have those favorable environmental conditions for jellyfish.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Tell me in terms of the training that the life
savers do then as well here in the Northern Territory,
is it a bit different to what they need to
do in other states or is it just a bit extra,
you know, because we have some of the other things
that others maybe don't.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Yeah, we do the same training Australia wide, it is
just that little bit extra in say North Queensland, the
Northern Territory and Broom where we have surf clubs in
that sort of North Australia region. And that is the
first aid around jellyfish, you know, that's scanning for I
suppose what we call dangerous marine animals and obviously the
(05:28):
different ppe that we use for when we're dragging to
ensure that we keep our life savers safe whilst we're
looking for jellyfish.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
Are you always on the lookout for lifesavers? I mean
there might be some people listening this morning that go,
do you know what I used to be a lifesaver
in New South Wales or somewhere else. I'd like to
do the extra training.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Yep. Look, we're always looking for extra volunteers. It means
that reduces the workload on the volunteers that we have,
you know, to patrol the beaches. And as I said,
you know the certain beaches are actually becoming a lot
more popular. And we also have an ocean swim the
Darwen Surf Fly Saving Club has We have over three
hundred people doing that swim now and the Mindle Beach
(06:10):
Surfly Saving Club is looking at trying to run like
a smaller swim like that in the Sunny Bay region,
which is where the Darwin Club used to run their swim.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
So let us know if they get that off the ground,
we'll be more than happy to help you get the
word out. How you where's your favorite spot for a swim?
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Look? I live in Aurelia Street, so on one street
back from Nightcliff. Nightclis's my favorite. It is, along with
half a doar one. I think these.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Days it's become very fashionable with the young ones Andrew
all the teenagers, they like going a nightcliff for a swim.
It's a good spot. So's the one a next point there?
I reckon. I like going for a little dip at
east Point when it's patrolled.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Yeah, when it's a nice high tide at east Point,
it's a lovely little spot. And yeah, it's that little
corner and I don't know, it's certainly I can't say
that it is any safer than anywhere else, but people
have that perception that because it's a nice little, closed
all sort of you know, small bay that you know,
maybe they feel a bit safer.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Yeah maybe maybe. Hey, just remind us when and where
those patrols are happening so that our listeners, if they
are king, they can have a quick swim if they'd
like to.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Yep, So every afternoon at Nightcliffe usually between about two
to six pm, and then on Sunday mornings also at
Nightclift Beach Casorina Beach. Obviously the surf clubs there, so
they patrol on Sunday mornings and Sunday afternoons and that's
where they're nipper, so the young members can come and
(07:39):
play and get and get involved east Point Beach on
the weekends that they those times will vary a little bit,
so more on the high tides because obviously low tide
there's just no water there, and also the Middle Beach
markets on Thursday and Sunday evenings.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Well Andrew McGinnis, CEO Surf Life Saving here in the
Northern Territory. Lovely to catch up with you. Thank you
so much for your time this morning.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
No, I thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Katie, thank you
Because we know that yesterday was the first of June
and that marks the first day of the season for
Surf Life Saving with the organization holding a raising of
the flag event well yesterday evening, I believe it was
at Nightcliff Beach, the urging people who want to take
a dip in the ocean to check, look and survive.
(00:21):
Joining us on the line now is Surf Life Saving
NT CEO Andrew McGinnis. Good morning to you, Andrew.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Yeah, good morning Katie Andrew.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
We know those beach patrols have now commenced it some
of Darwin's beaches whereabouts.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
So at Nightcliffe Beach we'll have a lifeguard every afternoon
from Monday to Saturday, and then on Sundays the volunteer
lifeguards from the Darwin Surflight Saving Club will be patrolling
in the morning and then again in the afternoon, and
the Mindle Beach Club they'll be patrolling East Point Beach
(00:58):
which is just across from the Lake Alexander there and
we'll also have lifeguards at the Mindle Beach Markets on
Thursday evenings and Sunday evenings.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Do you find many people get out and about in
the water. I mean it's I know that there's the patrols,
but there's still the risk of crocodiles and all sorts
of things in our water.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Yeah. Look, Nightcliffe Beach, just on Sunday alone, we had
probably two hundred and fifty people on the beach and
at any one time we had up to sixty seventy
people in the water. Nightcliffe Beach is becoming, i think,
the beach of choice, and maybe because it's a little
bit smaller and look, you know, it doesn't matter where
(01:42):
you go in the water and coastal region around Australia,
there are risks and that's one of the reasons why
we always promote come and swim at a patrol beach
where you know we're at least keeping an eye out
for those risks, those hazards and trying to keep territorians
as safe as possible if they want to enjoy the water.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Yeah, I totally agree. I think that it's it is
wonderful to have those lifeguards keeping a bit of an
eye out and keeping territorians safe. Now, tell me, we
obviously don't have the typical surf conditions here in the
Top End, except maybe during you know, during the wild
wet season. Swell yep a cruise. More so keeping an
eye out for crocodiles, for jellyfish, that kind of thing.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Yeah, so the volunteers they usually always next the beach
before they open it, just to check for box jellyfish.
