Rental availability in Cairns is the highest it's been since first half 2006 topping 5% in the likes of the Southern corridor and Kewarra beach.

There are a lot of invetment property landlords suffering as a consequence and rents have been dropping for a few months now.

It's not just the economic downturn having it's effect but also a glut of apartments and units that have been built over the last 3/4 years. Rental availabilty of them is approaching 10%.

Cairns population was growing by 3.5% per annum at the turn of the year. It now stands at 142,000 but the growth is zero.

Hi Sally

Thanks for your reply. I've also been offered a job in Brisbane where I used to work, in the heart of the city. The unemployment thing worries me a lot, I think I'd really like to live in Cairns but its such a big decision. I'm also worried about making friends and I have a 13yr old son so I want to make the right decision.

I am quite nervous about moving, but I was looking forward to being in Cairns. We were living in Brisbane for 6 months and its lovely but found it a little hard to fit in, its very over developed and a little unfriendly, we were supposed to be there for ever but I came home. I wasn't sure what to do but I knew when I got back to the UK that I'd made a mistake and wanted to come back. We'd been to Port Douglas when were there, and briefly visited Cairns and we really like it but I know that's not the same living somewhere.

I think overall we want to live somewhere were we can make some friends and my son will be happy. I need to know about schools and things, and find a suburb that has good community spirit and family friendly, its a huge move and when it doesn't go right its really hard, wanna do it right this time.

How long have you been there, what do you think of it, do you have kids too?

Thanks

Mich

Anywhere will always take time to settle in. If your son is into sport, then there is plenty of choice in both Brisbane & Cairns.

Both places have their advantages and disadvantages. 1.7 million vs 0.142million can be a deciding factor.

Personally I prefer Cairns for the lifestyle however my job is now in Brisbane. The daily commute took a l o t of getting used compared to the 8 mins it used to take me.

Let me have a think about a living in Brisvegas........


WW

Hiya

Thanks for that, my son isn't that sporty but he loves snorkeling and diving and he loved Port Douglas. I found that generally people were warmer in Cairns and the scenery is gorgeous, just gotta get all the other things right now, like where to live in Cairns and where to send my son to school and it'll be ok....I think:-)

I dont think he has to be sporty, just prepared to participate. There are plenty of soccer/football clubs to choose from.

Bix has made numerous postings on the suburbs, just search the forum.

Schools public - Cairns High (catchment applies) /Trinity Bay high OK
Smithfield - mixed reports
Redlynch - not known
High schools to the south have a mixed socio-ecomonic grouping

Private Schools are available if you think that is an option $$.

WW

Check out the Computer & Internet tab here to give you a flavour of the cairns IT industries.....
http://cairns.yalwa.com.au/

There are no large IT firms here but several small firms and "one man and his van" operators.

Likewise there are few if any large businesses so in many ways one fits the other.

My office uses a one man band operator and he is always pretty busy.

IMO there is a market but of course the difficulty is growing the customer base from scratch.

Agree with that assessment.
Redlynch also OK

"High schools to the south have a mixed socio-ecomonic grouping"
This is a polite way of saying don't touch them with a barge pole. Bad reputation and for good reasons.

Didn't realise you had gone back to the South East.
My commiserations WW.

Mich, lots of child friendly burbs here!
If you choose Northern Beaches, you need to consider travel time to school. If you go public, this is most likely to be Smithfield which does not have great rep. Ask rocket about this as his eldest went there, don't think he had great experience.
Redlynch is a good suburb, we live there so I'm not prejudiced at all! State college is developing, very new, great facilities, my kids go there, jury is out!
Peace Lutheran is a very good private school but Freshwater & St Andrews also have good reps, if you are looking private.
Where will you be working at the Base? I am there too!
Feel free to pm me, I will do my best to help!

BEACHES:
Palm Cove – Caters for holiday trade with seafront hotels, apartments and restaurants along the Esplanade. Very nice. Housing could be pricey. Away from the beach will be cheaper.
Clifton Beach – No Esplanade as such. Small shopping centre out at the main Roadside. No real holiday industry here. Expensive at the water front.
Kewarra Beach – More affordable areas. Large development taking place. Not much in the way of facilities but not far to travel to them.
Trinity Beach – A mini Palm Cove. Very nice.
Trinity Park – Big money going in here. Want to park your yacht at the bottom of the garden? Will fully adjoin with Trinity Beach in near future.
Yorkeys Knob – Marina and small beach. In flight path.
Holloways Beach - Flight path. Mmmmmm not my cup of tea.
Machans Beach - Flight path. Poor reputation.

NORTH:
Smithfield – A lot of housing development. Big shopping centre. Smithfield Heights area is very good. Gateway to the Tablelands and Kuranda. Future town centre planned.
Caravonica – Some very nice new housing. Like this but it's pricey.
Kamerunga – Mainly rainforest type living. Pole homes.
Freshwater – Older but seems okay.
Stratford – Always tipped to become the next Edge Hill.
Redlynch – Offers a lot. New suburb spread over several km.
Brinsmead – Old and new. Better stuff tends to be up the hill. Good.
Park Ridge – East is virtually millionaire territory. West can be pricey. Good.
Whitfield – Older leafy burb. Some good, some bad.
Edge Hill – Older leafy burb in excellent location and has a good reputation. Where the yuppies live.
Kanimbla – New burb nearing completion. Looks good.
Mooroobool – Prime example of where good meets bad. Some very good and some very bad. City Views within Mooroobool is where a lot of big money people live.


