1. If you lived in Darwin you wouldn’t need to wear a tie.
I saw an article on ties recently. You know, the ones blokes wear to work: which is the right one for which occasion? And my first thought was, “if you lived in Darwin you wouldn’t need to wear a tie”. Not just to work, but anywhere. If you like wearing suits and ties, you shouldn’t come to Darwin. (Alternative: Try Melbourne instead. In Winter.)
2. It’s always summer
If you enjoy cold rainy days, waking up and getting home when it’s dark, sitting inside huddled by a fire, Darwin is probably not for you. We have perpetual summer – 34 degrees from October to March, 28 degrees from April – September. Clear blue skies. Daylight from 7am to 7pm. Perfect one day, glorious the next. (Alternative: Auckland, NZ. Or Queenstown).
3. You don’t enjoy travel.
One of the most common objections I hear about moving to Darwin is that it’s too far from everywhere. Really? It’s just over two and a half hours to Bali! We watch for the $99 specials and go there for our long weekends! Or if you’re strapped for time, try East Timor (Timor-Leste), our nearest neighbour – it’s just over an hour’s flight away and has some of the best diving and surfing in the world. Not to mention the food. (Alternative: Stay at home and watch cooking shows)
4. There’s no signs
It’s true. When you arrive in Darwin there’s a few (empty) billboards as you leave the airport, and then after that, there’s no signs. No flashing neons telling you what to buy, no rotating billboards telling you where to go. If you like no clutter and making your own choices, you’ll be fine, but if not, you probably shouldn’t come to Darwin. (Alternative: Sydney. Melbourne. Brisbane. New York.)
5. If you’re racist
If you’re racist, you won’t enjoy Darwin. We have 30% Aboriginal population (compared to 3% in the rest of Australia) and culture is well and truly alive and strong. Plus we have a strong Chinese and Philippine heritage, and big populations of Greeks, Thais, Indonesians, Malaysians, Vietnamese, Indians, and lots more. There’s always some festival or another, the food is sensational, and our multi-cultural markets are world famous. (Alternative: Branch out! Travel! – See (3))
6. The opportunities, and the challenges, are boundless
If you like the security of knowing what you’re doing, day in, day out, we might not be a good fit. The NT is a small population, just 200,000 – the size of a Sydney suburb – and about one fifth of Australia’s land mass. We have all the responsibilities of delivering all the services any state does, with only a tiny fraction of the population. That means opportunities are boundless. About one third of our population live remote, with limited infrastructure and access: that means challenges are boundless. Innovation is desperately needed. We are culture, lifestyle, and opportunity rich, but we are population poor.
Consider joining us. The next time someone asks you “Why Darwin?” you’ll tell them “because I found freedom”.
Oh, and did I mention the sunsets?
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