News and Media
13 May 2010
Life in the Top End of Australia
The tropical capital city of Darwin is renowned for its climate, relaxed pace of living and of course its spectacular sunsets. It is also known for its large Defence presence, with Defence establishments across the region there are many Defence families amongst the transient community. Defence families who come to Darwin are pleasantly surprised to find a young city that has many modern amenities and attractions.
For Defence families posting to Darwin, it is one of the few locations that have all three services represented.
The Army, Navy and RAAF all have establishments in the Darwin area. They include:
- RAAF Base Darwin
- HMAS Coonawarra
- Darwin Naval Base
- Larrakeyah Barracks, and
- Robertson Barracks.
Families posting in to Darwin will experience Darwin's two distinct seasons, the dry season from May to September and the wet season from November to April. The dry season is when visitors tend to flock to Darwin to soak up the 'warmth' of winter, with average temperature from 19 ?C to 30 ?C. The time between the dry and the wet is the time of year the locals call 'the build-up', when it is hot and humid.
As Darwin has a tropical climate there can be issues with mould and insects that are less common in other parts of Australia, but keeping your house well ventilated with the use of fans, air conditioning and dehumidifiers will help with mould minimisation; when it comes to the creepy crawlies, a few simple tips like, storing most food items in the fridge (including things like flour and other pantry items); covering up and using insect repellent when outdoors, (particularly at dawn and dusk) will enable a more enjoyable posting experience.
Darwin's beaches are popular locations, but the deadly box jellyfish is prevalent in northern waters from October to May and it is not safe to swim in the sea during these months.
Two types of crocodiles are found in the Northern Territory: the saltwater crocodile and the freshwater crocodile. The saltwater crocodile is a threat to humans and has the ability to cause serious injuries and fatalities. Warning signs are present throughout the Territory, indicating the presence and type of crocodiles that inhabit the water holes, creeks or beach areas.
Most Defence families will have at least one vehicle in Darwin, but if you want to get around without a car, there is a bus service operating seven days a week and an extensive network of bicycle tracks.
A big difference to other areas of Australia is that the majority of Darwin homes have carports in preference to garages more suited to the tropical lifestyle, as closed spaces encourage mould and are subject to flooding. Darwin and Palmerston housing consists predominately of single houses, both ground level and elevated with private front and rear gardens. There are also a number of two storey townhouses and high rise apartments, mainly surrounding or within close proximity of the Darwin CBD.
DHA Darwin manages just over 1,800 properties both on and off base.
With its remoteness, often people are concerned about access to medical facilities etc. High-quality health care is available at Royal Darwin Hospital (public) or Darwin Private Hospital, health centres and community care centres. St John Ambulance Service provides a modern, well-equipped ambulance service throughout Darwin and the Northern Territory. Private medical specialists, general practitioners, dentists, allied health practitioners and other agencies are also available. Darwin has a diverse range of medical specialists; however, due to the remote location and relatively small population, some specialists are in strong demand and have waiting lists for their services.
If you know you will be requiring specialist services upon arriving in Darwin, you may need to make contact with the specialist before your move to get an indication of waiting list times and what you need to do in order to access their service.
Students have access to quality public and private pre-school, primary and secondary education. In the Northern Territory, children aged four attend half day pre-school and then move to a transition year when they are five. The Northern Territory has broken schooling into different categories: Early Years covers preschool to Year 3; Primary Years covers year 4 to Year 6; Middle Years covers Year 7 to Year 9; Senior Years covers Year 10 to Year 12.
Defence funds Defence School Transition Aides (DSTAs) in a number of schools in the Northern Territory.
There is also opportunity for students wanting a tertiary education to apply to study at Charles Darwin University which offers a wide range of courses including vocational education and training (VET).
For the younger children there are a number of child care centres ranging from private centres to family day care located in Darwin, some have positions reserved for Defence families.
When it comes to shopping there are a diverse range of shopping centres in Darwin, Palmerston and surrounding suburbs, as well as a thriving market scene. Weekend markets are popular and there you can buy anything from satays, fresh mango juice, fresh fruit and vegetables and plants. When moving to Darwin be sure to visit the famous Mindil Beach Sunset markets in the dry season.
The Darwin Housing Management Centre is located in the city limits at 1 Carey St and is your point of contact for all housing services, including housing allocations, rent assistance and maintenance.
Phone: 139 DHA (139 342)
