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Darwin

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Overview of the city of Darwin:

Darwin is the capital city of  Northern Territory. This city was originally a pivotal outpost. Darwin enjoys close proximity with South East Asia, which makes it a perfect gateway to countries such as Indonesia and East Timor. Darwin is the largest city in the Northern Territory. 

On an overall level, the city of Darwin sports a tropical climate, characterized by both dry and wet seasons. During most part of the year, the climate in this city is warm to hot. November is the hottest month in this city. There are chances of cyclones hitting this city during the wet season. One can witness heavy downpour coupled with extravagant lightning during the wet period. In the dry season, the sky is blue and sea breeze greets this city.

A good deal of indigenous Australians resides in Darwin. This is followed by ancestral groups including the likes of English, Irish, Scottish, Chinese, Greek and Italian. A certain section of Darwin residents, who were born abroad, belong to countries such as United Kingdom, New Zealand, Philippines and East Timor. People with various ethnic backgrounds live in this city. 

Most of the people living in Darwin are followers of Christianity while remaining follows Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and Jews. Around 23% of the population does not practice any religion at all. Languages commonly spoken in this city include Greek, Italian, Indonesian, Vietnamese and Cantonese. Darwin’s population is mainly youthful, bearing an average age of 33 years.

The city of Darwin is governed by the Darwin City Council. This council comprises of 13 elected members, the Lord Mayor and 12 aldermen. Darwin houses the Magistrate’s Court. Similarly, the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory is based in this city. There was a time when the Country Liberal Party had a strong hold over this city. However with passage of time, Australian Labor Party is seen taking over.

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Two extremely crucial sectors in Darwin are that of mining and tourism. This city deals in mineral resources such as gold, zinc, bauxite and manganese. Darwin has enormous uranium deposits. However, the energy production mainly takes place offshore with oil and natural gas. Around 8% of Darwin’s population is employed in the field of tourism. Both domestic as well as international tourists are seen spending time during the dry and wet seasons in this city.

The field of education is looked after and managed by the Department of Education and Training (DET). A wide number of schools both public and private are based in this city. These schools cater to local as well as overseas students.  Since the beginning of the year 2007, schools in this city are segregated into Primary, Middle and High schools. Charles Darwin University is the largest University in this city.

This University provides tertiary education comprising of vocational and academic courses. This entity acts as a University as well as an Institute of TAFE.

The city of Darwin houses the Marrara Sports Complex, which has stadiums for games such as Aussie Rules, Cricket, Rugby Union, Soccer, Basketball, Athletics and Field Hockey. Every year the V8 Supercars event is hosted by this city. 

Public Transport in the city of Darwin is managed by the Department of Lands and Planning, Public Transport Division. One can board a bus in order to reach the main suburbs of Darwin. Unfortunately, this city does not provide any commuter rail service as such.

Important Happenings in Darwin:

In the city of Darwin, July 1 is celebrated as the Territory Day. If you are desirous of being a part of these celebrations then you need to head to the Mindil Beach. One can witness a massive firework display at this beach. The Darwin Festival is held in this city every year. At this fest, one can witness an apt amalgamation of comedy, dance, theatre, music, film and visual arts. Other important festivals held in Darwin include NT Indigenous Music Awards, The Seabreeze Festival and The Speargrass Festival. 

Weekly markets are a hit in this city, which essentially include the names of Mindil Beach Sunset Markets, Parap Market, Nightcliff Market and Rapid Creek Market. Few other events in Darwin, which are undoubtedly a must see comprise of the Darwin beer-can regatta, Darwin Cup horse race, Rodeo and Mud Crab Tying Competition and the World Solar Challenge race. 

Things to do in Darwin:

If you are looking forward to get lost in the natural habitat comprising of wildlife and indigenous culture, then opting for a walking trail in Darwin would be just the right thing to do. Two places that are sure to fascinate you with regards to the above experience are the Mary River National Park and the Tiwi Islands.

You can engage in small scale mining activities by heading to the Bamboo Creek Tin Mine. At this place, you can have a rendezvous with residue of equipments used then for the purpose of ore extraction, processing and transport.

If you are a connoisseur of good architectural work, then touring the Parliament House should definitely be on your list. Different types of tours such as the self guided tour, free guided public tour and school tour form a crucial part of this place.

People who are fond of parklands should pay a visit to the Bicentennial Park. This parkland is covered by tropical trees. People can stroll through this park for hours together.

Lake Alexander, which is a manmade lake, is another place worth seeing in the city of Darwin. One can plan a one day picnic to this lake. Apart from heading for a swim, one can also engage in a one of its kind barbeque experience at this lake.