Primal moment: nudes brave icy waters for solstice swim
Wearing nothing but red swim caps, 3000 souls took the annual nude sunrise plunge into Hobart's River Derwent to mark the winter solstice on Saturday.
The water temperature was about 13C as the naked pack took to the river at 7.40am, sparking shrieks and anguished yells.
Liz Cannard, who has been travelling around Tasmania for almost four months with her husband, said she was petrified before taking the dip.
"I'm not a strong swimmer and I don't take my gear off for anybody ... so I've ticked off a couple of things today," the Geelong resident said.
Lizzy Nash from Sydney was also in the mood for a bit of carpe diem.
"It's about seizing the moment, seizing life and being inspired," she said.
"This is the sort of thing that motivates you to want to do more and challenge yourself. It was awe-inspiring and I absolutely loved it."
The free swim is part of the Dark Mofo festival and started with just a few hundred participants in 2013.
Melburnian Belinda Chambers has been watching people do it on television for years and decided to work remotely from Tasmania for the festival so she could stay and leave on a high.
"So exhilarating," she said post swim.
"I was nervous but there was this almost primal moment of everyone being together that carries you along, and a sense of pure happiness."
Dark Mofo festival returned to its full pomp in 2025 after running a reduced program in 2024 so it could find a more sustainable financial model.
It has made a name for itself by courting controversy and in 2018 drew the ire of some by installing inverted Christian crosses along Hobart's waterfront.
Festival artistic director Chris Twite said the swim was a tremendous way to bring things to a close.
"The response in 2025 has been incredible," he said.
"The streets of Hobart have come alive with locals and visitors celebrating winter and Dark Mofo again."
University of Queensland psychologists surveyed swimmers in previous years before and after they took the plunge and found a significant boost in feelings of connection.
"People told us about whether they felt pain and pleasure during the swim," Laura Ferris said.
"And those who rated their swim as pleasurable also felt more social connection with the other people around them."
It is an example of people seeking out aversive experiences, such as eating extremely spicy food or watching horror movies.
"This is what psychologists call 'benign masochism'," Dr Ferris said.
That could be the optimal term for expeditioners at Australia's four Antarctic and sub-Antarctic research stations, who also celebrated the solstice with a much-colder traditional plunge.
At the three Antarctic stations, a hole is cut in the sea ice each year and expeditioners have a quick dip in the sub-zero waters.
"The shock is closely followed by a rush, which is quickly followed by a scramble to the ladder to get the hell out of that water," Mawson Station leader Dave Roberts said.
"Ironically, the water is warmer than the wind chill, so it's all a bit confusing but totally worth it."
Those on the sub-Antarctic base at Macquarie Island have it mildly easier for their beach swims, with temperatures hovering from 2C to 4C.
A shared meal and the exchanging of gifts and awards round out expedition festivities for the solstice, which is historically the most important day on the Australian Antarctic calendar.
"It's the soul of the Antarctic winter," Casey Station leader Andy Warton said.
Swimmers have stripped off and braved brisk waters on the shortest day of the year.
Wearing nothing but red swim caps, 3000 souls took the annual nude sunrise plunge into Hobart's River Derwent to mark the winter solstice on Saturday.
The water temperature was about 13C as the naked pack took to the river at 7.40am, sparking shrieks and anguished yells.
Liz Cannard, who has been travelling around Tasmania for almost four months with her husband, said she was petrified before taking the dip.
"I'm not a strong swimmer and I don't take my gear off for anybody ... so I've ticked off a couple of things today," the Geelong resident said.
Lizzy Nash from Sydney was also in the mood for a bit of carpe diem.
"It's about seizing the moment, seizing life and being inspired," she said.
"This is the sort of thing that motivates you to want to do more and challenge yourself. It was awe-inspiring and I absolutely loved it."
The free swim is part of the Dark Mofo festival and started with just a few hundred participants in 2013.
Melburnian Belinda Chambers has been watching people do it on television for years and decided to work remotely from Tasmania for the festival so she could stay and leave on a high.
"So exhilarating," she said post swim.
"I was nervous but there was this almost primal moment of everyone being together that carries you along, and a sense of pure happiness."
Dark Mofo festival returned to its full pomp in 2025 after running a reduced program in 2024 so it could find a more sustainable financial model.
