Opening Night Tuesday 15 September 6pm to 8pm
Artist Talk Saturday 19 September 2pm. Register here
This years’ Wet Season was biblical! The rainfall total of 2400mm from October to April was 44% above average.
The Top End Wet season is a season of instability and extremes. The monsoonal winds: a sea breeze the size of a continent bring in dense moisture laden warm air and the atmosphere is palpable.
Variations in temperature, electrical charge and water vapour feed the instability of these huge moisture laden clouds. The horizon disappears to the rolling rumble of thunder that rattles household objects and the crackle of lightning that flashes daylight bright. Waves pound the shore and the hermit crabs climb nearby trees for safety.
The impact is profound for the environment and its communities and part of the unique identity of the Top End.
The first rains cleanse and refresh everything; washing away the dust and bushfire ash layers and steam rises off the roads. A huge sigh is released across the Top End to the joyous smell of petrichor! It rains for days sometimes weeks, and the Spear Grass grows from seed to 2 metres in the blink of an eye.
The last rains – the Knock-em-downs force the Spear Grass seed heads to the ground where their tail like awns absorb moisture making them twist and screw the seed into the wet earth to lie in wait over the dry for the following wet season.
- Winsome Jobling, 2026
