EricB

We are just about to submit our 136 application and are already thinking about where to settle (no surprise there !). We really want green surroundings and a good all year climate (bar the odd cyclone). With this in mind I have looked at the Cairns area but am yet to see a posting on the place.

Well, we obviously think we will enjoy the heat and humidity and feel the City is big enough to offer work and our other needs. We will be going without a prior visit.

I would be interested to hear what others think. Anyone got any good photo's of the area?

cheers

EricB

yafm

The Cairns area is lovely - for a holiday. Even then there is a limit to what can be done. Yes it is very hot yes it is humid but unless you are in the tourism industry or sugar farming you may find it difficult to find gainful employment.
If you want heat and humidity and don't mind heavy rain - when it rains think about Darwin and the surrounds.

However this is only MY opinion I am sure someone will give another

EricB

Thanks for that, from the few pictures I have of Cairns it looks (mercifully) quite small despite supposedly having a population of ~140000. I am currently in Citrix / Wintel Server- Network Admin but would love to try something new, maybe fall back to my University Qualification in Aquatic Biology.

My wife who is primary applicant is an Accountant, I guess every type of industry needs Accountants ! Even she would like to think about new directions on the job front though. We have two kids too, they need schools etc. Does Cairns have much of a shopping Centre?

All the best

EricB

yafm

Can't help re information on shopping centre. We holidayed hard on our visit and did not bother with shopping particularly food etc as we were in hotel complex. Other knowledge gleaned from conversations with various friends and relations. The year we visited, we left Cairns and flew to Sydney and one day later the whole of Cairns was flattened by a hurricane, it took months to re-establish the place - mainly due to Japanese money.

It is a must to visit, Kuranda Victorian railway and falls, Daintree Rain Forest, White Water rafting on the Tully River, The two Coral Reefs - I recommend a day at the furthest one with Quick-Silver Tours. Magnificent day - swim with the huge fish all around you (they know there is food around from the massive meals given on the tours) Snorkel or deep dive - go in a submarine to view the coral and lots of other things to do there.

Walking around Port Douglas in the evening - lots of coffee bars and quick food joints. Watch out for the fruit bats if you walk under the mango trees - they have a good aim.

Do you know - I have convinced myself - we may go again and repeat the experiences.

karen and andy

Dear yvonne and colin,

you have just brought back many wonderful memories of a fantastic holiday.

But i do agree okay for a holiday but i don't think we could cope with the weather all year round.

cheers

karen and andy

yafm

Morning Karen - Andy

Yes it was a very quick rushed holiday we had on our first visit together to australia but has very long lasting memories and we may repeat some of them on our extended journey back to NSW to settle.

EricB

I think we need to give ourselves 3 to 6 months to acclimatise to the tropical conditions before it is really fair to say whether it is "livable" for us. From what short holidays we have had to hot humid places I would say it is. Unless we get "cracking" jobs early on I guess we can move on further south.

Weather aside; - I am still left groping for experiences of Cairns life. No need to tell everyone on these boards what moving a family will mean! First worries are areas to live, schools, jobs, fitting in, new friends, money transfers, costs. Will Cairns be kind to us on these?

cheers

Eric

The Tooth Fairy

Look at what jobs are on offer first. Shows what's happening economically and may be intro to business opportunities. Cairns = tourists, tourism internationally has been weak, domestic tourism a bit stronger. University Qualification in Aquatic Biology may be a tourist quide ticket, that sort of alternate thinking may be required.