It has made a name for itself by courting controversy and in 2018 drew the ire of some by installing inverted Christian crosses along Hobart's waterfront.
Festival artistic director Chris Twite said the swim was a tremendous way to bring things to a close.
"The response in 2025 has been incredible," he said.
"The streets of Hobart have come alive with locals and visitors celebrating winter and Dark Mofo again."
University of Queensland psychologists surveyed swimmers in previous years before and after they took the plunge and found a significant boost in feelings of connection.
"People told us about whether they felt pain and pleasure during the swim," Laura Ferris said.
"And those who rated their swim as pleasurable also felt more social connection with the other people around them."
It is an example of people seeking out aversive experiences, such as eating extremely spicy food or watching horror movies.
"This is what psychologists call 'benign masochism'," Dr Ferris said.
That could be the optimal term for expeditioners at Australia's four Antarctic and sub-Antarctic research stations, who also celebrated the solstice with a much-colder traditional plunge.
At the three Antarctic stations, a hole is cut in the sea ice each year and expeditioners have a quick dip in the sub-zero waters.
"The shock is closely followed by a rush, which is quickly followed by a scramble to the ladder to get the hell out of that water," Mawson Station leader Dave Roberts said.
"Ironically, the water is warmer than the wind chill, so it's all a bit confusing but totally worth it."
Those on the sub-Antarctic base at Macquarie Island have it mildly easier for their beach swims, with temperatures hovering from 2C to 4C.
A shared meal and the exchanging of gifts and awards round out expedition festivities for the solstice, which is historically the most important day on the Australian Antarctic calendar.
"It's the soul of the Antarctic winter," Casey Station leader Andy Warton said.
Swimmers have stripped off and braved brisk waters on the shortest day of the year.
Wearing nothing but red swim caps, 3000 souls took the annual nude sunrise plunge into Hobart's River Derwent to mark the winter solstice on Saturday.
The water temperature was about 13C as the naked pack took to the river at 7.40am, sparking shrieks and anguished yells.
Liz Cannard, who has been travelling around Tasmania for almost four months with her husband, said she was petrified before taking the dip.
"I'm not a strong swimmer and I don't take my gear off for anybody ... so I've ticked off a couple of things today," the Geelong resident said.
Lizzy Nash from Sydney was also in the mood for a bit of carpe diem.
"It's about seizing the moment, seizing life and being inspired," she said.
"This is the sort of thing that motivates you to want to do more and challenge yourself. It was awe-inspiring and I absolutely loved it."
The free swim is part of the Dark Mofo festival and started with just a few hundred participants in 2013.
Melburnian Belinda Chambers has been watching people do it on television for years and decided to work remotely from Tasmania for the festival so she could stay and leave on a high.
"So exhilarating," she said post swim.
"I was nervous but there was this almost primal moment of everyone being together that carries you along, and a sense of pure happiness."
Dark Mofo festival returned to its full pomp in 2025 after running a reduced program in 2024 so it could find a more sustainable financial model.
It has made a name for itself by courting controversy and in 2018 drew the ire of some by installing inverted Christian crosses along Hobart's waterfront.
Festival artistic director Chris Twite said the swim was a tremendous way to bring things to a close.
"The response in 2025 has been incredible," he said.
"The streets of Hobart have come alive with locals and visitors celebrating winter and Dark Mofo again."
University of Queensland psychologists surveyed swimmers in previous years before and after they took the plunge and found a significant boost in feelings of connection.
"People told us about whether they felt pain and pleasure during the swim," Laura Ferris said.
"And those who rated their swim as pleasurable also felt more social connection with the other people around them."
It is an example of people seeking out aversive experiences, such as eating extremely spicy food or watching horror movies.
"This is what psychologists call 'benign masochism'," Dr Ferris said.
That could be the optimal term for expeditioners at Australia's four Antarctic and sub-Antarctic research stations, who also celebrated the solstice with a much-colder traditional plunge.
At the three Antarctic stations, a hole is cut in the sea ice each year and expeditioners have a quick dip in the sub-zero waters.
"The shock is closely followed by a rush, which is quickly followed by a scramble to the ladder to get the hell out of that water," Mawson Station leader Dave Roberts said.
"Ironically, the water is warmer than the wind chill, so it's all a bit confusing but totally worth it."
Those on the sub-Antarctic base at Macquarie Island have it mildly easier for their beach swims, with temperatures hovering from 2C to 4C.
