Visit Darwin - The City That Was Named After The Evolutionist

Darwin, capital of the largest Australian mainland territory, is named after the English evolutionist and naturalist Charles Darwin who has never been there although he has been to Australia. "Nothing but rather sharp necessity should compel me to emigrate," he wrote of Australia.

Darwin is situated in the Northern Territory, on the coast of the Timor Sea at geographic coordinates 12°27′S, 130°50′E. Darwin is closer to the capitals of three other countries than to the capital of Australia: Darwin is 3144 km (1953 mi) away from Canberra. Dili (East Timor) is 656 km (408 mi) from Darwin, Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea) is 1818 km (1130 mi), and Jakarta (Indonesia) is 2735 km (1699 mi) from Darwin. Even Singapore is only slightly farther away at 3360 km (2088 mi), and so is Manila (Philippines) at 3206 km (1992 m).

When To Go

The northernmost capital city in Australia, Darwin is a melting pot of peoples and cultures where the sun shines fiercely during the Dry (roughly from April to September) and the roads outside the city, to the Outback regions of the Northern Territory, often become impassable in the Wet.

The men who sailed on the HMS Beagle in 1839 into what was to become Darwin Harbour, which opens out into the Timor Sea, had been erstwhile shipmates of the naturalist, and they decided to name the area in his honor.

Darwin - The Gateway To Asia

A large part of the Northern Territory lies between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Equator. Darwin, being right at the Top End, is indubitably tropical with only two main seasons, the Dry from May to October and the Wet the rest of the year.

Almost within sight of the Indonesian coast, Darwin is in fact a gateway to several southeast Asian countries, with Garuda and Singapore Airlines flying tourists between the Darwin International Airport and Bali and Singapore. Conversely, it is Australia’s northern gateway into the continent with interstate flights to the other major Australian cities.

In World War II, Darwin suffered air attacks from Japanese Zeroes and is the only Australian city to take some brunt of the Pacific War.

Some things you might want to do in Darwin

Take the Tour Tub trolley (beats walking anytime) and enjoy some of Darwin’s more interesting tourist spots.

Visit the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory and give Sweetheart a cuddle.

(Sweetheart is a five-metre crocodile responsible for sinking innumerable fishing boats.)

Explore the arts, crafts and fruit at Mindil Beach Sunset Market. Some of the products come from Bali.

See avant-garde films seated in deck chairs under the stars in a sunken amphitheatre.

Or visit Aquascene and befriend the fish.

For bookings visit  http://hotelrates.com/

Events

On 1 July, Territorians celebrate Territory Day. This is the only day of the year, apart from the Chinese New Year, when fireworks are permitted. In Darwin, the main celebrations occur at Mindil Beach, where a large firework display is commissioned by the government.

The Darwin Festival, held annually, includes comedy, dance, theatre, music, film and visual art and the NT Indigenous Music Awards. Other festivals include the Glenti, which showcases Darwin's large Greek community,  festival held by the smaller Indian community. The Chinese New Year is also celebrated with great festivity, highlighting the Asian influence in Darwin.

The Speargrass Festival is held annually the week prior to July's first full moon and celebrates the alternative Top End lifestyle. The festival activities include music, screening of locally produced films, screen printing, basket weaving, sweat lodge, water slides, human pyramid, hot tub, frisbee golf, spear throwing, Kubb competition, bingo, communal organic cooking, morning yoga, meditation, greasy pig and healing circles. The festival occurs at the Speargrass property, 50kms northeast of Pine Creek.

The Darwin beer-can regatta, held in August, celebrates Darwin's love affair with beer and contestants' race boats made exclusively of beer cans. Also in Darwin during the month of August, are the Darwin Cup horse race, and the Rodeo and Mud Crab Tying Competition.

So what are you thinking? pack your bags and leave..