Australian Geography
Northern Territory (NT) & Darwin
Although roughly 80% of the NT is in the tropics, only the northern 25%, known as the Top End, has anything that resembles the popular idea of a tropical climate. It's a distinct region of savanna woodlands and rainforest pockets – in the northeast, the Arnhem Land plateau rises abruptly from the plain and continues to the Gulf of Carpentaria. Much of the southern 75% of the Territory consists of desert or semi-arid plain.
Like Australia's other far north regions (in WA and Queensland), the Top End's climate is described in terms of the Dry and the Wet, with year-round maximum temperatures of 30°C to 34°C and minimums between 19°C and 26°C. In the centre, temperatures are much more variable, plummeting below freezing on winter nights and soaring above 40°C on summer days. The most comfortable time to visit both the centre and the Top End is June and July, though the centre is pleasant as early as April. The Top End (including Darwin) has its good points during the Wet – everything is green, and there are spectacular electrical storms and relatively few tourists. However, the combination of heat and high humidity can be unbearable and some national parks are either partially or totally closed.
For more information about Darwin and surrounding area, view the NT - Fact sheet (pdf 47.5kb or rtf 264.68kb) and/or visit the Northern Territory government website.