Records have already tumbled at Australia's biggest barramundi fishing competition, which is under way on the Daly River. Around 150 anglers, representing 50 teams, are battling it out for bragging rights at the 30th edition of the Barra Nationals, lining up at the crack of dawn for long days out on the water chasing the prized fish.
The event draws people from far and wide. Anglers have travelled from all over Australia to the remote Daly River, around three hours south of Darwin, for what is billed as the nation's biggest barramundi tournament. For many, the long trip is part of the appeal, with one describing the moment of driving through the gates ready to take it all on.
The fishing itself got off to a flying start. The first day of competition saw a record 465 barra caught, a haul that set the tone for the rest of the tournament and underlined why the Barra Nationals has built its reputation over three decades as a fixture on the northern fishing calendar.
The fish are not the only animals in the picture. Competitors said there were a lot more big crocodiles out of the water with the cooler weather, which they noted made it easier to spot them resting on the bank. Others described sharks everywhere, smashing into fish that anglers were trying to release before they could even swim away.
Simply holding the event this year was an achievement in itself. The tournament had been scheduled to get under way back in April, but record-breaking floods in March caused metres of erosion along the Daly River and left the host site under water in the weeks leading up to the competition.
That host site, Banyon Farm, has staged the event since 1998, and the flooding hit it hard. Organisers marked this year's water level against their 1998 marker, and described an aftermath in which around two metres of sand had piled up behind the bar and silt was left strewn across the grounds.
Despite that damage, the competition went ahead, with the grounds cleared enough to welcome the anglers back to the river. For the competitors who made the long journey, the record opening day suggested the Daly River had lost none of its pull, even after one of its most punishing wet seasons in recent times.