The annual football grand final and art sale give visitors a special insight into our remote Tiwi Islands.
Story + Photo Anna Kantilaftas
Nestled between the Arafura and Timor seas, just 80km north of Darwin, the Tiwi Islands – which include Bathurst and Melville islands – feel worlds away from mainland Australia. Usually only accessible with a permit or via an organised tour, the islands have long remained an off-the-beaten path destination, frequented mostly by fervid fishermen and those searching for unique football talent.
Every year in March, however, the Tiwi Islands opens its shores to welcome people from all over – permit free – for the football grand final and art sale hosted in Wurrumiyanga on Bathurst Island.
This story excerpt is from Issue #138
Outback Magazine: August/September 2021
