My Experience Living in the NT

[Canada2Australia]

So, it's been 3.5 years since I've moved to the NT. And wow, what a 3.5 years it's been.

First off, I must say that I have thoroughly enjoyed exploring the outback in the area; definitely some of the most beautiful landscapes in the country. I've been camping, hiking, fishing and kayaking. Enjoyed all of those moments. As well, Darwin has a pretty good festival and market scene. This is likely because it is the only large centre in all of the NT and is incredibly isolated from all other large Australian centres. So there are a few perks indeed.

However, after having said that, everything else has been...well....pretty bad. Darwin itself has many many issues that it is hardly tackling at the moment. Crime is literally out of control. Substance and alcohol abuse is rampant throughout every corner of the city. And the City Council are about as backwards and incompetent as they come. The economy is in the toilet, and the population is declining; people are leaving in a steady stream. Real estate is beyond overprices, which should be correcting itself but property owners are greedy buggers and prices are not falling as they should be based on simple supply and demand. Oh yeah, the climate can be unbearable at times, but that is the least of anyone's problems and can be easily mitigated.

My biggest issues has been with the people here. There are so many people up here who are....how should I put this......not balanced. Many people come up here from other parts of the country to try and escape their problems from where they come from. Instead, what happens is that they bring their baggage up here and act out through drinking and public displays of violence. I would say many people in Darwin need counselling, but they need to make the initiative to get it themselves. Also, people up here are very cliquey in nature. There aren't too many born and bred locals. But for those that are still around, and those that have been here for quite a number of years, there seems to be a reluctance to welcome newcomers into their social circles. This is because many people here come and go; the city is literally a giant revolving door. People come up here for a period of time to make their money, get whatever experience they need, and then leave. So I guess I can understand that mindset to a degree. But for me, I was looking to stay long-term and was wanting to make those deep connections. Unfortunately, I was not accepted very well up here and the friends that I did make, never lasted long or amounted to much. Plus I had some serious fallings out with a few people up here, and sometimes that can influence others into choosing sides. For me, I lost out and ended up losing all my "good" friends. You really discover who people are and their "loyalty" towards you through situation like this. Many people up here become depressed for various reasons, and I was one of those people, for two years, deeply. I've only started to recover in the last 3 months thankfully. There is just something about this place that seems to affect many people in a very negative way.

So, to sum up, I have not enjoyed my time up in Darwin or the NT overall and have decided that I will not settle here permanently. It's just not my cup of tea, and many would agree. You either like it or hate it. There really isn't much of a middle ground.

I've been living in Mackay QLD for the last few months, and I love it out here. Since coming out here, my life has improved substantially. My PR was granted two days after I arrived, I've started to mingle with people again and am slowly building friendships (although this will take some time I am aware). Also, I've been offered to be relocated here for a bit with an option of staying permanently or moving to Cairns should I choose to, which I am considering because I like it up there as well. I should be out of the NT permanently by end of next February at the absolute latest.

So to sum it up, think very carefully about choosing Darwin or anywhere in the NT as a place to live. Do some research on the place and even come and spend some time there as a means of gauging whether you want to live here. You may end up liking it, or it could be the worst choice you ever made in your life.

 

[Marisawright]

Your assessment doesn't surprise me.  One of my friends moved there (from Sydney) for family reasons and spent the first six months in tears.  She seems happy now, but she lives out of town and her life revolves around her extended family and child.  

Here's a heartfelt post from another Darwin migrant that will strike a chord with you:

I wonder how @Huntersmummy is doing now?

[Toots]

1 hour ago, Marisawright said:

Your assessment doesn't surprise me.  One of my friends moved there (from Sydney) for family reasons and spent the first six months in tears.  She seems happy now, but she lives out of town and her life revolves around her extended family and child.  

Here's a heartfelt post from another Darwin migrant that will strike a chord with you:

I wonder how @Huntersmummy is doing now?

 

Yes I thought of her when I was reading Canada2Australia's post.  I do hope she managed to get away from Darwin.

[Amber Snowball]

5 hours ago, Marisawright said:

Your assessment doesn't surprise me.  One of my friends moved there (from Sydney) for family reasons and spent the first six months in tears.  She seems happy now, but she lives out of town and her life revolves around her extended family and child.  

Here's a heartfelt post from another Darwin migrant that will strike a chord with you:

I wonder how @Huntersmummy is doing now?

Her posts used to crack me up. Hope she is well.

