Fair dinkum: Good deals on wheels

By GREG ANSLEY

It may not be so good for the people trying to make a living out of moving tourists around the city, but market economics has made life much easier on the wallet in Darwin.

Convinced that transport could be cheaper, the Northern Territory has deregulated the taxi industry, with spectacular results.

The number of vehicles touting for business has rocketed, widening the range of both fares and options.

The cheapest way to move around the central city and environs is by one-fare minibuses, run by enthusiastically cut-throat operators who, for as low as $A2, will pick you up in the street or by phone order and ferry you around Darwin.

The trip may not be as fast as by taxi, as the driver may also stop to pick up other passengers or detour to collect a phone pick-up.

And you need to check the radius of the fare.

Once you move out of the area covered by the minimum charge - to the airport, for example - the cost can rise significantly, sometimes even higher than taxi rates.

But this range, for some operators at least, is fairly generous, offering a $A2 ride from downtown Darwin out to such attractions as the Cullen Bay marina and restaurant precinct, the casino and historic East Point.

If you intend to go further, check the campervan mart off Mitchell St, just down from the city's nightclub and backpacker strip. The yard rents space to travellers wanting to sell vans before heading off to Indonesia or back down south.

But the standard rule is paramount: caveat emptor. The territory can be uncomfortably remote for a careless buyer.