What's Darwin like?

sudzs

I might be moving up to Darwin, from Perth. Can anyone tell me what sort of a place it is?

I just did a search of this forum but didn't find much info other than someone saying it's "the most boring place on earth"

So can anyone tell me anything about the place?!

Pisco Sour

sudzs wrote: »

I might be moving up to Darwin, from Perth. Can anyone tell me what sort of a place it is?

I just did a search of this forum but didn't find much info other than someone saying it's "the most boring place on earth"

So can anyone tell me anything about the place?!

That was probably me who said that.

Darwin is a sh1thole, and is probably even more boring than Perth, if that is even possible.

Everything in between those 2 cities is immense though.

Mellor

Darwin is pretty similar to perth, make of that what you will.

sudzs

Mellor wrote: »

Darwin is pretty similar to perth, make of that what you will.

It's a bit hotter though, isn't it?!!

Mellor

sudzs wrote: »

It's a bit hotter though, isn't it?!!

most of the time, the rest of the time is very wet

Jumpy

An Irishman in Darwin would be the equivalent of a cornflake on the surface of the Sun.

Rarely drops below 30.

dRNk SAnTA

I was in Darwin for a few days last week. Not a bad place, the girlfriend and I thought it was a nice enough town, but it was hot as hell. Seriously, almost unbearable. People say it cools down when it rains, but we're talking about incredibly wild lightening storms (my tent almost got blown away in one). We stayed in a campsite and at times it was hard to sleep with the heat - but there was a nice breeze off the coast that you don't get in more inland areas that made it okay at times.

I can't really vouch for the craic, I didn't have the money to be going out, it seemed to have a couple of the usual backpacker bars and some nice looking restaurants, but it's a small enough place.

Personally I wouldn't live there, far too humid for me (this time of year anyway). I'm now in Broome and it's much better. Still hot, but I can handle the sun, the humidity was the problem.

sudzs

Jumpy wrote: »

An Irishman in Darwin would be the equivalent of a cornflake on the surface of the Sun.

Rarely drops below 30.

Well in fairness, one afternoon in the summer, we got 30+ degrees inland Co. Limerick around 4 or 5 years ago!

shakencat

yeah i worked in darwin for 6 weeks,

and to me that was too much.
pretty place..
for the first few days.

but you could easily see the whole place in like.. three days?

I wouldnt live there.

its reminds me of going to spain or what not and being one strip of clubs..
meeting the same people over and over.

nice for a holiday indeed!

but surely it should be going to the wrong season now?
wet season?
DUN DUN DUNNNNNN

retro child

darwin to warm and very lonely place , its just to vast no sence of belonging and no culture to grasp!! thats why i packed it in and came home end off!!

Cooperspale

As said, 2 seasons in Darwin wet and dry. From now until April you are looking at 25-40c factoring in the 90% average humidity.

Forget about beach swimming in the wet, it's stinger season. The popular beach in the dry is Casuarina but you have to walk a long way out to get water above your knees. Also you should be aware that the average number of crocs pulled from Darwin harbour a year is 240.
So I would prioritize getting accommodation with a pool or access to one.

Cost of living is slightly more than Perth.
Darwin is the party town in the NT.
There can be bar brawls and argy bargy at weekends but thats common in other parts of Oz also. It's more culturally diverse than the rest of NT but that's not saying a whole lot.
There's a few markets, Mindil is meant to be best.

Darwin is no big city, but you might like it. If you got along okay in Perth, chances are you'll be alright in Darwin

Pugins

Spent a week in Darwin on holidays. Saw Darwin itself in a day! Lots to do outside the city if you are into nature/national parks etc. Would not like to live there. It feels an Irish provincal town like Fermoy or Tralee (but with alot of backpackers passing through). We were there on a bank holiday weekend and on the Sunday most of the shops were closed on the main shopping street. I say main street, but there seem to be only 3 of them anyway! Didn't see many nice restaurants there either. I guess it depends on what you are looking for in a city but Darwin definitely would not appeal to me. Perhaps there would be a different feeling if you were living there.

sudzs

Thanks for all the replies.

I'm kind of faced with a choice between Darwin or a small town with 1 shopping street, 3+ hours east of Perth. :rolleyes:

....at least Darwin has 3 shopping streets!!!

seamusmcspud

best of luck with it! good tourist town and great nature as was said outside the town. the little city itself has a serious heroin problem... they can live in the parks as its warm all year round saw some ridiculous stuff!!!!:eek:
Now i still loved it but could see how someone would get bored there. enjoy you decision making:)

ellaq

How much humidity can you handle? If you go east of Perth it will be hot this summer but a dry heat. Darwin will be hot but up to 90% humidity.

Pisco Sour

ellaq wrote: »

How much humidity can you handle? If you go east of Perth it will be hot this summer but a dry heat. Darwin will be hot but up to 90% humidity.

When I was in Darwin it was dry season and so the humidity wasn't TOO bad, in comparison to what it is apparantly like in wet season. I still found it very uncomfortable. However I spent 2 weeks in Korea after, in Seoul and Daegu and the humidity was reaching 90% and it was absolute torture. Have never felt such discomfort. I just could not live in conditions like that.

sfakiaman

This is not the time of the year to think of Darwin, the locals reckon that the start of the Wet is time to hide all the sharp knives. I love heat but the humidity in the wet is murder, wait till the dry season and give it a lash then.

poodles

I've been in Darwin now since early July.
A lot of what has been said is true - small city, expensive, hot and now soon to be rainy.

Not a whole lot to do in the city itself - apart from drinking your money away and there's no shortage of people to do that as far as I can see.
You have a few national parks withing reasonable driving distance but they get old pretty quick.

It's quite seasonal - the number of backpackers have dropped off quite a bit within the last 4-6 weeks.

Spent over two months in hostels which wasn't ideal seeing as I was working full time.

I work outside for most of the day and yup it's hot and sweaty. Since the money is decent up here I just get on with it and don't whinge about it.

Going to stay another 6 weeks and will probably move to Sydney then.

jackbhoy

Was there during first week of the dry a couple of years ago, was hot but bearable. What struck me was how quiet the streets are during the day. No one around except backpackers and homeless dudes. Reminded me of small cities in American south/mid west where everyone drives in air conditioned cars to air conditioned shops/cafes and then back to sit on air con at home.
One thing I would recommend, if it's still there, is the outdoor cinema. Sitting on deckair with ice cold beer, watching a good flick is nice way to pass a balmy evening!

sudzs

if it's still there, is the outdoor cinema. Sitting on deckair with ice cold beer, watching a good flick is nice way to pass a balmy evening!

I like the sound of that!

PirateShampoo

sudzs wrote: »

if it's still there, is the outdoor cinema. Sitting on deckair with ice cold beer, watching a good flick is nice way to pass a balmy evening!

I like the sound of that!

Except its the Wet session now and its finished until April.

sudzs

PirateShampoo wrote: »

Except its the Wet session now and its finished until April.

PirateShampoo

Mindel beach markets also finished up tonight. Dry session is offically over lol.