A shared meal and the exchanging of gifts and awards round out expedition festivities for the solstice, which is historically the most important day on the Australian Antarctic calendar.
"It's the soul of the Antarctic winter," Casey Station leader Andy Warton said.
Swimmers have stripped off and braved brisk waters on the shortest day of the year.
Wearing nothing but red swim caps, 3000 souls took the annual nude sunrise plunge into Hobart's River Derwent to mark the winter solstice on Saturday.
The water temperature was about 13C as the naked pack took to the river at 7.40am, sparking shrieks and anguished yells.
Liz Cannard, who has been travelling around Tasmania for almost four months with her husband, said she was petrified before taking the dip.
"I'm not a strong swimmer and I don't take my gear off for anybody ... so I've ticked off a couple of things today," the Geelong resident said.
Lizzy Nash from Sydney was also in the mood for a bit of carpe diem.
"It's about seizing the moment, seizing life and being inspired," she said.
"This is the sort of thing that motivates you to want to do more and challenge yourself. It was awe-inspiring and I absolutely loved it."
The free swim is part of the Dark Mofo festival and started with just a few hundred participants in 2013.
Melburnian Belinda Chambers has been watching people do it on television for years and decided to work remotely from Tasmania for the festival so she could stay and leave on a high.
"So exhilarating," she said post swim.
"I was nervous but there was this almost primal moment of everyone being together that carries you along, and a sense of pure happiness."
Dark Mofo festival returned to its full pomp in 2025 after running a reduced program in 2024 so it could find a more sustainable financial model.
It has made a name for itself by courting controversy and in 2018 drew the ire of some by installing inverted Christian crosses along Hobart's waterfront.
Festival artistic director Chris Twite said the swim was a tremendous way to bring things to a close.
"The response in 2025 has been incredible," he said.
"The streets of Hobart have come alive with locals and visitors celebrating winter and Dark Mofo again."
University of Queensland psychologists surveyed swimmers in previous years before and after they took the plunge and found a significant boost in feelings of connection.
"People told us about whether they felt pain and pleasure during the swim," Laura Ferris said.
"And those who rated their swim as pleasurable also felt more social connection with the other people around them."
It is an example of people seeking out aversive experiences, such as eating extremely spicy food or watching horror movies.
"This is what psychologists call 'benign masochism'," Dr Ferris said.
That could be the optimal term for expeditioners at Australia's four Antarctic and sub-Antarctic research stations, who also celebrated the solstice with a much-colder traditional plunge.
At the three Antarctic stations, a hole is cut in the sea ice each year and expeditioners have a quick dip in the sub-zero waters.
"The shock is closely followed by a rush, which is quickly followed by a scramble to the ladder to get the hell out of that water," Mawson Station leader Dave Roberts said.
"Ironically, the water is warmer than the wind chill, so it's all a bit confusing but totally worth it."
Those on the sub-Antarctic base at Macquarie Island have it mildly easier for their beach swims, with temperatures hovering from 2C to 4C.
A shared meal and the exchanging of gifts and awards round out expedition festivities for the solstice, which is historically the most important day on the Australian Antarctic calendar.
"It's the soul of the Antarctic winter," Casey Station leader Andy Warton said.
