Surf Life Saving NT has three affiliated clubs, with 200 active surf lifesavers who patrol the beach each weekend from June to September across the Top End.
A beach patrol is a team of volunteer members rostered for duty at a specified time. Each patrol team has a Patrol Captain responsible for the coordination of the patrol and they concentrate on three important activities - Prevention - defining a swimming zone with red & yellow flags where lifesavers and lifesaving resources are concentrated, Recognition - watching for anyone in distress or suffering an injury and Rescue - responding to those in urgent need of help.
All qualified surf lifesavers wear the internationally recognised red and yellow patrol uniform and can be identified by wearing the red and yellow quartered cap, long sleeved yellow shirt, red shorts, swimming costume, and hat.
The red and yellow cap is an internationally recognised safety symbol and is proudly worn by surf lifesavers so they are easily identified by the public, particularly when they are performing patrol duties in the water. The cap is also worn by lifesavers for their own safety so they can easily be identified by fellow lifesavers.
Casuarina Beach is home to Darwin Surf Life Saving Club, and is part of the Casuarina Coastal Reserve, a 1180 ha reserve which encompasses the entire 4.5 km long beach as well as Lee Point.
The reserve offers a wide range of recreation facilities, as well as a section for nude bathing. The continuous sand beach begins on the eastern side of the Dripstone Cliffs and consists of a wide high tide beach, fronted by 200-300 m wide intertidal sand flats containing two low ridges and runnels. The beach terminates at rock flats that lie off sandy Lee Point. The surf club is located toward the southern end of the beach and is surrounded by the grassy reserve.
Darwin SLSC's volunteer lifesavers patrol Casuarina Beach on Saturday and Sunday's during the Dry Season.
For more information about Casuarina Beach, visit the Beachsafe website by clicking here.
Darwin SLSC patrols Nightcliff Beach on high tides Sunday's during the Dry Season.
Nightcliff beach is backed by eroding bluffs that are protected by a rubble seawall, with claystone rock platforms at either end of the 300 m long beach. A road runs along the top of the bluffs with two walkways down to the beach. The beach is moderately steep and narrow at high tide, while 200 m wide sand and some rock flats are exposed at low tide. It is separated from its neighbouring beach by a 200m wide, 10m high headland, with a public swimming pool and park located on the headland.
For more information about Nightcliff Beach, visit the Beachsafe website by clicking here.
Mindil Beach Surf Life Saving Club patrols this section of the Darwin coastline on Sundays during the Dry Season. They are also on hand to help provide assistance to any users of Lake Alexander right behind them.
The main beach terminates at some low scraped bluffs which is part of the East Point Recreation Reserve. This 1.5 km long beach curves round to face southwest and terminates in amongst the mangroves and rocks in lee of Dudley Point.
For more information about East Point Beach, visit the Beachsafe website by clicking here.
Mindil Beach is Darwin’s most famous and popular beach, site of the casino and the night markets, and backed by the large Mindil Beach reserve. The 500m long beach faces west and is bordered by 15m high Myilly and Bullocky points. It consists of a moderately steep 100m wide high tide beach, fronted by 200m wide low tide sand flats.
SLSNT Lifeguards patrol from 2.00-6.00pm Thursday to Sunday and when there is an incoming tide the same times on Monday to Wednesday.
For more information about Mindil Beach, visit the Beachsafe website by clicking here.
Town Beach (also known as Gadalathami Beach) is the main surfing beach for the Nhulunbuy-Gove region and home to Gove Peninsula Surf Life Saving Club. The club was established in 1974 and patrols the beach between May and October. The clubhouse is located on grassy bluffs at the very southern end of the beach, where it offers views up the beach and is backed by a large car park.
The beach is 3.3 km long and faces east, and is afforded some protection from the waves by Cape Arnhem, with waves averaging about 1m in height. They maintain a steep coarse sand beach fronted by a flat 50m wide low tide bar, together with some rocks in the surf in front of the club house.
For more information about Town Beach, visit the Beachsafe website by clicking here.
