99 red balloons

If there's one thing Territorians know how to do, it is party. And that's party with a capital F for firecracker. It's firecracker night in Darwin, otherwise known as Territory Day, and even now the dogs of war are being released over my head.

The view from my balcony down over the bay is pretty good at any time, but spectacular with hundreds of fireworks being released all over the city.

Earlier, I went down to Fanny Bay to join the multitudes in setting off fireworks on the beach with some friends. We had a prime position near Mindel and the Casino and the view was amazing.

I had been finding it difficult to motivate myself to join in (drunken Territorians trying to blow off bits of themselves didn't seem like a good time, at least in theory) but changed my mind at sunset when my neighbourhood simply went off. No time to be at home.

Now the city is covered by a thick pall of smoke, fire engines are racing everywhere, there are distant sounds of people cheering and...I think...yes, one of my neighbours has possibly just set fire to that tree. Time to hose the balcony down.

Darwinians certainly don't do anything by halves.