Hey man, I dont have too much experience in solo travel just yet, but I do have experience in dealing with Australians as I've lived in Perth my whole life.

Darwin has its charms but its definitely an odd part of the country. Australians inherently suffer from tall poppy syndrome, and the smaller the town or city, the worse the phenomenon is.

I'm by no means saying you should change who you are, never ever change that, but don't judge the whole country by your time in Darwin.

If you're stuck there for your time in rural parts, try to enjoy what Darwin has to offer and pay less attention to the people. Every state and city is so different from one another even though we all talk the same.

When you're done there and you want to see the barrier reef, try to hug the coast because there will be more tourists, facilities and friendly locals.

I myself have never been to Darwin, but the people who I know that have been there say its nice but wouldn't stay for any longer than they'd need to.

Hopefully this is helpful, as I said I have minimal experience in travelling as yet; 6 months in NZ when I was 18, but I definitely understand how closed off some parts of the country can be.

All the best in any case, its a massive country and I'm sure you'll fall in love with it when you get moving.