CITY SUBURBS:
Old and undesirable places to be living unless it’s in a gated apartment complex:
Aeroglen – Read airport.
Bungalow – Old housing meets industrial.
Manoora – Probably the worst burb in Cairns.
Manunda – Or is this the worse.
Parramatta Park Old housing.
Portsmith – Not much housing. Industrial leading to the port.
Westcourt – Bordering the main Mulgrave Road.
Woree – Same as Westcourt.

SOUTHSIDE:
Earlville – Older. Better stuff is at the back toward the hills.
Bayview Heights – Where the original money people of Cairns live – or lived ? Better at the back toward the hills.
White Rock – Lived there 3 months. Never again.
Forest Gardens - Newish burb. Some good stuff.
Mount Sheridan – Older leafy burb.
Bentley Park – Nicknamed Nappy Valley. Cheaper housing. Lot of development out the back where it is now adjoining Edmonton.
Edmonton – High velocity expansion. Will be the largest burb I would think in terms of housing stock. Plans to join it with Gordonvale which is a 10 minute drive to the South so that will be a major development with new shopping centre. Plans to build another town centre.
Gordonvale – Semi rural. Farming and cane field country. About to go big over the next few years.Gateway to the Tablelands.

Missed this earlier!

WW - sorry you are now back in Bris! Commiserations!

Thanks for the commiserations!

I blame Bix for initially moving from SEQ to Cairns. All those glowing posts about how good Cairns was. That swayed a reluctant decision. Heading into the deep north. Red-neck country.

AND HE WAS RIGHT!

It is a great place to live. The lifestyle and environment are fantastic. The flora and fauna are just stunning. Having yellow honey eaters hovering just outside my window sure beats TV. Discovering new birdsh1t trees in the garden is something else.

Contrary to other posts about Cairns, it is not full of tourists and backpackers (ie European summer style). I see them as adding to the city, not taking away. If you working in or visit the CBD you will see tourists. In the 'burbs, only see backpackers selling their 'own artworks' (yeah right) door to door. "Is that nude a self-portrait?" usually moves them on

We went for a walk along the Esplanade on Friday night and the place was happening, Cairns style. Not as busy as I have seen, but hardly a ghost town. Plenty of people out dining. I'll try the Wynnum - Manly Esplanade one Friday night to see if there is the same buzz.

My children so far have survived high school without drugs (not saying there arent any) and may have perhaps had a touch of alcohol (not binge). They have had enough things to do to keep themselves occupied.

Yes the Wet Season is wet, but then something has to make everything green. And it rains, a lot. But it doesnt last nearly all year long like some places I know.

The humidity can be stifling at times in the wet season, but you adapt to it. And the Dry Season makes it all worthwhile. 8-9 months of glorious weather. That's probably why 142,000 are prepared to put up with the wet. And having to put on a pair of sandals in the depths of winter to keep one's feet warm is priceless.

I've done the east coast drive (SEQ-Cairns) a number of times and the best part is Cairns to Ingham. Yes I know it is mainly canefields but the scenery got to me the first time I saw it and continues to impress. Heading down the coast, I would then go directly to Mt Isa upon Sea airport and fly south.

Only Bagara and Agnes Water/1770 along the caost appeal as somewhere to live, but they wouldnt sustain me. Democracy being the great thing that it is allows us all to have opinions and make our own choices.

BTW, last weekends Mt Isa upon Sea airshow was great. Well worth the trip especially if the Thunderbirds return. The venue on the Strand was great (not some hot dusty airfield). Not as good as on the Leas at Folkestone wher e you could almost eye-ball the pilots as they flew past. Take a radio to listen to the commentary (the US one was 'stars n stripes' syruppy) so you know what to expect and from where.

An ex-Cairns colleague warned me when I got to Brisvegas "It's different". And how right he is. I like Brisbane in a lot of ways, but I prefer the Cairns lifestyle.

Short sleeved shirts and shorts all year round, now that suits me.

"Dont it always seem to go
That you dont know what youve got
Till its gone"

WW

I think sometimes the information can be a bit misleading. Among the "old and undesirable places" to live in as described by Bix, is the suburb in which I live. I didn't have a choice about where to live as I moved into my husbands home'(he's a local), it's rented, we can't afford to buy as things stand. However, the street in which I live is lovely, it's quiet, we have mainly good neighbours, one family I don't like but you probably get there anywhere. There has been no crime in the almost 3 years I've been here and it's quiet, peaceful and very central to all amenities.

My advice is don't write off whole areas, I agree the list is a good starting point, but you can't always listen to generalisations - have a good look round when you get here.

Quite agree with you SOB.

There are good within bad and bad within good.

The list is therefore very top level guidance for newbies who rarely have sufficient time to research in any depth when they first arrive due to other priorities of the initial settlement process.

It is why I always advise people to rent for at least 6-12 months even if they can afford to buy immediately. You need that sort of time to really get the lay of the land.

Completely agree with you there Bix, you just don't know what will suit until you live it!