[Toots]

9 minutes ago, Amber Snowball said:

Her posts used to crack me up. Hope she is well.

She has a fabulous sense of humour.  Probably helps her to cope.

[Canada2Australia]

6 hours ago, Marisawright said:

Your assessment doesn't surprise me.  One of my friends moved there (from Sydney) for family reasons and spent the first six months in tears.  She seems happy now, but she lives out of town and her life revolves around her extended family and child.  

Here's a heartfelt post from another Darwin migrant that will strike a chord with you:

I wonder how @Huntersmummy is doing now?

Ah yes,  I remember reading that thread all those years ago. Would be  interesting to hear how things turned out for her.

I had no idea how my situation would turn out,  however I would have never thought it would be as bad as it had been. But thankfully the light is at the end of the tunnel for me,  and even though I've had moments where I was despising Aussies in general, I was able to put things into perspective and not despise the entire country or it's people. I mean geeze, this isn't the US haha (which I do despise along with most people I meet from there, unfortunately).

I also read through her last created thread,  and coming from an area of Canada that has a lot of issues with Aboriginals (although not as bad as in Darwin where I grew up anyways), I can relate,  and it never phased me too much of what goes on in Darwin. But it still doesn't make things any better nonetheless.  

 

Edited August 10, 2019 by Canada2Australia

[lewisant48]

It's a difficult one isn't it - for some of us NT is the foot in the door to Australia and the pathway to an 887 visa after 2 years so maybe there are a lot of people there with no intention of staying which leads to a strange atmosphere or something? People not wanting to get to close to people so maybe there's an underlying tension up there.

Thanks for posting this, it's certainly food for thought. Will possibly be there by next March or so

[PFC1975]

I’ve lived in Darwin for 2 and a half years now
My experience is completely different to Canada2Australia

My family absolutely love it here & I have to say other than the rental prices & yes economically it’s having a tough time , I disagree with virtually everything said

Crime isn’t rampant on with drug or alcohol abuse on every street corner. Sorry Absolute rubbish scaremongering.

We’ve found the people amazingly friendly and have made friends for life and have a fantastic social circle

We have so many friends who have children who love Darwin as it’s such a great place for kids and relaxing lifestyle

We all have opinions and ours clearly differ. Our experiences shape a place & the issue with friends that Canada2Australia had may have left a sour taste & association with Darwin . I can only guess

Some of the comments & scaremongering about Darwin I’ve read are not warranted

No where is perfect but we know so many people that love Darwin

[CaptainR]

23 minutes ago, PFC1975 said:

I’ve lived in Darwin for 2 and a half years now
My experience is completely different to Canada2Australia

My family absolutely love it here & I have to say other than the rental prices & yes economically it’s having a tough time , I disagree with virtually everything said

Crime isn’t rampant on with drug or alcohol abuse on every street corner. Sorry Absolute rubbish scaremongering.

We’ve found the people amazingly friendly and have made friends for life and have a fantastic social circle

We have so many friends who have children who love Darwin as it’s such a great place for kids and relaxing lifestyle

We all have opinions and ours clearly differ. Our experiences shape a place & the issue with friends that Canada2Australia had may have left a sour taste & association with Darwin . I can only guess

Some of the comments & scaremongering about Darwin I’ve read are not warranted

No where is perfect but we know so many people that love Darwin
 

It is worth pointing out that crime levels in NT are statistically per capita significantly higher than other states, particularly in Darwin (although Alice Springs is officially the crime capital of Australia). The perceived reasons for this are well documented in numerous government studies. My limited experience with Darwin made me feel less safe walking around the city than other cities i've been to Australia. That said, friends who've lived there have thoroughly enjoyed the life and spoke very positively about their experiences. 

[PFC1975]

The perceived reasons you mention It is worth pointing out that what increases that crime level is Indigenous on Indigenous crime
High levels of domestic violence

This skews the figures and crime which very very rarely affects other people in Darwin
More are affected in Alice Springs though

For the Indigenous population it’s a terrible and sad situation

[lewisant48]

8 hours ago, PFC1975 said:

I’ve lived in Darwin for 2 and a half years now
My experience is completely different to Canada2Australia

My family absolutely love it here & I have to say other than the rental prices & yes economically it’s having a tough time , I disagree with virtually everything said

Crime isn’t rampant on with drug or alcohol abuse on every street corner. Sorry Absolute rubbish scaremongering.

