katsmajic

Hi all, I've been mooching around looking at various places in OZ, but cant find much about Cairns, OH says its cos theres not alot going on there...i just wondered, everyone seems to be heading for Perth, Brissey (our fav so far), Sydney, Adelaide or Melbourne...is there life in northern OZ?

Pollyana

There WAS life in Cairns...then some marauding lion moved in and ate it
Come out Bixie, wherever you are..........

katsmajic

Louise M

Hi
My brother lived in Cairns for 10 years and absolutely loved it. he's very active,a hunting shooting fishin' kind of man. He made some great friends and although has moved down to Canberra to start a new job, he can't wait to go back. Bloody hot though.

Lou

moneypenny20

I've got two lots of friends up there and they love it but they are in either the tourist industry or college. Apart from mining industry not sure what else work wise there is no a scale worth going for. I couldn't live up there, what with the humidity and rampaging lions and I can't really see the point of a beach in summer you have to put armour on to go to but loads of people love it and it is getting bigger and busier by the day

steve99

I agree, nice place to visit but the majority would find it near on impossible work wise, and as you say humidity and not being able to go in the ocean (which is surerly the main reason you'd choose there) for about half the year would put serious doubts in my mind.
Saying that if I didnt have to work and was retired I would probably look at trying to spend June to October in Port Douglas somehow. Great weather up there that time of year.
Steve

Bix da Boss

Hi - its mrs bix here

Cairns: we work, live, play in Cairns, and love it especially this time of the year when other states are FREEZING cold and we still have fantastic temps like 26-28 deg c in the day and 24-25 by night!!! No humidity at the mo either - brill! The humidity is the only thing that can really get to you in the Summer months but, in saying that, if you are working, it will almost certainly be in an air conditioned environment! Bix goes from the AC car into a AC building and doesn't notice the humidity! You learn to live with it as best you can, but it is worth it for the lovely weather we have in the winter months!

It is very 'laid back' here, for obvious reasons! The vast majority of people are friendly, been here 20 months now - people are people wherever you go, but, we have never felt unwelcome and thats important!

Entertainment/outdoor activities - there is loads and loads of things to do in FNQ! Snorkling, diving, surfing, boating, swimming, keep fit, dancing, music clubs etc etc! Enough for anyone to fit into their 'time off'!
There are loads of clubs/bars that have all your top DJ's and live bands on regular nights of the week with free admission to many, live footy coverage etc, they are mad on the TAIPANS in Cairns, local team you see!!.a casino, sports grounds, indoor sports stadium,theatres, Brothers entertainment venue - brings as many decent acts to Cairns as poss. Obviously, it depends on what you want for 'entertainment' in my case, most of who I want to see appears in Brisbane like Robbie for instance! But hey, who cares! Brissy is only a 2 hr flight away - ace place for a well deserved holiday with all the theme parks there too! Oh and of course, FANTASTIC BEACHES! (too cold to go into the water in the winter there though)! But nice and warm in Cairns - he he!!! Yes you are right, you do have to be careful on our beaches, but that does apply in a lots of place in Australia. Port Douglas has a lovely beach, me and bix walked along it only a few weeks ago and the water was still warm - beautiful! you can walk for miles and really relax taking in a fantastic view! Anyway, you cld always have your own pool like us and use it best part of the year - lovely!!!

Zoos, wildlife santuary's, sky diving, learn to fly small aircrafts based in Cairns,kite skying and so much more! These are just a few more things that flashed into my head! Of course, you have 'the GREAT BARRIER REEF' too!

Kuranda, is a short drive from Cairns, very picturesque as is the Tablelands, we had visitors last year who did a full circle drive and said it was 'awesome'!The 'outback' is not far away either for a completely different experience.

Honestly, you need never be bored in Cairns if you have the cash flow to do al these things available to you!

Work wise, depends what you do doesn't it! There are always jobs, in the papers every week I have noticed loads of 'accountant' jobs, 'administration' positions' etc.

Have you got children? If it just two of you, keeping your options open is easy, people move from state to state every few years, changing jobs, style of living - Australians dont think anything of uprooting and trying somewhere else! Perhaps we should be the same! Make the most of all that this beautiful country can offer us - we intend to!!!

Hope this helps - cld go on forever but wont

Whilst typing this I'm just looking out the window at beautiful blue skies and lovey green tropical ran forest with a warm breeze blowing through the sec screens - heavenly

At the end of they day, it is your choice - try Cairns out - you can always move elsewhere if you feel the need.

Take care
Gill

katsmajic

Thank you for such a great reply.
We have 4 children, 14,13,8 & 2, all outdoor sporty types...but without the jobs there wouldnt be too much spare cash flow...lol
oh is a toolmaker/metal machinist, so dont know what work there would be for him at the mo, i'm a chef (Qual hospitality manager) so wouldnt be too hard to get a job, i hope!
what is the problem with the beach/sea??.apart from sharks and jellyfish of course...
thanks again for your reply
kat xxx

Bix

Well said that person.

Think you've covered a lot there.

Plenty for the active person but let's not forget it also offers the total reverse for anyone who wants it. Peaceful, tranquil places to go when all you want is some quiet. Ahhhhh lovely and what spectacular surroundings.

If you like cuisine they say you can eat somewhere different each night for a year.

If you like the frantic pace of a big city you won't find it here.
Cairns is spread; population about 125k and growing.

And lookie here............ http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=376714

Bix

No sharks up here...just crocs hehe
Occassionally a beach is closed due to a croc sighting. Usually they relocate them. Crocs are a possibility all around the top of Aus almost from Broome all the way round to Brisbane. It's not the drama it sounds though. I guess the other half has sharks to contend with so the whole coast is covered in one way or another.

No, what they were mainly meaning was the beaches have nets out over the summer months because of the stingers. People do still swim outside them but wear lightweight stinger suits. Farther South I think they have shark nets.

My mate is the ex British Lifesaving team captain so can get you all into the water side of things if you like that

Chef ? Take your pick. Work for a different restuarant every month. Plenty of choice.

This comes from that front page article I quoted in the other thread...

"Just last month Cairns steel fabricator Nigel Spiller of Spillers Quality Corosion Control said he had given up advertising for workers after months of fruitless attempts to recruit new staff. He said he had been forced back onto the tools because he could not get workers."

I had to ask about that trade a while ago and another acquaintance told me there is plenty of that type of work available here.

Bix

Is that what they call a boilermaker over here ?

If so here are some jobs...

http://www.jobs.careerone.com.au/js....fromSearch.y=7

katsmajic

Thanks Bix,
lots to think about now then...kids will throw wobblys if i mention crocs though..theyre paranoid bout being eaten by a shark...
the nets are to keep stingers/sharks out of an area arent they...so making it safe inside the netted area???
work wise it sounds quite promising, if hubby doesnt melt with the humidity..
have now found some bits about schools in cairns area...
thanks again, if you think of anything else please feel free to let me know
kat xx

Bix

Something to whet your apptite....

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=340109

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=335793

Carruss

Excellent post about Cairns!

All being well we should be there on Sunday 20th August 2006 ! ! !

Kids are all booked in to schools too, well our eldest daughter (12) and our son (8) are but our youngest daughter (4) we have to sort something out for yet as they dont start school until they are 6! Sort this out when we get there.

Here is one site to have a look at for every day stuff...

http://www.cairns.qld.gov.au/index.html

Sure theres loads more but...

R.

katsmajic

wow..they are fantastic, thanks Bix...will get hubby looking...i dont think hes a boiler maker though...hes currently 'making' the uplocks for the airbus...
kat xxx