Originally Posted by Lord_Farquar (Post 8243788)

I stayed at the Fullerton! Certainly beats Best Western! :rofl:

Hawker market $3 for a laksa. $4 for a beer. I am happy.

Originally Posted by Amazulu (Post 8243803)

Asia really does show the way when it comes to quality, affordable hotels.

Try the Mandarin Oriental in KL - unbelievable.

Originally Posted by oldandbold (Post 8243553)

I arrived oct 2008 and wife and son in feb 2009.
Weather:-
Hot and humid in the wet season, but you do start to get used to it.
Last year had the air con on most of the wet season, this year the lounge for about 4 hours in the evening and the bedroom ones on for a couple of hours when going to bed.In the dry dont have it on at all.
Most days don't tend to notice, only thinking about it when I hear someone from down south commenting on the humidity.
Dry season absolutely georgous, although the down side is the pool is a bit too cold for me then.
All depends on the individual, I wouldnt much like some of the 40 degree days recently seen in other places!

Crime/broken jaws/murder:-
I believe most of those murder statistics relate to crimes in aboriginal communities. Broken jaws relate to people who have drunk quite a lot. Most of the violence seems to relate to either remote communities or leaving night clubs/pubs at 4.00am in mitchel street in the CBD.Personally I havnt seen any violence/crime but then I am a bit old for the early morning clubbing!!

Employment:-
Plenty of job adds in the paper and internet. People will say there is not many job adds for a _______ but then in a city with only 120.000 ish people the amount of jobs will be less but unemployment is very low.

Prices:-
Shops more expensive than other cities (maybe in the order of 20%) but you need to look around.Just picked up 3 steaks for $6.00 which I thought was pretty good. Petrol more expensive, just been out and the local garage $1.32 at coles and $1.26 at woolies per litre.
Power and water prob more expensive, last bill $630 for the 3 months but on the other hand a friend of mine was $1900 (I think his air con is on all the time).

Biggest down side is the price of housing, have a look at realestate.com.au .
Darwin and northern suberbs in particular but houses in palmerston which is 20km or so down the road is much cheaper. Renting also expensive, I pay $625 per week for an old 3 bed elevated in the northern suberbs although it does have a massive pool.There are cheaper ones near me but I was in a bit of a rush to get things sorted before the rest of the familly arrived.

The locals are mostly friendly and very laid back. We love living in the tropics, even though occassionly it can be a little challenging with the humidity and even my son (an awkward 12 year old) has settled down. We have no regrets (and we did have some aprehension before arriving mostly due to starting this in our mid forties). I dont know if we will still be living in Darwin in 20 years time but at this stage have no plans to move.

Old.

Originally Posted by ShawnMcCrea (Post 8244683)

Hey there,

Nice post, im curious what kind of wildlife you see around your home and around the national parks if you happen to go out to them?

Love the wildlife in general in AUS.

Thanks in advance

Originally Posted by paularn (Post 8245528)

I know from when I lived in Darwin, I saw a goanna a couple of times, heaps of geckos, frilled neck lizards, plus all the birds. I remember going to Litchfield National Park and seeing kangaroos in the distance, seeing wallaby's near East Point.

Originally Posted by ShawnMcCrea (Post 8245702)

Awesome thanks. I figured you would see lizards and birds mostly. I never saw frilled lizards anywhere on the east coast. If im correct they aren't as far down as Brisbane though, only on the northern coasts of the country?

Any really wild birds you see there?

Originally Posted by oldandbold (Post 8247404)

Lots of tree frogs - just fished three pairs out of the pool, humping in it again.

Originally Posted by mohogony (Post 8247491)

Yes beautiful Darwin, The highest murder, assualt and Alcohol abuse rate in OZ, the lovely ocean swarming with deadly stingers , crocs, sharks and every deadly speices of marine life know to man . Home of the Taipan snake the world most deadly snake, all year round oppressive hot humid tropical weather, the whole city has actually been destroyed and rebuilt twice is its history, first the Japanese bombed it to the stone age during ww2 then Cyclone tracy destroyed it in the 1970's , whats next a huge Tidal wave or tsunami maybe.

Originally Posted by Lord_Farquar (Post 8247524)

:rolleyes:

Originally Posted by bcworld (Post 8247529)

+1.

Funny aint it...the person who got all upset because people questionned Aus's standing in quality of life surveys writes that lot of drivel! :lol: