The winter solstice is usually a time for huddling indoors and staying warm, but in Hobart it’s a time for stripping off and plunging into the icy River Derwent naked.
2,000 brave souls gathered at Long Beach in Sandy Bay this morning to mark the end of Hobart’s Dark Mofo winter festival with the now-famous nude swim.
In its milestone 10th year, the swim showed off its strong spirit despite the familiar chill that settled in overnight, with temperatures hovering around 3 degrees Celsius, with a ‘feels like’ temperature of -2C.
Meanwhile in the water, the temperature was around 11 degrees.
As the sun rose over the beach, drummers signalled the approaching solstice moment and the swimmers shed their towels and ran towards the water – naked.
This swim wraps up the two-week festival, which injects millions into Hobart’s economy during the winter tourism season.
