Tuesday, Feb 01, 2022 at 20:11
OK, just to clarify. There are not HEAPS, but there are some.
Malak and KOA parks, Mcmillians road. Due to be closed soon. Carry a gun? If so, may be
the spot for you. I live close by and first stayed there many years ago. No longer safe, not recommended.
Lee Point. Close to beach, may also be close to Midgies, stayed there so long ago, can't remember. No real bad reports.
Want to be able to catch a bus and have a few beers. If so, the old Shady Glen (once know as shitty Glen), but now not to bad and acceptable. 11 Farrell Cres Winnellie. This is where I'd stay, as we like to be able to get a bus.
Don't care about driving. There is the Hidden Valley park. Pretty neat last time I was there. VERY VERY TIGHT
camp spots.
Moving out further, BP Palms, now know as Big 4 Free Spirit. This is the more modern type of park, better facilities. You may want to carry a water bag if you try to catch public transport.
Further out (forget public transport), Howard Spring caravan park. Nice enough park. From memory, spaces are a little tight.
Even further out, there is a park at Coolalinga. Never been there, so can't vouch for it.
Darwin isn't the place it used to be, not even like it was 10 years ago!
Due to CV and a plethora of other reasons it has become less safe.
A HUGE amount of "locals" have made
Darwin their
home since the pandemic began.
My partner no longer goes out the front
gate alone, unless going to the neigbours directly across the road, or in the car going somewhere. The local shops for her, and many others that I speak to, have become a hassle. Endless humbug. All over, people are modifying their shopping habits. Don't go in the arvo or evening. "Go in the morning when they are still asleep".
I personally have been recently followed by youths, I think I may be "just"
young enough to pose a difficult target so they move on.
Town during the day is "relatively" safe and you would be unlucky to strike any real trouble though it does happen. Disabled people bashed and robbed in broad daylight.
If visiting the Casuarina shopping centre, do NOT park in the under ground
parking! People regularly get bashed.
Coming during the dry and going to the markets, unlikely to strike hassles aside from a bit of humbug.
I still love
Darwin, I feel truly sorry for folks who have lived here a LONG time as it isn't the same place. All due to the one factor that if I name will see this post pulled down.
Cheers
Lyndon
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Follow Up By: Rob J8 - Tuesday, Feb 01, 2022 at 20:27
Tuesday, Feb 01, 2022 at 20:27
We know what you mean, Lyndon.
Broome is suffering as
well.
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Follow Up By: Mikee5 - Wednesday, Feb 02, 2022 at 08:10
Wednesday, Feb 02, 2022 at 08:10
An eye opener! Thank you Lyndon. We left
Darwin (Moil) in 1998. It was a great place to live then. We felt safe and our kids ranged free then. There were long grassers then of course but they mostly kept to themselves. I worked in Centrelink Casuarina so had a first hand view.
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Follow Up By: Member - Wooly - Wednesday, Feb 02, 2022 at 12:07
Wednesday, Feb 02, 2022 at 12:07
Interesting to hear that Lyndon but sad also.
My wife and I and our 3
young kids moved to
Darwin in 1992 for a 2 year working holiday and really enjoyed our time there.
People were friendly and we never felt unsafe.
The town had a real last frontier feel about it.
We visited again in 2016 and the place was much busier, more apartment type buildings and the locals were complaining about the
population increase. Things like it being harder to get a park at the
boat ramp and that kind of thing.
Still, we never felt in danger or intimidated in any way.
Sounds like things are alot different now.
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Follow Up By: Member - lyndon NT - Wednesday, Feb 02, 2022 at 16:34
Wednesday, Feb 02, 2022 at 16:34
Even since 2016 it has changed. I first came here in 88, then again in 89, then 92, then 2000, finally settling here since 2008. It used to be just humbug, but now there are a lot of
home invasions and just general violence and vandalism. As another poster on here said, same in
Broome. Talk to the folks in Townsville and they will say the same thing.
We had our first
home "visit" a few months back. (leaving the car break in aside) Unfortunately I was doing a reno and had the security doors off, so he just broke the ornamental french doors. Opened EVERY cupboard and drawer and took...... NOTHING, not the grog, not the Tablet or laptop. Pretty sure he was after the keys to the Troopy. Cops got a good print, a detective rang me before Christmas and told me his name and arranged to come over and take a statement. Officer never showed, overwhelmed, quit, forgot, who knows....
Police are over it as nothing happens to the people they apprehend. The only answer the bleeding hearts have is to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14 and stop locking people up. Seriously, that is the only answer they have to an ever increasing crime rate, stop locking the offenders up. It would be funny if it weren't so serious.
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Follow Up By: nick g1 - Saturday, Feb 05, 2022 at 03:57
Saturday, Feb 05, 2022 at 03:57
Wow
Amazing. Thanks for being honest. Means so much coming from a local.
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Follow Up By: Candace S. - Sunday, Feb 06, 2022 at 15:08
Sunday, Feb 06, 2022 at 15:08
"A HUGE amount of "locals" have made
Darwin their
home since the pandemic began."
This is interesting. I haven't spent much time in
Darwin, but I've spent more time in
Alice Springs. When the pandemic got going, I thought about all the people who were typically seen hanging around Alice. And wondered if the scene was still the same.
My limited inquiries led me to believe that a lot of people left town to go stay in a community. In fact, I recall reading an article talking about over-crowded houses in various communities. Have things gone differently up on the Top End for some reason? Or maybe I got the wrong impression of the general situation?
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Follow Up By: Member - lyndon NT - Monday, Feb 07, 2022 at 14:06
Monday, Feb 07, 2022 at 14:06
Hi
Not the situation here Candace. I remember the the chief minister being interviewed last year in relation to the
"Return To Country" program. Basically they are trying to get people out of
Darwin.
The numbers far exceeded previous years. I would be lying if I pretended I knew the numbers but something tells me it may have been double other years.
As a local, you only have to go for a short drive and you notice the difference. I think the Govt may also be using a
camp near us that was previously used to house Inpex workers. According to a GP I saw a few months ago, it's "$40 a day, 3 meals and accommodation included"
Obviously I'm quoting the DR there. Even this facility doesn't account for the change.
But there you have it.
Cheers
Lyndon
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