Hi all,

Looking at Cairns as a possible alternative to the ever popular Brisbane.

Anybody on here live in Cairns, or looking at moving there? If so, what do you reckon to the place? Would you recommend it for taking a family (schools, shops etc).

Up to now, I know its hot and humid!!

Ta..

Cairns wins on penaltys 5-4 after extra time of course

look out for posters Bix and Steandleigh they are up there

We're moving to Cairns on Apirl 2nd.

For us, we like the green-ness of the tropics, been to singapore and loved the humidity and heat, prefer to live near a town as opposed to a city - i.e. can live further out and still get to work. Try that in bris and you end up with a 2 hour commute each way.
Hoping to spend wekends exploring the NP's etc.
Brisbane was our 2nd choice though and we'll be going there if we don't like Cairns. (incidentally, we've never been to either, we've only been to Mel to validate and stayed with my cous. too dry and brown. melbourne that is, not my cous!)

Andy

we love Cairns too! Have been there twice now, Port Douglas is so beautiful, its green and gorgeous, love it!

Hi! we are off to Cairns around June hopefully. OH (Wannabauzzienurse) has a job at Cairns base hospital. We chose Cairns as oh had been there before and niether of us wanted to live in a city. (To us the idea of moving 12,000 miles to live somewhere that could be Birmingham on a hot day seemed daft! We wanted to be at least close to some space!)

It has a pop of something arround 140,000 so schools and shopping will be well catered for, indeed from what I understand Cairns is now getting "headline name" acts performing concerts there from time to time, so the only thing we can see you might miss is the congestion and overcrowding!

Oh and, because everybody on BE seems to be totally city orientated you can get viewed with suspicion if you too dont want to live in a city!

All sounds good so far!!

Just out of interest what are house prices like there ?

What do you get for say 350k ? Australian 350k that is.

Search the forum on Cairns as the question has been asked before (a few times ). Bix has posted plenty of pics as well.

At the moment it is hot & humid as the wet season has just remembered it's supposed to be doing it's thing about now.

The wet season is about 3 months January being the hottest and easing off after that. The other 9 months are usually blue skies and bare feet. You know it is winter when the migratory 'Mexicans' arrive in droves.

You need air con in your house or you will end up going troppo.
The biggest issue you may find is finding suitable accomm given the boom.

Growth has well and truly kicked in with some state high schools claiming to be over-subscribed with Y8's.

There is plenty of sport choice.

If you are building industry based you should have no issue finding work. Plumbers, sparkies and chippies are in big demand.

There seems to be plenty of management type jobs advertised which maybe because Cairns is not considered to be a career path + it's up north.

Cairns is a lifestyle choice.

WW

Evenin SLA

Me, Da Boss and Stan have been known to extol the virtues of Cairns on a few occassions.

I just know you love to read so get yer eyeballs into this little lot

http://britishexpats.com/forum/searc...earchid=943150

It will tell you heaps about Cairns and more besides.

Cairns should be able to offer most things you are likely to want or need. Lovely place for raising little ones.

It would not be right for me to comment on Brisbane as I have only visited it and not lived there.

However it is clear that it's comparing a big city with a little city.
If you want the honking horn, buzzing streets, non stop commuter life, don't come to Cairns. We like to relax here

Don't judge it by talk of the hot and humid weather only.....it can be coped with as all adverse conditions can be and is only for a part of the year anyway.

Ask any questions you like

Right, why is the sky blue and the clouds white?

Mrs JTL

250K (a good walk to easy cycling distance to city) would be a 3 bed concrete block house (quite common) probably 25 year old.

Outer suburbs such is Edmonton will buy a whole range of homes for 350k.

Of course if you win Lotto then there is a range of >$1mil houses as well.

Have a look at http://www.realestate.com.au

WW

Hey ho Ben

You could get a reasonable quality 3 bedder with a pool or a 4 bedder with no pool. (in general terms)

Prices have doubled here in the last 3-4 years and although pretty stable just now they are likely to continue climbing given the growth of the place.

Ultrasonic light defraction over stimuli gravity divided by atmospheric mass to the power of 25.5 jules per millisecond.

Or in simple terms " My boot up your jacksy"

Is it true that Cairns is full of dropouts bums hippies backpackers and weirdos?

JTL