At the moment, the environmental conditions are not conducive for jellyfish.
We actually haven't seen them for quite a few months
at the moment. But we do need to remind everyone that,
you know, stings have been recorded in every month of
(02:49):
the year, but at the moment we don't have the
environmental conditions for them, which is great. And yeah, just
like last savers keep an eye out for sharks and
other marine our lifeguards are doing the same. And obviously
you know, we keep a close eye on the socials
because look, if there is a crocodile that's moving through
our beaches, there's usually someone who's going to see it
(03:12):
and they'll put it up on socials, which means, you know,
information gets shared around very quickly.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Yes, spot on, what is the advice if somebody I know,
the conditions aren't quite right at the moment, but if
someone does receive a jellyfish sting, what do they need
to do?
Speaker 2 (03:28):
So vinegar is still the first DAID recommendation. So liberally
pouring vinegar over the area of the sting for at
least thirty seconds, it neutralizes the unfired the matters of
cells which are where the little darts come from that people. Unfortunately,
it won't do anything for the pain, but it certainly
will neutralize them from further invenimating you. And there's a
(03:52):
lot of research going on at the moment which is
actually just reinforced how effective vinegar is in that particular
first DAID treatment.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
Andrew tell me, do we get any sort of dangerous
conditions when you know, like if there are high winds
or anything like that. In terms of the environmental conditions.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Yeah, we're fairly lucky. In the dry season, we get
the afternoon sea breezes which come in from the northwest,
which gives us a little bit of a wave, but
we don't have the same sort of rips and large
wave conditions that you get down south. And the environmental
conditions where you tend to get jellyfish is not as
(04:30):
northwest winds. But you also need high cloud cover, high humidity,
and water temperature above sort of twenty five degrees and
at the moment we're on that cusp, we're on the
water temperature of the moment for about twenty five twenty
six degrees, So we don't have as I said, we
don't have those favorable environmental conditions for jellyfish.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Tell me in terms of the training that the life
savers do then as well here in the Northern Territory,
is it a bit different to what they need to
do in other states or is it just a bit extra,
you know, because we have some of the other things
that others maybe don't.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Yeah, we do the same training Australia wide, it is
just that little bit extra in say North Queensland, the
Northern Territory and Broom where we have surf clubs in
that sort of North Australia region. And that is the
first aid around jellyfish, you know, that's scanning for I
suppose what we call dangerous marine animals and obviously the
(05:28):
different ppe that we use for when we're dragging to
ensure that we keep our life savers safe whilst we're
looking for jellyfish.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
Are you always on the lookout for lifesavers? I mean
there might be some people listening this morning that go,
do you know what I used to be a lifesaver
in New South Wales or somewhere else. I'd like to
do the extra training.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Yep. Look, we're always looking for extra volunteers. It means
that reduces the workload on the volunteers that we have,
you know, to patrol the beaches. And as I said,
you know the certain beaches are actually becoming a lot
more popular. And we also have an ocean swim the
Darwen Surf Fly Saving Club has We have over three
hundred people doing that swim now and the Mindle Beach
(06:10):
Surfly Saving Club is looking at trying to run like
a smaller swim like that in the Sunny Bay region,
which is where the Darwin Club used to run their swim.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
So let us know if they get that off the ground,
we'll be more than happy to help you get the
word out. How you where's your favorite spot for a swim?
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Look? I live in Aurelia Street, so on one street
back from Nightcliff. Nightclis's my favorite. It is, along with
half a doar one. I think these.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Days it's become very fashionable with the young ones Andrew
all the teenagers, they like going a nightcliff for a swim.
It's a good spot. So's the one a next point there?
I reckon. I like going for a little dip at
east Point when it's patrolled.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Yeah, when it's a nice high tide at east Point,
it's a lovely little spot. And yeah, it's that little
corner and I don't know, it's certainly I can't say
that it is any safer than anywhere else, but people
have that perception that because it's a nice little, closed
all sort of you know, small bay that you know,
maybe they feel a bit safer.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Yeah maybe maybe. Hey, just remind us when and where
those patrols are happening so that our listeners, if they
are king, they can have a quick swim if they'd
like to.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Yep, So every afternoon at Nightcliffe usually between about two
to six pm, and then on Sunday mornings also at
Nightclift Beach Casorina Beach. Obviously the surf clubs there, so
they patrol on Sunday mornings and Sunday afternoons and that's
where they're nipper, so the young members can come and
(07:39):
play and get and get involved east Point Beach on
the weekends that they those times will vary a little bit,
so more on the high tides because obviously low tide
there's just no water there, and also the Middle Beach
markets on Thursday and Sunday evenings.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Well Andrew McGinnis, CEO Surf Life Saving here in the
Northern Territory. Lovely to catch up with you. Thank you
so much for your time this morning.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
No, I thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Katie, thank you
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