We’ve found the people amazingly friendly and have made friends for life and have a fantastic social circle

We have so many friends who have children who love Darwin as it’s such a great place for kids and relaxing lifestyle

We all have opinions and ours clearly differ. Our experiences shape a place & the issue with friends that Canada2Australia had may have left a sour taste & association with Darwin . I can only guess

Some of the comments & scaremongering about Darwin I’ve read are not warranted

No where is perfect but we know so many people that love Darwin
 

Music to my ears!

[Toots]

10 hours ago, PFC1975 said:

I’ve lived in Darwin for 2 and a half years now
My experience is completely different to Canada2Australia

My family absolutely love it here & I have to say other than the rental prices & yes economically it’s having a tough time , I disagree with virtually everything said

Crime isn’t rampant on with drug or alcohol abuse on every street corner. Sorry Absolute rubbish scaremongering.

We’ve found the people amazingly friendly and have made friends for life and have a fantastic social circle

We have so many friends who have children who love Darwin as it’s such a great place for kids and relaxing lifestyle

We all have opinions and ours clearly differ. Our experiences shape a place & the issue with friends that Canada2Australia had may have left a sour taste & association with Darwin . I can only guess

Some of the comments & scaremongering about Darwin I’ve read are not warranted

No where is perfect but we know so many people that love Darwin
 

Good to hear you are enjoying life in Darwin.  I live in Tasmania and it wouldn't suit everybody either but I love it here.

Edited August 16, 2019 by Toots

[Marisawright]

12 hours ago, PFC1975 said:

I’ve lived in Darwin for 2 and a half years now
My experience is completely different to Canada2Australia

My family absolutely love it here & I have to say other than the rental prices & yes economically it’s having a tough time , I disagree with virtually everything said
 

Why do you think it works so well for you, yet so many people struggle?    I know four people who've moved there.  One is a single mum who moved back to be with family, two moved to Darwin because of their husband's work.  All three of those women found it very, very hard and were frequently in tears of despair.  The other was a single man in his thirties who also hated it.  Does it depend on how well-off you are, which suburbs you live in, age - any ideas?

Edited August 17, 2019 by Marisawright

[Bobj]

18 hours ago, Marisawright said:

Why do you think it works so well for you, yet so many people struggle?    I know four people who've moved there.  One is a single mum who moved back to be with family, two moved to Darwin because of their husband's work.  All three of those women found it very, very hard and were frequently in tears of despair.  The other was a single man in his thirties who also hated it.  Does it depend on how well-off you are, which suburbs you live in, age - any ideas?

On the other hand, I know many, many people who love the Darwin, My son and his partner met there and they are seriously thinking of returning and their kids were born there. I have been going there for better than 50 years, first time in 1964 when the Darwin city ended at Winnellie caravan park. Indeed, we used to see buffaloes where Palmerston now stands. Now, it has grown to a thriving cosmopolitan city. In the  '60s and '70s, we used to go for long weekends when we lived in Kununurra, WA. and it was always a pleasure to be there.

And yes, Jo and I got married there, in the city centre. I am on a Territorian forum  and very little is mentioned about crime.

So, I have seen it grow from a very small, capitol city, to a thriving and exciting cosmoplitan city, worth its place in Australia.

Cheers, Bobj.

[Canada2Australia]

On 16/08/2019 at 21:44, PFC1975 said:

I’ve lived in Darwin for 2 and a half years now
My experience is completely different to Canada2Australia

My family absolutely love it here & I have to say other than the rental prices & yes economically it’s having a tough time , I disagree with virtually everything said

Crime isn’t rampant on with drug or alcohol abuse on every street corner. Sorry Absolute rubbish scaremongering.

We’ve found the people amazingly friendly and have made friends for life and have a fantastic social circle

We have so many friends who have children who love Darwin as it’s such a great place for kids and relaxing lifestyle

We all have opinions and ours clearly differ. Our experiences shape a place & the issue with friends that Canada2Australia had may have left a sour taste & association with Darwin . I can only guess

Some of the comments & scaremongering about Darwin I’ve read are not warranted

No where is perfect but we know so many people that love Darwin
 

That's fine for you, but you are in the minority, nationally speaking. You can call my opinion "rubbish" all you want, but others, MANY others, share my sentiment. No need to attack my opinion simply because you disagree with it.

Edited August 23, 2019 by Canada2Australia

[PFC1975]

That's fine for you, but you are in the minority, nationally speaking. You can call my opinion "rubbish" all you want, but others, MANY others, share my sentiment. No need to attack my opinion simply because you disagree with it.

