My First 4 Days in Darwin – A Hilarious Diary! 😂

✈️ Day 1 (June 17) 2 AM flight from Singapore (with a 2-hour layover). Smooth customs in Darwin—tiny airport! 🏝️ Brad (school pickup guy) greeted me with an iPad—drove me in his 1-year-old Hyundai SUV. 🚗 Checked into a short-term rental (no inspection, just vibes). First shopping spree at CAS Shopping Centre: ✔ Kmart: 2 bowls ($7 AUD) – walked in the exit like a noob 😅 ✔ Coles: Toiletries + instant noodles ($140 AUD) Total spend: $150 AUD 💸 📱 Day 2 Phone card drama: My Amaysim eSIM failed, so bought 2 Vodafone prepaid SIMs ($24 AUD) at Woolworths. Activation required passport + payment info—so extra! CommBank appointment: Opened an account (nice lady helped). ANZ Plus hack: Signed up online for better interest rates & wired money there. 💰 Total spend: $36.30 AUD 🚗 Day 3 (Car Hunt!) Morning: Online car browsing 🖥️ Afternoon: ✔ Coles grocery run ($38.21 AUD) ✔ Uber to see a "yellow car" (listed at $12k, haggled to $11k—but DODGED A BULLET!). ✔ Found a 2017 Skoda for $7,000 AUD—SNAPPED IT UP! ✔ Paid $165 AUD for inspection. 🔍 Total spend: $7,242.58 AUD (RIP wallet 😭) 🛂 Day 4 (Car Registration Chaos) 4 trips to MVR (Darwin’s DMV) because: 1️⃣ "No NT license? No transfer!" 2️⃣ "Wait, actually… maybe?" 3️⃣ "Need a physical card with your name!" (Used my ICBC credit card—random but worked!) Fees: $210 (stamp duty) + $21 (rego) = $231 AUD 💢 Beach break at Rapid Creek + Coles pizza & fruit ($21.51 AUD). Pre-MVR snack run: Bananas + noodles ($6 AUD). 🍌 Total spend: $258.51 AUD #DarwinDiaries #AustraliaStruggles #NewcomerProblems #AdultingIsHard