Darwin 2011
When it rains in the tropics it really pours, and for the past four month Darwin has been experiencing one of the wettest seasons on record. To cope with the boredom I’ve been documenting some of the ways the locals pass their time during the slow season.
One of the main forms of entertainment around Darwin is the Bikini contest. YES, bikini contests and their close counterparts, Wet T shirt contests are a staple at many of the pubs and clubs along Mitchell St, Darwin’s main entertainment precinct. The contests are usually quite jovial and the bars pump.
For the young local women on stage it’s all about be noticed and gaining a little notoriety. Yet for some it can be a harsh, superficial and brutally honest experience. To be a swimwear model you have to put your body under the microscope in front of a room full of very vocal, very drunk, and very critical predominantly male audience. You have to be thick skinned to walk the walk, but the upside of it all is that it can be very financially rewards.
Love them or hate them the bikini contest is here to stay and all said and done it’s still about the appreciation of a fine female in a wondrous bikini, and many people (myself included) hope this never changes.
Darren Clark - April 2011
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