Observations from an Outsider
It's not until you are a tourist that you can really notice and appreciate a cities' quirks and interesting features. Things that make it different to other cities. I love finding out what visitors think of my home city. But these are my observations of Darwin:
My first observation - coffee is expensive. Averaging on $5 for a regular take-away. I'm still getting used to handing over a $10 note for 2 coffees and getting no change. I've put it down to lack of cafes. After learning about supply and demand in high school, I'm finally seeing it in practise. Although there is more and more "trendy" cafes popping up around Darwin. It's no longer just Coffee Club, thank god.
Happy hour starts at 4pm. Â It must be the tropical heat that encourages the early start. There are also a lot of tradies, miners, Army, Navy and businesses that knock off early. And some places continue happy hour for the whole night, so really it's just 'happy night'.
When ordering a red wine, be prepared for it to come out of the fridge and poured into a chilled glass. I was shocked at first, but have really welcomed the idea. Â Shiraz, Merlot, Cab Sav, any of them! It's always a surprise - maybe it will be cold maybe not?
Plastic bags are 15c at supermarkets. A great initiative, I don't know why we don't do this Australia wide. It has really encouraged us to bring bags from home, or just hustle everything to the car in our arms. Â
Pre packaged flavoured milk is the most consumed drink up here. Step aside soft drinks because Iced-Coffee and Chocolate milk, for reasons unknown to me, is by far the drink of choice in the NT. Don't get me wrong I love a good iced-coffee, but personally milk is not something that I would reach for when it's swelteringly hot. It's not uncommon to see someone walking down the street casually guzzling on a 2L bottle of milk, while wiping the sweat from their for forehead with the other hand.
Darwin does not do Winter, it's never cold. In saying that, there is actually no Summer either. Just the Wet and Dry seasons. The wet starts around November and goes until April, it offers intense tropical storms and humidity. It's not uncommon for it to rain during the dry season, but the temperature is much more bearably and less humid. There are more swimming holes open in the dry season, due to less crocodiles.
It's a lot greener and lush than I imagined it. I thought it would be very dry and barren. It reminds me a of South East Asia, lots of ferns, palms, tropical fruits, tall grasses.
You risk your life when swimming in the ocean. The coast lines are a constant tease, they are such a beautiful colour and so inviting. But they are unfortunately, especially during the wet season, full of crocodiles, sharks, box jelly fish, irukandji, and even some types of seaweed that can kill you! I recently learnt that a box jelly fish can kill a human within 2 to 5 minutes. Although there is less of a threat during dry season, but it's still a stressful experience. It's so strange to walk along a beach that is so close to the city and for it to be completely empty.
There is almost a public holiday every month. Apart from the ones shared with the rest of Australia, the NT also has May Day (first Monday in May) and Picnic Day (first Monday in August). Which leaves the only months without public holidays February, July and October. I'm definitely not complaining. Oh there is also Territory Day - which is in July but not a public holiday, yet. On this day it is legal to buy fireworks, last year 63 people were admitted to Royal Darwin Hospital. Mayhem.
Stand by - more observations to come...
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