Can you please advise me of your research, data & National network of contacts that says I’m in the minority nationally

As in my 25 years of living & traveling around Australia I’ve not met these MANY people who all hate Darwin. Most have never been or given the place a second thought to be honest

Secondly you say nationally speaking and there lies the problem. Opinions of people who may not have spent as much time or know Darwin that well from afar & pre judged possibly

My experience of people locally is the majority love it . Local people we’ve spoken to through work, clubs, school etc enjoy living in Darwin . Far from a minority locally

All our friends with young families agree it’s a great place for kids . Not the voices of people worried about rampant crime on every street corner

As I’ve mentioned nowhere is perfect & Darwin is not for everyone and people are entitled of course to say what they may not like . There are people who will be moving to Darwin from the UK who would read this forum and opinions should be balanced . Darwin can be frustrating at times goods, services & products compared to other parts of Australia can be inferior. Patience needed which can be difficult. It’s expensive to live & flights in & out are far too expensive

Of course some anti social behaviour but no more than anywhere else

Another point about the crime statistics is within the NT domestic & family violence crimes are mandatory by law to report unlike other states . Therefore again skewing crime statistics


Why has Darwin worked for us
How do you explain. Don’t be too English ( if your English)

So much stuff on for kids often free
The best school in Australia
Amazing scenery, National Parks & beaches
Easy to drive around
Relaxed lifestyle
Friendly people
Indigenous culture ( don’t be scared or believe the misinformation & Understand)
Great museums
Good festivals

Embrace the great weather . The dry season is sensational & the wet season amazing storms

The best thing about Darwin is no one gives a shit
No one cares where you live , what job you do, what car you drive, where you holiday, what school your kids go to, where you shop , where you drink, what clothes you wear. How much you earn

Great

[Toots]

10 hours ago, PFC1975 said:

 

 

 

 

Can you please advise me of your research, data & National network of contacts that says I’m in the minority nationally

As in my 25 years of living & traveling around Australia I’ve not met these MANY people who all hate Darwin. Most have never been or given the place a second thought to be honest

Secondly you say nationally speaking and there lies the problem. Opinions of people who may not have spent as much time or know Darwin that well from afar & pre judged possibly

My experience of people locally is the majority love it . Local people we’ve spoken to through work, clubs, school etc enjoy living in Darwin . Far from a minority locally

All our friends with young families agree it’s a great place for kids . Not the voices of people worried about rampant crime on every street corner

As I’ve mentioned nowhere is perfect & Darwin is not for everyone and people are entitled of course to say what they may not like . There are people who will be moving to Darwin from the UK who would read this forum and opinions should be balanced . Darwin can be frustrating at times goods, services & products compared to other parts of Australia can be inferior. Patience needed which can be difficult. It’s expensive to live & flights in & out are far too expensive

Of course some anti social behaviour but no more than anywhere else

Another point about the crime statistics is within the NT domestic & family violence crimes are mandatory by law to report unlike other states . Therefore again skewing crime statistics


Why has Darwin worked for us
How do you explain. Don’t be too English ( if your English)

So much stuff on for kids often free
The best school in Australia
Amazing scenery, National Parks & beaches
Easy to drive around
Relaxed lifestyle
Friendly people
Indigenous culture ( don’t be scared or believe the misinformation & Understand)
Great museums
Good festivals

Embrace the great weather . The dry season is sensational & the wet season amazing storms

The best thing about Darwin is no one gives a shit
No one cares where you live , what job you do, what car you drive, where you holiday, what school your kids go to, where you shop , where you drink, what clothes you wear. How much you earn

Great





 

 

 

 

 

Don't worry about it @PFC1975 Australia is a huge country with different climates, cultures etc.  What suits some doesn't suit others.  Some people dislike Sydney.  I enjoyed living there.  Seems a lot of people whinge endlessly about Perth.  I really liked it and some people dislike Australia as a whole.  With a bit of luck they manage to escape.  Personally I like 4 distinct seasons hence we chose to retire to Tasmania.  Now some people would whinge about Tasmania - because some people are just whingers but I love it here.    It's not perfect by any means but where is?

[Canada2Australia]

26 minutes ago, Toots said:

Don't worry about it @PFC1975 Australia is a huge country with different climates, cultures etc.  What suits some doesn't suit others.  Some people dislike Sydney.  I enjoyed living there.  Seems a lot of people whinge endlessly about Perth.  I really liked it and some people dislike Australia as a whole.  With a bit of luck they manage to escape.  Personally I like 4 distinct seasons hence we chose to retire to Tasmania.  Now some people would whinge about Tasmania - because some people are just whingers but I love it here.    It's not perfect by any means but where is?

