One of the most sought-after spots in Darwin is Brinkin, home to a well-established neighbourhood of homes, Charles Darwin University and the city’s only shopping centre.
Its name is derived from an Aboriginal tribe who inhabited an area to the south of the Daly River mouth. The streets in Brinkin are named after boats which serviced the coast of northern Australia.
It is located on the Timor Sea, at the southern end of Casuarina Beach (which doesn’t attract swimmers due to the crocodiles!).
Aussie Darwin franchisee Dick Grant said the area had attracted a lot of attention from property buyers over the last few years, with prices doubling over the last five years.
“The suburb is very popular and it is within walking distance to Casuarina Shopping centre, Darwin’s only shopping centre which attracts a lot of people because it is air-conditioned,” Mr. Grant said. “That’s a draw card in Darwin.”
“Several good schools are in the area and it’s approximately 12 kilometres from the centre of Darwin and around three kilometres from the hospital. It is also within three minutes of the university.”
Mr Grant said unlike other Australian capital cities, Darwin doesn’t have any “trendy” or “gentrified” suburbs, but was rich in its wide variety of housing.
“Darwin has a general scattering of public housing in all suburbs, so a million dollar property can be beside a very ordinary one,” he said.
“Over the past few years a lot of the public housing has been sold off due to the boom, but plenty still remain. Brinkin would have less public housing than most areas in Darwin.”
According to Aussie’s “Rate Your Place” feature on ninemsn’s Your Home site, Brinkin is in the Top 100 rated suburbs from around the country.
Rahul writes: “I love this place. I wish I could buy a house here as I just enjoy the lifestyle in this suburb.”
And longtime resident Ross Whitfield adds: “Wildlife everywhere, crocodiles share the beaches with nervous dogs and people. Doctors and nurses live nearby, so always pretty [sic] quite because of their shiftwork lifestyle. Big park in the middle of my street to take the kids to and catch up with neighbours.”