Northern Territory

Darwin's climate runs on two real seasons rather than four: the Dry (roughly May to September, sunny, around 30% afternoon humidity, little rain) and the Wet (October to April, monsoon rain, storms and the possibility of cyclones, 80%+ humidity, 25-33°C) -- worth planning a move around the season, not just checking the week's forecast. The territory's economy runs on mining (gold, zinc, bauxite, manganese) and tourism, both active year-round.

Beyond Darwin, Alice Springs is the Territory's third-largest town (around 33,000 people), sitting almost exactly halfway between Darwin and Adelaide -- roughly 1,500km either way -- in genuine outback/arid desert country, known for Aboriginal culture and art and as the gateway to the MacDonnell Ranges and Larapinta Trail. Katherine, the fourth-largest (around 9,600 people), sits about 1,200km north of Alice Springs and is often described locally as "where the outback meets the tropics," the usual gateway to Nitmiluk Gorge.

Bonds work differently here than anywhere else in Australia: the NT is the only state or territory with no independent bond authority -- a landlord holds the bond themselves in a trust account rather than lodging it with a government body.