GEOGRAPHY
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory. It is known as the gateway to South East Asia as it is very close to Indonesia. Darwin has about 148,000 inhabitants. It is the main center of operations for a range of industries like Mining, Oil and Gas and Offshore companies.
WEATHER
Darwin is warm all year round, it has a tropical climate with a dry season from April to October and a wet season from November to April.
Source : Google
DARWIN COST OF LIVING
Darwin is the 5th most expensive city in Australia, coming behind Sydney, Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane. Here are a few indicative prices to help you get an idea of the cost of living in Darwin. If you are a student in Darwin, remember that you will have access to discounts with your student card.
- One room in a sharehouse : $700/month
- One bedroom appartment in the city center : $1152/month
- Utilities : $300/month (power, water, garbage)
- Internet unlimited : $72/month
- Fuel : $1.45 per litre
- Bus ticket : $3 for 3 hours unlimited travel
- Monthly bus pass : $84
- Cinema ticket : $21.50
- Fitness club : $55 per month
- Mc Donalds combo meal : $12
- Inexpensive Restaurant, meal for two people : $50
- Milk 1L : $1.50
- White bread 500g : $2
- Eggs dozen : $4
- Rice 1kg : $2.50
- Pasta 1kg : $1.50
- Beer 500ml at a bar : $7.50
GETTING TO DARWIN
The most popular way to get to Darwin is by plane as it is quite far away from other major cities. Tiger Air, Virgin Australia, Qantas and Jet Star are the main companies that fly to and from Darwin. There are direct flights to and from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. The duration of the flights vary between 3h40 to 4h20.
GETTING AROUND DARWIN
The city center itself is quite small and you can easily walk around.
BUSES : You can use the buses which cover a good area of Darwin. One bus ticket costs $3 and you can use it in all buses around Darwin for 3 hours.
BIKE: Depending on where you live and where you study/work, renting or buying a bike could be the best choice for you. It is cheap, eco-friendly and good to do some exercise.
CAR : If you have a driving license, you can hire a car for about $25 per day or buy a second-hand car if you need one long term.
TAXI/UBER: You might need to take a taxi or Uber to go somewhere, fares are charged at a standard rate.
LIFE IN DARWIN
MONEY: The currency in Australia is the Australian Dollar (AUD). You can exchange cash or withdraw money in the city center or in shopping centers. Popular banks include ANZ, Westpac, Commomwealth bank. To open a bank account you will need your passport, an address in Australia and might need extra documents – you can check the requirements directly with the bank. International credit cards can usually be used such as Visa, Mastercard, American Express as well as traveller’s cheques in some places.
MOBILE PHONE: You can choose between different providers depending on what you need : Optus, Telstra, Vodafone and more.
SHOPPING: Popular supermarkets include Coles, Woolworths and IGA. You can find them all around Darwin and they are usually open throughout the day even on week ends.
EMERGENCY: When you apply for a student visa you will need to get a health insurance that covers your whole stay period in Australia. The main hospital in Darwin, Darwin Royal Hospital, is situated in Tiwi. If you have an emergency, you can call 000 for an ambulance, fire emergency or to reach the police. This number is free to call.
THINGS TO DO IN DARWIN
Darwin is very laid back and relaxing but is also very lively and offers a range of cultural and fun experiences as well as events throughout the year. Get to the local markets, grab some food and go to the beach to watch the sunset. Darwin also offers plenty of waterfront dining options and various festivals like the Darwin festival, the Aboriginal Art Fair and the Festival of lights.
In Darwin, you can also get to see the crocodiles. Go for a river cruise or to one of the crocodiles parks for a fun day out.
You can also go for camping trips to the many national parks around Darwin : Litchfield national park, Kakadu or Katherine.