There are many good reasons to relocate to the North.
Greater Darwin
Picture a place where beautiful landscapes surround a busy, multicultural city. A cultural melting pot where great food and new friends paired with a unique outdoor lifestyle awaits you. Welcome to Darwin, the traditional lands of the Larrakia people.
From the stunning coastline to an easy laidback lifestyle, a place of unforgettable experiences. The capital of the Northern Territory, Darwin, is a vibrant city that sits adjacent to the Timor Sea. With warm temperatures year round, it has been hyped as one of the top destinations by visitors (and locals) near and far. With large variety of national parks, waterways, restaurants, cafes and pubs, and plenty of shopping and cultural attractions, there is also a great nightlife scene with lots of clubs and bars open late. With a population of around 150,000 people, Greater Darwin includes the local government areas of Darwin, Palmerston and the Litchfield Shire. The following local governments provide most of the services and amenities for Greater Darwin.
Both Darwin and Palmerston support a number of residential suburbs. Both have their own shopping centres, pubs, restaurants, schools and more; with Darwin set more around the coast, and Palmerston inland, with access to the water via the Elizabeth River that feeds into the harbour.
The City of Palmerston is centrally located approximately 20 kilometres from Darwin and 10 kilometres from the start of Litchfield Shire.
Litchfield Shire is where land blocks transition to acreage, just 25mins drive from Darwin’s CBD. It has working farms, orchards (full of mangos), horses and cattle, rural residential living, regular multicultural markets, plus great shopping with access to supermarkets and shopping centres, plus a number of schools, vets, mechanics, gyms and more.
And Surrounds - also known as the Top End Region
The region includes the north/north-east section of the Territory, including Adelaide River, Batchelor, West Daly, Tiwi Islands, and West Arnhem regions extending from Wagait in the north, to Wadeye in the west and Maningrida in the east.
West Arnhem covers an area of almost 50,000 sqm and has five remote communities, including two islands and more than 100 homelands. The five communities include Jabiru, Gunbalanya, Maningrida, Warruwi and Minjilang and are scattered across salt and fresh water. Over 6,000 people reside in the West Arnhem region and more than 80 per cent population identify as Aboriginal Australians.
The town of Batchelor adjacent to the Litchfield National Park, provides a range of services such as public pools, libraries, annual art shows and more. Located around an hour from the City of Palmerston, it also provides access to additional facilities and services.
West Daly Region with a population of more than 3,000 hosts the communities of Wadeye (Port Keats), Peppimenarti (Peppi) and Palumpa.
The Tiwi Islands 80km north of Darwin, are in the beautiful Arafura Sea. There are two islands, Bathurst and Melville, with a total land mass of 8320sq km
For more information on the area and services, look at the following council websites:
The Top End has two seasons - the dry and the wet.
You can enjoy beautiful sunny days and blue skies during the dry season. The weather sits around 32oC during the day and 20oC at night. Even better the humidity sits around 60-65% - making it the perfect weather to spend most of your time outdoors.
The wet season starts in November and is around until April. There's an increase in temperature, and humidity but this effect also brings on spectacular monsoonal rains and thunder and lightning storms.
Buses are the main form of public transport around Darwin, other than private vehicles. Although taxi’s, Ubers, cycling, scooting and walking are also popular.
There is plenty of parking around the city and surrounds, and unlike our interstate neighbours, parking is affordable, with all day off street parking available for around $5-12 per day. Free afterhours, weekends and public holidays in all offstreet parking locations.
The City of Palmerston offers free parking in key locations within the Palmerston CBD during the week.
Despite vast distances, travelling to the Northern Territory by coaches easy and affordable. For information about tickets, schedules and fares, visit local visitor information centres and transport hubs like Tourism Top End Visitor Information Centre and Greyhound for details.
The Stuart Highway connects Darwin to South Australia via Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs. The Victoria Highway connects Western Australia, and the Barkly Highway connects Queensland. A great way to see Australia, however it is best to plan your drive in advance, noting some distance between fuel stops and accommodation options.
Darwin International Airport is the busiest airport servicing the Northern Territory and the tenth busiest airport in Australia. It is the only airport servicing Darwin. The airport is located in Darwin’s northern suburbs, eight kilometres from the Darwin CBD, in the suburb of Eaton. It shares runways with the Royal Australian Air Force’s RAAF Base Darwin. The airport has an international terminal, a domestic terminal and a cargo terminal. Both passenger terminals have a number of shops and cafeterias.
The Darwin Railway Station is located on Berrimah Road at East Arm, right next to the Port of Darwin. This passenger terminal is where you can experience The Ghan - one of the worlds most luxurious and memorable train journeys.
Access to Jabiru town is via two Highways. You can access it either from Darwin via the Arnhem Highway heading East to Pine Creek, south of Jabiru on the Kakadu Highway, or Two-wheel drive vehicle access is limited to both sealed highways that generally remain open throughout the year. Please be aware that during the wet season (November to April) there could be temporary roads due to flooding from heavy rains.
By road, the Gunbalanya community is approximately 330 km from Darwin. The main road to Gunbalanya from Darwin is Cahills Crossing (East Alligator River). It is sealed, and the road from Cahills Crossing to Gunbalanya is gravel. Please be aware that at times during the wet season, the road is closed due to flooding.