welshgirl

Hi, We arrived in Brisbane on July 16th and have driven up through Queensland looking for a place to settle. We are currently in Cairns.
The weather has been quite bearable but you do have to remind yourself that it is Winter time here and could you actually hack it in the Summer time. We pretty much decided from the moment we got here that it wasn't the place for us to settle but I would certainly recommend it as somewhere not to be missed for a holiday. Port Douglas is wonderful - if only we had won the lottery before we came out.
Cairns has 2 main shopping areas, which we have explored in depth today as it has been peeing down all day. Cairns Central is all undercover and has Coles the supermarket at one end and the Myers centre (a huge department store) at the other. The other area is pedestrianised and is mainly clothes, souveniers and eateries
We went on the skyrail yesterday high up into the rainforest to Kuranda village.
There is a university here but I really am not sure about the employment situation. I have noticed that Adecco employment agency have an office here so it may be worth contactinf them for the availabilities. We also looked at a few new housing estates but it struck us immediately that these set ups were nowhere near as professionally thought out as the Sunshine coast.
The main thing that struck us on our drive up here is how far it is from everywhere else, though there is a good airport. We fly back to Brisbane on Tuesday looking to rent on the Sunshine Coast. Hope this has helped you in your decision.

Gavin B

My wife is from Cairns and we went for a visit in February, when the weather was a bit unbearable.

From what I gather, there are two main high schools, Smithfield and Cairns High. I think buying land and building your own house on it is very popular at the moment, and there's lots of land for sale.

All I can say is that we will definitely go back from Brisbane, as my wife's family are still there, but that we could not live there. It is slightly too small for what we want, I found the weather extremely tough to cope with and to me, it just seemed like a perfect place for a holiday, but not to live.

It really is the most stunning place, the Daintree, Kuranda, Port Douglas, Crystal Cascades and some of the beaches near the city are truly amazing - just not to live there permanently!

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Cheers, Gavin

EricB

Thanks Tooth Fairy, welshgirl, and Gavin B, I think you have all provided some useful thoughts. I have a small list of reef trip companies in the area and was already thinking of them as a possibility for my future employ.

We really don't want the real big City / high rise way of life so are steering clear of Sydney / Brisbane etc. Perth doesn't appeal (cold winters too ) so round in circles and back to Cairns. The small, -maybe even? behind the times feel will be perfect. I hope there is a sense of community, -perhaps easy to be lacking in a big city. Isolation from the rest of Oz isn't a problem long as everything we need is available.

EricB

njk435

Hi Eric,
Some more info on Cairns for you (From 1995 though!) :
Just outside Cairns are the Atherton Tablelands, I reckon 1/2 to 3/4 Hour away, it is absolutely lovely - and a bit cooler than Cairns itself, as they are higher up. There are plenty of small towns, mainly Tourist/Farming industry. It is where I hope to settle, when I finally get out there!
The beauty is that Cairns and the Beach is so close, but you also have wonderful fresh water lakes and forests on your doorstep (Lake Tinaroo is stunning).

HTH

Nige

yafm

Watch out for the fresh water crocodiles
On our white water rafting experience the guide spent a lot of time advising us on the Crocodile Repellant Action Programme
are knlown by the pseudoname of C**P

Kiwipaul

I've been to Cairns a number of time for holidays, and I don't find the city that exciteing. the thing is it's the centre of so much else that you can get too, The reef, Tablelands, Daintree, etc that makes it so popular. Cairns itself dosn't have a beach just mud flats, and you have to go about 15kms north to get to some stunning beaches (Palm Beach for one).

Also during the hottest part of the year Nov to April, you cannot go swimming in the sea due to infestations of potentially fatal Box Jellyfish.

I agree with the rest as a holiday destination for activities it's first class, but to live no (not for me anyway)

PeteY

I think you would be hard pushed to find much computer work anywhere in oz, bar the two "big" cities, Melbourne and Sydney (although ive heard theres a fair bit of IT work in Canberra too).

IF you fancy going back to marine biology, what about considering Townsville? Its still small, only slightly larger than Cairns, but due to the coral research centre, and the Cook university, there is an active marine biology comunity, and there may be some work. It would be worth enquiring at the university before you go.

The smaller tropical cities tend to be bent more towards primary industry (like mining, farming (cane, fruits etc)), or trades such as plumbing etc.

NOTE : there are very few offices in these cities, and in general if you are looking for any kind of office work its a case of take whatever you can.

If you are willing to do any kind of work, you should be able to find yourself a job no probs.

Cheers

Pete.