It is a Northern Territory tradition unlike any other. Darwin’s beer can regatta is held every year at the city’s famous Mindil Beach. This year marks a half century of the event, where participants build boats out of beer cans or something similar and hopes for the best.
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00:00Ahead of its maiden voyage, one year's worth of work went into this beauty, the drinking
00:09of nearly 3,000 cans of a beer that inspired the theme for this team.
00:14It's VB, so VB for Virgin Brides, and we're not the most bridley ladies, but we are today.
00:21Today's our special day.
00:23It's their first time competing in the event that's been going strong since 1974.
00:28It's our first time building, we're not sure it will stay together, but fingers crossed
00:32we'll be happy.
00:33Virgin Builders.
00:34Virgin Brides.
00:35I just feel like we could walk on water today though, I just feel elated.
00:39Part race, part water fight, the beer can regatta is the stuff of top end myth and legend.
00:47Tourists enjoying the Darwin dry season flock to the beach for the fun taking place on land
00:52as well as on water.
00:53Apparently there was a thong throwing contest earlier on which I missed, so...
00:57You haven't missed it.
00:58Is it on soon, is it?
00:59It's coming up.
01:00Awesome.
01:01Got them ready to go.
01:02It's just unbelievable, isn't it?
01:03A boat out of a beer can?
01:05Wow.
01:06I mean, if this doesn't encapsulate Darwin, I don't know what does.
01:09This is just such a gorgeously random event.
01:13There are teams that have travelled thousands of kilometres and local school kids using
01:18milk cartons who've built their boats in class.
01:21Many come together just in time for the big day, but not in time for a float test.
01:27We didn't work too scared, so we put it in for the first time today and it's floating
01:30better than we thought.
01:31This year's winners bounced back from last year's defeat.
01:36From the bottom to the top.
01:38But it's not all about winning.
01:39Bloody hard work, team did great, we all jumped in, took it quarter by quarter, made it in
01:43the end.
01:44Anyone who doesn't have to swim back can celebrate.