For yachts arriving from the Pacific it is a great relief to find a country where everything is available and virtually anything can be fixed. If in need of a major overhaul or repairs, it is advisable to head for a main centre, such as Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns or Darwin, where repair facilities are of a high standard and spares readily available. Due to the large fishing fleet based in Darwin, there are excellent repair facilities of all types and chandlers in the area around the Mooring Basin. Boats bound for Darwin should join the annual Over the Top Cruise organised by the Gove Yacht Club as it includes stops in several places that are normally closed to visitors. Yacht clubs everywhere are welcoming and are also a valuable source of advice concerning repairs or provisioning.
Australian charts are excellent and are continually kept up to date.
They are available in any port of significant size. The climate varies from one end of the country to the other. It is mainly temperate except for the tropical north and central desert. The north has two seasons, wet from November to March, with the heaviest rainfall after January. The winter months of April to October are drier and more pleasant.