Agreed. Not every single place in this country, or this planet for that matter, will be adored by every single human being. Each to their own. 

But again,  that doesn't detract from my original point that Darwin is a very different place from most of the rest of the country. It just is, and most people will agree. It's not an easy place to acclimatise to in many respects besides the weather. There is a very different kind of mentality up here. It's just a reality regardless if people want to acknowledge this or not. 

I understand the poster's anger towards my opinion as he/she is passionate about Darwin,  which there is absolutely nothing wrong with. But I had to chuckle when he/she downplayed the issue of crime up here. That attitude is part of the problem why crime is perpetually high; no one wants to truly acknowledge the issue besides throwing money blindly at the problem,  bury their heads in the sand and hope it will go away. Crime is a huge issue here. There is a TV commercial advertising how businesses have been broken into multiple times,  including one that had 27 B&Es but how they are still open for business. I get the message is supposed to be a positive one,  but still,  it signals but a fraction of the social and econimical issues that plague Darwin and the NT as a whole. 

Unless this and many other issues are addressed in an open, honest and confronting manner,  nothing will ever change up here, and that is a sad thought for me 

Edited August 24, 2019 by Canada2Australia

[Marisawright]

1 hour ago, Canada2Australia said:

Agreed. Not every single place in this country, or this planet for that matter, will be adored by every single human being. Each to their own. 

But again,  that doesn't detract from my original point that Darwin is a very different place from most of the rest of the country

I agree that the Northern Territory is different from anywhere else in Australia - however, it's worth pointing out that every state is different.   

For instance, people who love living in Sydney tend to find Perth boring, whereas people who love living in Perth find Sydney too frenetic.   I can't quite put my finger on the difference between Melbourne and Sydney, but although I miss Sydney's beauty dreadfully, I find everyday life in Melbourne suits me very much better. And so on.  

For that reason, you'll find people who have something negative to say about every state and every city, because everyone's tastes are different.   But it would be true to say that in my 30+ years of living in Australia, I have yet to meet a person who liked Darwin, and the most common opinion I've heard is that it's a "difficult place to live".  

Of course it is going to appeal to the outdoorsman who loves the bush, but contrary to the Crocodile Dundee publicity, they're in a minority in Australia!

[FatCat]

On 10/08/2019 at 09:55, Canada2Australia said:

My biggest issues has been with the people here. There are so many people up here who are....how should I put this......not balanced.

 

Goodness. That made me laugh out loud. It made me snort my wine.... So so true.

I lived there in 1990 and really loved it.

But yes there were a lot of unbalanced people hiding out there. My next door neighbor was an ex-armed robber who was on parole, and was running a local prawn and stripping gig (such a bizarre combo which I have never understood the connection and never encountered anywhere outside of Darwin). They thought they had left their troubles behind in Sydney or wherever, but in fact had brought much undealt with baggage with them that just festered in the sometimes unbearable humidity. Add lots of beer to crazy loons and it is a recipe for disaster. I know a couple of people who actually truly went troppo (stark raving bonkers) in the wet - they were perfectly normal fellows prior too. It often felt to me quite uncivilized. A bit Lord of the Flies like mentality. Miles from anywhere, inaccessible for months at a time, surrounded by man eating crocodiles, really felt like you were on your own and cut off from the rest of civilization. It very much felt like a lawless wild frontier town that was running amok full of outlaws, drunks, criminals and people hiding from their past. A very transit town. Only ever met one person ever that was actually born there, and everyone else including myself, was a blow-in.

I absolutely loved it. For all its downside, it was also a causal fun laid-back lifestyle, that was so very different to my life back in London

But of course a lot can change between 1990 and 2021. Not sure if I would like it so much now I am older and more set in my ways.

Glad you found happiness and contentment in Queensland after all

 

[FatCat]

On 24/08/2019 at 13:20, Marisawright said:

I have yet to meet a person who liked Darwin, and the most common opinion I've heard is that it's a "difficult place to live".  

 

Whilst you have never actually met me in person, I absolutely loved living in Darwin, and found it a really easy casual lifestyle and laidback place to live.

Then again, many people find me to be borderline eccentric, so I am probably not the best person to offer a balanced critique