Darwin is the often-forgotten city of Australia. Far north, it’s often tarnished with a “Why bother?” brush, which is grossly unfair. It might not draw the crowds that Bondi does and it doesn’t have the artsy laneways of Melbourne, but Darwin is an absolute firecracker of a city. Beautifully and authentically Australian, its people are true-blue Aussies who absolutely love their town.
If you’ve ever been tempted to visit the Top End, July is the perfect time to do so, and you’ll be able to search for bargain flights there now on Cheapflights.com.au. Aside from the cheap journey, check out these 5 reasons why you need to visit Darwin this July…
1. Winter bad. Darwin good
Want to thaw off this winter, but don’t want to head too far from home? Darwin is a no brainer. For a start, you’ll literally be escaping winter because Darwin doesn’t have it – there are no traditional seasons; it’s either dry or wet season. July falls smack bang in the middle of the dry season. During the peak of winter, averages still hover around the 30-degree mark and at night, it can reach freezing temperatures of just under 20. So yeah, if you consider that cold, you’ve likely returned from your latest trip to the sun. There aren’t many places in Australia you can travel to in the dead of winter with shorts and sunscreen in your hand luggage.
2. Sink a few at the Beer Can Regatta
I imagine the conversation went something like this, “Weird how tinnies float, eh? How many do you reckon you’d need to support a grown man?” From there, it would have been a simple escalation into the Beer Can Regatta, which occurs every July, and sees teams of four battling it out on rafts made of beer cans. Amazingly, this event has grown from a small event into a mammoth occasion. It’s not actually the debauched bloc party you might think it is, and is actually a pretty family-friendly affair. Immensely North Australian in both spirit and execution, it’s as insane as it is hilarious.
3. Pet your way through the Royal Darwin Show
Get a feel for what the true-blue territory is really about at the Royal Darwin Show. It’s got your usual rides run by people wearing trucker hats, show bags full of stuff that won’t decompose for 20,000 years and cows that you swear are eyeing you off, but it’s also a great chance to soak up the culture of what makes Darwin tick. The agriculture part is as Australian as it gets, full of farmers showing off their animals and produce. And if cattle auctions aren’t your cup of tea, let the stress run out of you by stroking a pleating lamb at the petting zoo. Just try not to think about where that lamb is probably headed.
4. Swing down to the Darwin Carnivale
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Mindil Markets – a Darwin icon and one of the best places to see the famed Darwin sunset. To celebrate, the markets are donning their party hats and throwing a four-day extravaganza that’ll leave you giddy and somehow make you forget that you’re on a beach in Australia in July. Pretend to like spicy foods to impress your date, awkwardly samba dance with your mum, get overly competitive playing beach cricket – whatever you like about going to day parties, there will be something here for you.
5. Nothing like a good fringe festival
There’s more to Darwin’s cultural bow than crocodiles, dingoes and Australian stereotypes. Darwin is just as artistic and enriching as any Oz city. The Darwin Fringe Festival is the perfect showcase of a city that knows how to entertain the masses. Bizarre, always weird, the DFF is an eclectic blend of experimentation and traditional art forms. Dance, spoken word poetry, cabaret, theatre, films, crocodile-themed or otherwise, will all be on display at DFF.
See you soon Darlin’ Darwin!
Darwin isn’t your traditional Australian capital city. It’s got a heart and soul all its own. Thoroughly different, it really is an amazing city that doesn’t get the credit it deserves. Awkwardly, I’ve met more overseas tourists than Australians who’ve visited the city and it’s about time that changed. July gives you the perfect excuse because it’s colder than a polar bear’s toenails in the rest of the country. Do yourself a favour and book yourself a flight on Cheapflights.com.au and get going.
