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I used to live in Cairns and I have been to Darwin twice, most recently on a work-related trip.
Both are very transient cities, Darwin even more so. The climates are very different (Darwin is hot all year with a distinct wet/dry season; Cairns gets cool at night during winter and rains most of the year as it is in the wet tropics).
As a tourist, Cairns has a lot to offer. However, when you live in Cairns you feel this desperateness about the place...too few jobs, an economy too reliant on tourism, oversupply of unskilled labour all competing for few jobs. James Cook University is poorly resourced; my course was suspended when they couldn't find a lecturer to replace one that left.
The city centre is easy to negotiate and there are plenty of places to park, which is a positive. I used to like going to Rusty's Markets (major market) for exotic fruit; unfortunately last time I was there it had been taken over by stalls selling tourist crap - how many sea shells and organic coffee beans does one person need to buy?
Many people move to Cairns from all over the country. You can tell the difference between them and the 'locals'. The locals are friendly enough, but education standards are fairly low and that shows.
I haven't lived in Darwin but did stay out of the tourist areas. The place has great potential to be a booming capital city, and it does feel exciting to be in place with so much development. 10 years ago there it was dead easy to walk in to a high paying job in almost any industry there; word has since caught on and it is pretty much as difficult as anywhere else to find work (in fact I remember the staff shortage around 2000 the Commonwealth Bank was trying to pay Sydney bank tellers bonuses to relocate there)
I did know someone who worked in Charles Darwin University for many years. He described Darwin as fairly parochial and suffering from an inferiority complex and provided several stories to illustrate the point.
Unlike Cairns, Darwin has significant problems with the homeless Aboriginal population. The majority are not local Larrekiah people but from other areas. They flood Darwin as it is illegal to buy alcohol on many Aboriginal reservations. Before the P.C brigade in Melbourne shoot me down, let me say it is not very pleasant to walk down the city and see drunken indigenous people pooing, peeing and brawling everywhere due to intoxication. There are huge social problems associated with this and nothing seems to help the situation.
Having said that, I always felt safe in Darwin. Cairns has a lot of crime that is not often reported. I remember we had a lot of foreign students and they were always being targeted for robberies and mugging. Crime was more targeted there, whereas in Darwin it was more opportunistic
Darwin is more isolated and further away from everywhere. The place has a certain "Bogan veneer" to it - there are countless stories everyday of crocodile attacks in the paper - but I found people in other cities to be far more 'Bogan' in reality.
As a gay man, I can say both Cairns and Darwin are very gay friendly. Many gay friends I have known who have moved to Darwin say it is the most accepting and tolerant place in Australia. Cairns was open minded, too
I like both places but I would live in Darwin if I had the chance.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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Nice comparison tropical. Cairns is so tourist-dominated, it seems there were more tourists and people from other countries doing working holidays than Aussies. Go to any restaurant in town and you'll probably be served by a European or Asian. Not that that's a bad thing, I mean that's Cairns' mainstray after all, but it seems strictly a tourist town. It's nightlife punches above it's size, but it's definitely aimed at the backpacker crowd, while Darwin is probably more Australian and aboriginal too. Darwin should try to forge more links with Indonesia and East Timor, I mean it's cheaper to fly from Perth to Bali than Darwin to Bali due to traffic volumes, when it should be the other way around. Both cities are booming, economically and in population.
For somebody who has never ventured been past the Sunshine Coast, I can only go on the internet and encyclopedic information to make a judgement.
To make a comparison, I am really thinking about where I would prefer to spend 12 months or more, if in a hypothetical situation this was required.
In this case Cairns would be my choice.
Not quite as isolated, not quite as hot, and a similar population base and facilities on offer.
Darwin has noted indigineous and social problems.
To tropical87, does JCU have a Cairns Campus? - I was not aware of this.
Townsville is still a fair way from Cairns to be able to travel comfortably.
Regardless of this, Cairns would still be my preference.
Tropical 87 is spot on regarding Cairns. Also, Cairns is beautiful, the rainforest, the Great Barrier Reef, the tablelands and the Daintree. Cairns is a desperate place and its reliance on tourism means it fluctuates wildly with the economic climate. I live in Cairns and have for 13 years and lived in Darwin for 5 years. Darwin has its appeal and I loved it there. Many who invested in Cairns went bankrupt. Hedley, Cairns Earth Moving and so many more. It is no place to invest your money. Your investment goes backward there but a nice place to visit-so much natural beauty. Im moving out.
I've only been to Cairns, but it's a beautiful place...lush tropical surroundings, so much nature! Only thing missing is a beach in the city but it's not far to some gorgeous beaches.
Darwin is the only capital city in Australia with a declining population. It shrunk some 300 plus last year for varied reasons. I have lived in both cities and preferred Darwin at the time. I found it impossible to obtain work at the time in Cairns, where as Darwin was a cinch obtaining it near on arrival.
Both cities had and have issues. Lots of crime issues blight Darwin and fairly easy to get into 'a spot of bother' without really trying there. (Alice far worse though)
Darwin is very expensive though. That was the reason I left in the end . But the exterior is great, and it feels like Australia like nowhere else. I met some characters, while there, who had made their homes there and definitely folk away from the ordinary, which certainly added colour to the landscape.
I have no experience, but have heard hospital care is not the best in either city. Which is something worth considering prior to moving.
I found both places full of Back packers and tourists. Cairns more so but still very numerous in Darwin.
I'm quite a fan of tropical locations, so didn't mind the heat, most places have swimming pools and air con most everywhere, although I don't mind the old fan.
The alcohol problem can be just that, with lots of incidents around that and sadly foreign visitors just as likely, in my experience to be instigators , especially drunken Brit's.
Love the market vibe at Mindal Beach during the season and lived walking distance to the action.
Darwin is quite multi cultural with a large Pilipino population transplanted there, which makes up some 3% of the population. Quite a few Indonesians as well hence some great and authentic food resulting.
Good to read both places are Gay friendly. Had no real experience of that there apart from a cross dresser, who lived with a bloke, that seemed to be tolerated so I suppose accepted.
Darwin can be rather 'butch' though so a little surprised, I guess to read it as gay friendly.
I probably wouldn't live in either city these days. I would certainly visit both though . A very different part of Australia to be sure.
I've visited much of Australia but somehow have always missed out in seeing Darwin. Cairns i found to be beautiful--much tropical planting, views of the mountains, a very appealing central business district..
If things return to normal i plan on visiting Australia again this coming February and as always i debate whether I should visit Darwin. The good, detailed information that the previous posters have made still make me undecided.
Crime being a problem and disincentive to me. Didn't know Darwin had such issues.
And Feb. being winter here in the states, makes me seek warm temperatures elsewhere but the Big Wet in Darwin sounds fearful and uninviting?
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