Quick answer
A wet season business loan is finance that carries a northern Australian business through October to April, when rain, cyclones and road closures cut trade for many tourism, hospitality, construction and outdoor operators. The best time to arrange it is late in the dry season, while your bank statements show strong months. A line of credit or a facility with repayments weighted to the dry usually suits better than a fixed loan.
Key points
- The Bureau of Meteorology defines the northern wet season as October to April.
- Apply in the late dry, when your statements show peak trading, not in February.
- The December quarter BAS is due on 28 February, right in the heart of the wet.
- Lenders want twelve months of statements so they see both the dry and the wet.
- A line of credit you draw in the wet and clear in the dry often fits the cycle best.
A wet season business loan is funding that gets a northern business through October to April, when heavy rain, cyclones and closed roads slow trade for many tour operators, cafés, builders and outdoor businesses. The smartest time to arrange it is late in the dry, while your statements still show strong months. Flexible facilities, like a line of credit, usually suit the cycle better than a fixed loan.
If you’ve run a business in Darwin, Broome, Cairns or anywhere across the north, you already know the rhythm. This guide is about turning that rhythm into a funding plan that doesn’t leave you scrambling every February.
How long is the wet, and what does it do to trade?
The Bureau of Meteorology defines the northern wet season as running from October to April. It’s the north’s peak period for rain, severe thunderstorms and tropical cyclones. The 2025–26 wet was a big one: the Bureau’s season summary, published in May 2026, ranked it the seventh wettest on record across the north, with 11 tropical cyclones in the Australian region and six crossing land.
For businesses, the effect varies:
| Business type | What the wet usually means |
|---|---|
| Tour and charter operators | Fewer visitors, cancelled trips, some routes closed entirely |
| Accommodation | Lower occupancy outside of a few peak weeks |
| Cafés and restaurants in tourist areas | Fewer visitors, local trade only |
| Builders and outdoor trades | Lost working days, delayed jobs, slower progress payments |
| Commercial fishing | Weather days and seasonal closures, depending on the fishery |
| Retailers and suppliers to the above | Knock-on effects as customers slow their spending |
Some businesses do better in the wet, such as roofers, drainage contractors and anyone fixing storm damage. But for a lot of the north, the wet is the quiet season, and the costs keep coming.
Which bills land in the middle of the wet?
The cruel timing is that some of the year’s biggest bills fall due right when takings are lowest.
- The December quarter BAS is due on 28 February. The ATO’s due dates page notes that this date already includes a one-month extension, so extra time from lodging online or through an agent doesn’t apply.
- The March quarter BAS is due on 28 April, as the wet ends but before the dry trade has fully returned.
- Rent, insurance and wages for core staff don’t stop.
- Pre-season costs for the next dry, such as boat surveys, vehicle servicing, marketing and stock, often need paying in March and April.
A wet season funding plan is really about getting from the last strong dry month to the first strong dry month with all of those covered.
When should you apply?
Late in the dry. That’s when your most recent bank statements show peak trade, your head is clear and you’re not under pressure.
Lenders generally want twelve months or more of statements for a seasonal business, so they can see the whole cycle. But the most recent months still carry weight. An application in September shows a run of busy months at the top of the statements. An application in late February shows four or five thin months first, with a BAS bill looming.
Applying in the dry also gives you options. A facility arranged in advance can sit unused until you need it. A loan arranged in a hurry tends to be whatever’s available that week.
If you’re reading this in the late dry, it’s a good moment to start a short enquiry and get something in place before the build-up.
What type of finance suits the wet?
For most northern businesses, the gap repeats every year. That points towards flexible facilities rather than one-off lump sums.
A line of credit. You draw funds during the wet and repay as dry season takings return. You typically pay only for what you use. Our page on business lines of credit explains how limits and repayments work.
A seasonal business loan. Some lenders will structure a loan with an eye on your seasonal cycle. Our overview of seasonal business loans covers the common structures.
