Darwin, Gateway to Asia
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There's more to Darwin than Crocodiles
Darwin is Australia's gateway to Asia. It's a beautiful city, with a tropical climate, small population and the relaxed atmosphere that goes with it. If you visit Australia you must get up to Darwin, you'll fall in love with it, as I have.
Sitting up on a low bluff overlooking the harbour which leads out to the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of only 122,000 but it's one of our most modern and multicultural cities. Darwin has been almost entirely rebuilt twice, once due to Japanese air raids during World War II and again after being devastated by Cyclone Tracy in 1974.
Darwin looks outward
A long way from the major cities
Darwin is like no other city in Australia. It looks outwards to Asia.It's closer to Jakarta than it is to Sydney, and closer to Singapore than it is to Melbourne.
East Timor is a stone's throw across the water and Papua-New Guinea is just a hop, step and a jump away.
Darwin has two Seasons
Wet and Dry
Tropical Storm at night in Darwin : Tourism NT
Forget any idea you had about four seasons, Darwin has only two.
The Wet Season from November to March, and the Dry Season from April to November.
In the Wet, monsoons bring heavy rain and incredibly humidity. The monsoons bring tropical cyclones too.
Go to Darwin in the Dry, when the weather is warm, dry (naturally) and delightful. 20C to 35C - 68F to 99F, and almost every day is bright and sunny
Beautiful Darwin
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Cosmopolitan Darwin
Seventy Five nationalities
Darwin is a relaxed city, and cosmopolitan in a tropical atmosphere.In a country that prides itself on ethnic diversity, Darwin may be the most multicultural city of all.
Seventy-five nationalities are represented, and nearly a quarter of the population self-identifies as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
Many languages other than English are spoken and maintained in Darwin, languages such as Greek, Indonesian, Tagalog, Portuguese, including a number of both Australian Indigenous, and the Chinese languages.
Darwin Night Market
Just out of town is the busy Mindil Beach Night Market with cake stalls, fruit-salad bars, handicraft stalls, and often local entertainment in the form of strolling players and street theatre. It's a friendly carnival of food sellers, craft hawkers, jugglers and magicians, with the stalls along almost a half-mile of walkway.Almost every kind of cuisine that can be sold from a stall is represented.
People begin arriving at Mindil Beach around dusk on Thursday and Sunday nights during the dry season to eat a lesiurely meal and watch the sun set over the Arafura Sea. They bring tables, chairs, rugs, chilled wine and children and choose their meal from about 250 food-stalls cooking fresh Thai, Sri Lankan, Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese, Laotian, Malaysian, Greek and Portuguese meals and snacks.
You won't find a Big Mac here.
A living cultural landscape
Covering nearly 20,000 square kilometres of exceptional natural beauty and unique biodiversity, Kakadu is one of very few places World Heritage listed for both its cultural and its natural values.
Don't forget the Crocodiles!
Never smile at a crocodile ...
Saltwater crocodile on a beach near Darwin - Tourism NT
Saltwater crocodiles, the most famous of the Territory's creatures, can be seen in most rivers and billabongs in the Top End or at the wildlife parks around Darwin.
Saltwater crocs, or Salties, as we affectionately call them, have an enormous range, populating the brackish and freshwater regions of eastern India, Southeast Asia, and the Top End of Australia. They are excellent swimmers and have often been spotted far out at sea.
Salties are classic opportunistic predators, they lurk patiently beneath the surface near the water's edge waiting for potential prey to stop for a sip of water.
They'll feed on anything they can get their jaws on!
What do they do in Darwin?
You'd be surprised
Don't kiss the Mud Crab Tying Competition! You have to avoid being pinced, nipped or stabbed by the crabs' fearsome defence weapons, while tying them up. The record is three crabs in under 22 seconds..
Darwin Beercan Regatta
The Beer Can Regatta has run for 35 years since 19 more...1 point
Darwin Festival of Performing Arts and Entertainment
12 - 29 August 2010 - Quality, diversity and innov more...0 points
Crocodylus Park, Darwin
Face to face with the largest species of reptile o more...0 points
Crocosaurus Cove
Perfect for the serious adrenalin junkies - the Ca more...0 points
The Darwin Beer Can Regatta
More Adventures in Central Australia
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What do YOU think of Darwin?
All comments are appreciated. You don't have to be a Squidoo member to leave yours
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Tony
Apr 7, 2011 @ 12:17 am | delete
- this was an beautiful lens describing the whole beauty of the darwin city. darwin city was a good vacation spot where one must visit and enjoy the peaceful vacation. - custom greek threads
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lou16
Jan 13, 2011 @ 4:34 pm | delete
- We lived there for 18 months and although the build up to the wet season is almost unbearable, we absolutely loved it. I don't know anywhere else where you can plan a bbq a year in advance and know that it's not going to rain!!!
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jjones444
Dec 16, 2010 @ 2:53 pm | delete
- I had never heard of the city of Darwin, but it makes sense that a tropical place that is one of few "wild" places on the earth is named after the great explorer and scientist. I would love to go to Australia and explore smaller towns like Darwin; one of my favorite parts of traveling are the small towns where I can attend a regatta or eat dinner with the locals. The tropical storm picture is incredible.
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Jenny-cr
Sep 17, 2010 @ 7:13 am | delete
- Excellemt Lens.
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SidneyMorgan
Jul 25, 2010 @ 11:52 pm | delete
- Gorgeous, and so much to see. For those who haven't been this lens should give you a great idea of what it is like to visit and see some of the great parts of Australia.
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About Me
by susannaduffy
G'day, I'm in Melbourne, 2000 miles from Darwin as the magpie flies. After Melbourne, Darwin is my favourite spot, and the best place to be in Winter. more »
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