Access to Maningrida via a sealed road to Cahills Crossing, and a dirt road for a further 250 km (4WD recommended but not essential). During the wet season, access is limited, with the road often closed for extended periods. The drive takes approximately seven hours from Darwin. Regular transport is available from Airnorth and Fly Tiwi and the Barefoot Bus (run by Katherine Coaches) runs a weekly service from Darwin during the dry season.
Transport to Warruwi is by Fly Tiwi. Access to Minjilang is available by Air or Barge with Fly Tiwi providing air transport.
The West Daly Region can be cut off by rain during the wet season. During this time, travel is mainly by air with regular freight services, bi-weekly mail runs to Peppimenarti and Palumpa, and charters with weekly barge services also available for freight.
By road, Wadeye is located approximately 420 km southwest of Darwin. It is accessed along the Daly River Road which is not sealed from the Daly River crossing and can only be accessed during the Dry Season (May to October). Murin Air provides air transport.
Peppimenarti, located approximately 320 km south east of Darwin, is accessible by road. It is 120 km west of the Daly River crossing, along the Port Keats road. The access road consists of both sealed (up to Daly River Crossing) and unsealed sections. During the wet season, the unsealed section of the road becomes impassable and access is often only by aircraft.
Palumpa is 375 km from Darwin by road on the Port Keats Road between the communities of Peppimenarti and Wadeye. The Palumpa access road is unsealed and approximately 140 km from the Daly River Bridge. The community is cut off during the wet season for extended periods. The road between Palumpa and Port Keats, though only 45km away, is also impassable during the wet season.
Bathurst is accessible by Aerodrome or Bathurst Island Barge Landing.
When driving in the regions, check Road Report NT for the latest information on road conditions.
There are several arts and cultural centres, museums, and galleries across the Top End. Read about the facilities in the region.
There's also a number of events in the regions which is hosted by local venues and sporting groups.
Look over the calendar of events to see what's on offer.
Some key events that happen in the region include:
- Darwin Cup Carnival
- Laksa and Gin Festivals
- Taste of Kakadu
- Bass in the Grass
- Mahbilil Festival
- Tiwi Islands football grand final
- Darwin Street Art Festival
Find out more about the variety of sports available in the region. You can also look at the NT Community website for local sporting groups.
Darwin city, Casuarina, Nightcliff, Palmerston, Bachelor, Jabiru, Gunbalanya and Maningrida all have public swimming pools.
We love AFL in the Territory.
Australian rules football is the Territory's most popular sport, especially in Aboriginal Australian communities in the Top End and Tiwi Islands. All other major sporting codes are played depending on whether it is the Wet or Dry Season.
The Greater Darwin Region has:
- 33 Primary Schools
- 4 Middle Schools
- 8 Senior Schools
- and multiple university campuses
You can look at the Childcare and School sections to learn more.
The Top End region has a range of childcare, primary, secondary and tertiary education options. You can look at the Childcare and School sections to learn more.
There are:
- 119 childcare centres
- 42 primary schools
- 21 senior schools
- 6 universities
If you want to see a list of schools in your area, visit the Northern Territory Government's Education Directory.
When you move to the region access to housing can vary depending on where you are relocating to. Housing can be available for purchase and rent, however, availability in some communities may vary. Housing is mainly supplied to those who live and work for local councils or government agencies.
Housing and rental average costs are kept up to date on the NT Economy website.
The Real Estate Institute of the Northern Territory REINT has a complete list of real estate agents that operate within the NT. These agents can assist you in looking for properties to rent or purchase.
If you’re looking for a rental and you work in a key service industry in the Territory, you may be able to apply for the rental subsidy scheme on the Northern Territory Government website.
Jabiru Property Services offers residential properties in the town of Jabiru. With rental properties available for rent through Jabiru Kabolkmakmen.
There are approximately 120 staff houses at Wadeye, all of which are owned and operated by various agencies, including West Daly Regional Council, Tharmarrurr Development Corporation, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School, NT Department of Health, NT Police as well as the local store and Takeaway business.
Accommodation in Maningrida
- Dhukurrdji Lodge - (08) 8979 5612
- West Arnhem Regional Council (ALSTRA Camp, Buffalo Lodge, Smartie Packet) - (08) 8979 6600
- Maningrida Hostel and Self-Contained Accommodation - (08) 8979 6000
Houses for sale in communities are limited and may only be available to locals.
Depending on where you are moving from, prices to relocate to the Top End region can vary. It's best to shop around and receive quotes from multiple removalist companies. You can find more information about things to prepare for by looking over our Moving page.
Whether you decide to rent or purchase, the Northern Territory Government offers a range of assistance to homeowners to enter the market or build homes. You can find out more information by looking at our Housing page.
Download Regional Guides
The following guides contain even more information around what its like to live and work in each region, with additional information about shopping, dining, attractions, Aboriginal language groups and more.
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Explore more
Regional living guides
Alice Springs & Surrounds
Alice Springs (or Mparntwe in Arrernte language) is the third-largest town in the Northern Territory, with a population of approximately 33,000 people.
Katherine & Surrounds
Katherine and surrounds, also known as the Big Rivers region extends from the Western Australian border to the Gulf of Carpentaria and along the Queensland border.
East Arnhem Land
The East Arnhem region is known for its beautiful beaches, rich cultural history and relaxed lifestyle.
Tennant Creek & Barkly Region
Tennant Creek is your authentic outback town with one main street and local stores. It's located between Alice Springs and Katherine and is known as the Golden Heart.