Revenue-based finance. If most of your income is card-based, collections that rise and fall with sales ease pressure in the quiet months. But a fixed daily debit can hurt in the wet, so check which type you’re offered.
Property-secured finance. If you own property, a secured facility from $20k to $5m can fund a bigger need, like a new vessel or a refit, with a longer term.
Without property, facilities usually land between $5k and $500k, with the limit worked out from what your turnover and banking history can carry across a full dry and wet.
An illustrative example
Illustrative only. A family-run fishing charter in the Top End earns most of its revenue between May and September. In the wet, trips are limited and some weeks there are none at all. Costs during those months include mooring, insurance, wages for one full-time skipper and the boat’s annual survey, booked for March.
Two wet seasons ago, the owners got through by putting the survey on a credit card and stretching the BAS. Last year they did it differently. In August, at the peak of the dry, they applied for a $60k line of credit. Their twelve months of statements clearly showed the cycle, and their most recent months were strong.
Through the wet they drew about $40k, covering the BAS in February, the survey in March and the skipper’s wages. By the end of July, with the dry season trips booked out, they’d repaid the drawn balance. The line stayed open for the following wet.
The details of each charter are different, and our page on tourism operator loans covers more of what lenders consider. Commercial operators may also find commercial fishing finance relevant.
What if last wet has already left you behind?
It happens. A long wet, a cyclone or a slow tourist season can leave a business carrying an ATO debt into the dry.
The ATO’s page on payment plans says the quickest way to set one up is through its online services, and that tax debts on a plan “continue to accrue GIC, which compounds daily”. It also notes that you need to keep lodging and paying new obligations on time or the plan may default.
Some owners use a business loan to clear the debt, especially if they’d rather go into the next wet with a clean slate. ATO debt is considered case by case, and our page on ATO tax debt loans explains when that makes sense.
How do you build a dry season plan for next wet?
A few habits make each wet season easier than the last:
- Track twelve months of cash flow, month by month, so you know your true wet season gap.
- Set aside a share of every dry season week for the February BAS and other wet season bills.
- Arrange facilities in the dry, not when you need them.
- Book pre-season costs early and know how you’ll pay for them.
- Keep your bank statements clean, with all takings going through the business account, so lenders can see the full cycle.
- Review insurance before the cyclone season, including business interruption cover.
Accommodation providers will find our notes on motel business loans useful too.
Planning for the next wet? Let’s start in the dry
Northern businesses are resilient. They have to be. Getting through each wet with less stress isn’t about working harder; it’s about having funding lined up before the rain arrives, so February is just another month.
Getting the ball rolling is a one-minute enquiry, and there’s no credit check at that first stage. Your file isn’t blasted out to a pile of lenders either, so a quiet wet season afternoon stays quiet. A real person who understands seasonal trade looks at your full year, then calls you to talk through options. Please fill in the form accurately, including your best and quietest months, so the first option we put to you actually fits.
Frequently asked questions
When should I apply for wet season finance?
Ideally in the late dry, around August to October, when your most recent bank statements show strong trading and you can plan calmly. Applying in February, when takings are thin and the BAS is due, is possible but harder.
Will a lender understand that my income drops in the wet?
Lenders who deal with northern and seasonal businesses do. What helps is twelve months or more of statements showing the full cycle, and a short explanation of how your trade moves through the year.
What if a cyclone shuts my business?
That's a different situation from the normal wet season slowdown. Check your insurance first, then talk to a lender about short-term funding while claims are processed. Having a facility already in place before the season helps enormously.
Is a line of credit better than a loan for the wet season?
For a recurring gap, often yes. You draw what you need during the quiet months and repay it when the dry season trade returns. A fixed loan suits a one-off purchase, such as new equipment before the next dry.
Can I get finance if I'm already behind with the ATO after last wet?
ATO debt is considered case by case. It helps to have a payment plan in place or to show how a loan would clear the debt and leave the business in a stronger position.
Do lenders treat businesses in remote areas differently?
Some lenders have rules about remote locations, especially for property security. Unsecured options sized on turnover and bank statements are less affected by where you are.