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Sydney Morning Herald
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Sperling studied at St Mary's University in Twickenham, and became an NHS nurse specialising in paediatric care at Evelina London Children's Hospital. The Princess of Wales has been a patron of the hospital since 2018. Despite finding such an admirable vocation, in a 2009 interview with the Daily Mail for an article about young women and faith, Sperling confessed that her faith had become 'dormant' when she moved to the capital. She said: 'Somehow it didn't seem relevant to my life in London, going to famous nightclubs and spending a lot of time in Ibiza during the summer. I was a real party girl.' But the end of a seven-year relationship marked a turning point: 'I went to church as I felt there was something missing.' Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling at The Royal Charity Polo Cup. Credit:She chose St Paul's in Onslow Square, west London, Sperling said, because of its 'intimate feel' and its active engagement with the wider community. It had brought her a sense of fulfilment and peace, she said, adding: 'I pray not only on Sunday, but all the time, often just quietly to myself.' That helped her with her job, which could be 'quite stressful and emotionally engaging'. Sperling once told a magazine she had a particular passion for 'early brain development', and in 2010 she was part of a heroic medical team that helped save the life of critically ill baby Phineas, who had been struck down by a deadly virus. Speaking in 2012, Sperling said: 'Just 20 minutes after receiving the call to collect Phineas, the retrieval team were on our way in an intensive care ambulance.' In 2012 Sperling, who was previously married to fitness instructor Antonio St John Sperling, gave birth to her own child: daughter Georgia. But, writing for Christian magazine Woman Alive in March last year, she revealed that she had brought Georgia up on her own. 'Resources were scarce and the future was uncertain,' she said. 'Yet, in the absence of material security, I discovered the strength and life that comes from true, selfless love.' She said: 'My daughter and I journeyed 10 years with only each other. I liken us to an island and it has often felt hard to imagine anyone joining that island.' However, at around this time, someone new did enter her life. Sperling reportedly met Phillips, 47, at a sporting event involving their similarly aged children. Phillips has two daughters, Savannah, 14, and Isla, 13, with his Canadian ex-wife Autumn Kelly (the pair divorced in 2021). Phillips and Sperling's public debut in May 2024 at the Badminton Horse Trials was also a family affair, attended by Phillips's daughters, his sister Zara Tindall and her husband Mike, and the Queen. It was Sperling's first time in the media spotlight, yet she appeared to take it all in her stride. A friend of Phillips told The Telegraph the pair were 'enjoying each other's company and spending time together like any normal couple', while an onlooker said of Sperling: 'She looked very happy and relaxed in his company and pleased to be shown off at one of the biggest social events in the equestrian world.' Sporting occasions played a large part in the couple's summer of love. In the June, they were spotted in the VIP tent at the Beaufort Polo Club in Gloucestershire, and that month they also attended Royal Ascot, where Sperling met the King and Queen. One year on from their first public outing, Sperling and Phillips returned to the Badminton Horse Trials, this time cheering on Zara Tindall, who was being awarded the event's Armada Dish. Sperling also joined the family at the Bahrain Grand Prix in April, where she spent time with Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie; in Wimbledon's royal box, alongside the Queen; and at the Royal Charity Polo Cup in Windsor, in support of Prince William. But it was another event that truly cemented Sperling's place as a future royal bride. In June, she made her royal carriage debut in the procession at Ascot, accompanying Phillips in carriage three. That suggested Sperling, who appears to have slotted naturally into the Firm, had been given the official seal of approval. Even so, it was a surprise on Friday when she and Phillips announced their betrothal. The news came via Hello! magazine, which published two photographs of the couple (in which Sperling showed off her diamond engagement ring, estimated by one expert to cost at least £10,000) shortly after Phillips and Sperling had spoken to the King and Queen. The choice of magazine prompted reminders of Phillips's first wedding, in 2008, when he caused controversy by selling the exclusive photographic rights to Hello! for a reported £500,000, allegedly angering the late queen, who had not been consulted in advance. The pictures marking Phillips' and Sperling's engagement, however, are said to have been taken privately and it is understood no commercial arrangement was made with Hello! or any other publication. The couple have yet to announce a date for their wedding. Leading designers will surely be champing at the bit to dress Sperling. She has won praise for the elegant way in which she mixes high street brands such as Zara with royal-approved British designers. In her engagement photos, Sperling is wearing a white cheesecloth top and skirt set by Me+Em, a home-grown label favoured by the Princess of Wales. Loading It's likely that the couple's new blended family will be highlighted in the ceremony, perhaps with their three daughters acting as bridesmaids. Savannah and Isla previously took that role at Princess Eugenie's wedding in 2018. As both an elegant figure, coolly unfazed by public duties, and a hard-working NHS nurse and single mother, Sperling is the ideal fit for a gradually modernising institution. It appears she's not just a great match for Phillips: she could be the royal family's shining new star. The Telegraph, London
