Sun, sun and more sun, interrupted only by the occasional tropical downpour. For six months of the year Darwin has a climate which would be very difficult to beat anywhere in the world (we'll not talk about the remaining six months of the year just yet). This fantastic weather is the main reason why many of us live here, it means that you can lead a very outdoor oriented lifestyle without worrying about rain. During the Dry Season, from May through to October, Darwin is THE place to be. From May to October rainfall is virtually nil and the days are mostly cloudless with temperatures in the low thirties (85-90^ºF). Nights are cool and balmy with low humidity and temperatures in the high teens (65-80^ºF).

Darwin has one of the most spectacular sunsets you will see anywhere on earth. Every evening (strange that), the sun sinks into the Arafura sea with a fantastic light show. Tourists stand in awe watching the changing colours as daylight slips into a very short twilight. Most locals however, take this phenomenon in their stride and simply open up another beer. Occasionally, the onset of darkness heralds an onslaught of sandflies and mossies (even the Garden of Eden had its snakes).

Wherever you are in Darwin you're not far from the sea. Darwin Harbour is huge and offers plenty of potential for waterskiing, fishing and diving. There are some very good waterside restaurants which serve locally caught seafood. One thing you won't find very much of in the town are hills, in fact it's difficult to find any hills big enough to perform a hillstart on during a driving test.

Whereas the Dry season could be described as being perfect, the Wet Season is probably more of an acquired taste. During the Wet season temperatures get a bit higher but, more importantly, the humidity rises sharply. We're talking hot, very hot. It's not surprising that the Wet season is also known as the Suicide season. The Build Up is the worst, from October to the end of December the heat builds up along with the humidity. Storm clouds form, but very rarely is there any rain. For newcomers to the town, you're best friend will be your air conditioner. Some people do not mind the Build Up, it really depends on your outlook. A cold beer can cure many ills during this time. Many locals prefer to spend Christmas Day in a local hotel or restaurant where someone else cooks Christmas dinner and cleans up afterwards (and the airconditioners run all day long)

From January to the end of March is the rainy season. We're talking wet here. Very, very damp. We're talking so damp that even the cat turned mouldy last year. Some years are exceptional, a couple of years ago in the period from the end of December through to middle of April, Darwin received almost nine foot (9ft) of rain. That is wet in anyone's language. Again, many people revel in this sort of weather, at least it doesn't get cold during the rain and once the sun comes out you dry off pretty quickly.

One thing about the Wet Season are the spectacular tropical storms which are a regular occurrence. The Top End has more lightening strikes per year than anywhere else on the planet. At night time during the Wet Season the skyline lights up with lightening. Huge thunderclouds appear to be holding internal discos complete with sound and light shows. It really is a fantastic sight - and it goes on and on.