The Age
03-08-2025
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How paediatric nurse Harriet Sperling became a royal fiancée
Sperling studied at St Mary's University in Twickenham, and became an NHS nurse specialising in paediatric care at Evelina London Children's Hospital. The Princess of Wales has been a patron of the hospital since 2018. Despite finding such an admirable vocation, in a 2009 interview with the Daily Mail for an article about young women and faith, Sperling confessed that her faith had become 'dormant' when she moved to the capital. She said: 'Somehow it didn't seem relevant to my life in London, going to famous nightclubs and spending a lot of time in Ibiza during the summer. I was a real party girl.' But the end of a seven-year relationship marked a turning point: 'I went to church as I felt there was something missing.' She chose St Paul's in Onslow Square, west London, Sperling said, because of its 'intimate feel' and its active engagement with the wider community. It had brought her a sense of fulfilment and peace, she said, adding: 'I pray not only on Sunday, but all the time, often just quietly to myself.' That helped her with her job, which could be 'quite stressful and emotionally engaging'. Sperling once told a magazine she had a particular passion for 'early brain development', and in 2010 she was part of a heroic medical team that helped save the life of critically ill baby Phineas, who had been struck down by a deadly virus. Speaking in 2012, Sperling said: 'Just 20 minutes after receiving the call to collect Phineas, the retrieval team were on our way in an intensive care ambulance.' In 2012 Sperling, who was previously married to fitness instructor Antonio St John Sperling, gave birth to her own child: daughter Georgia. But, writing for Christian magazine Woman Alive in March last year, she revealed that she had brought Georgia up on her own. 'Resources were scarce and the future was uncertain,' she said. 'Yet, in the absence of material security, I discovered the strength and life that comes from true, selfless love.' She said: 'My daughter and I journeyed 10 years with only each other. I liken us to an island and it has often felt hard to imagine anyone joining that island.' However, at around this time, someone new did enter her life. Sperling reportedly met Phillips, 47, at a sporting event involving their similarly aged children. Phillips has two daughters, Savannah, 14, and Isla, 13, with his Canadian ex-wife Autumn Kelly (the pair divorced in 2021). Phillips and Sperling's public debut in May 2024 at the Badminton Horse Trials was also a family affair, attended by Phillips's daughters, his sister Zara Tindall and her husband Mike, and the Queen. It was Sperling's first time in the media spotlight, yet she appeared to take it all in her stride. A friend of Phillips told The Telegraph the pair were 'enjoying each other's company and spending time together like any normal couple', while an onlooker said of Sperling: 'She looked very happy and relaxed in his company and pleased to be shown off at one of the biggest social events in the equestrian world.' Sporting occasions played a large part in the couple's summer of love. In the June, they were spotted in the VIP tent at the Beaufort Polo Club in Gloucestershire, and that month they also attended Royal Ascot, where Sperling met the King and Queen. One year on from their first public outing, Sperling and Phillips returned to the Badminton Horse Trials, this time cheering on Zara Tindall, who was being awarded the event's Armada Dish. Sperling also joined the family at the Bahrain Grand Prix in April, where she spent time with Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie; in Wimbledon's royal box, alongside the Queen; and at the Royal Charity Polo Cup in Windsor, in support of Prince William. But it was another event that truly cemented Sperling's place as a future royal bride. In June, she made her royal carriage debut in the procession at Ascot, accompanying Phillips in carriage three. That suggested Sperling, who appears to have slotted naturally into the Firm, had been given the official seal of approval. Even so, it was a surprise on Friday when she and Phillips announced their betrothal. The news came via Hello! magazine, which published two photographs of the couple (in which Sperling showed off her diamond engagement ring, estimated by one expert to cost at least £10,000) shortly after Phillips and Sperling had spoken to the King and Queen. The choice of magazine prompted reminders of Phillips's first wedding, in 2008, when he caused controversy by selling the exclusive photographic rights to Hello! for a reported £500,000, allegedly angering the late queen, who had not been consulted in advance. The pictures marking Phillips' and Sperling's engagement, however, are said to have been taken privately and it is understood no commercial arrangement was made with Hello! or any other publication. The couple have yet to announce a date for their wedding. Leading designers will surely be champing at the bit to dress Sperling. She has won praise for the elegant way in which she mixes high street brands such as Zara with royal-approved British designers. In her engagement photos, Sperling is wearing a white cheesecloth top and skirt set by Me+Em, a home-grown label favoured by the Princess of Wales. Loading It's likely that the couple's new blended family will be highlighted in the ceremony, perhaps with their three daughters acting as bridesmaids. Savannah and Isla previously took that role at Princess Eugenie's wedding in 2018. As both an elegant figure, coolly unfazed by public duties, and a hard-working NHS nurse and single mother, Sperling is the ideal fit for a gradually modernising institution. It appears she's not just a great match for Phillips: she could be the royal family's shining new star.
