feitr

Hi,

I'm originally from NZ (moved when i was 16) and currently in Canada (now 22). So not a pommy expat but oh well close enough and this forum looks useful I'm finishing my BSc degree and am thinking of going to med school in Aus. In any case, i'm going to take at least a year off to decide what i want to do and don't really have any interest in staying in Canada since i hate the weather with a passion. So i want to try out Aus to see how i like it (and i figure if i am going to be working anyways i might as well go somewhere that doesn't suck).

But i don't really have a clue where i would move. I like the look of queensland w/ hot weather and smaller cities (live in a 1M+ city now and hate it - prefer a much more laid back atmosphere). I was thinking Townsville looked like a good option, but i read some threads here and some ppl seemed to think it was quite "unruly" i guess.

Thoughts on townsville and perhaps thoughts on other places to live that have nice warm/hot climate year round w/50k-150k population? I'd be moving as a single guy who wouldn't know anybody whereever i was moving, so i also wouldn't want a dead place where it was impossible to meet ppl either.

What are house prices like in Townsville? Rent? How has the housing market changed over the last 5 years (i know where i am houses have probably seen an 80% increase over the last 6 or so years and i think Aus is the same but not sure)? Outlook on housing market over the next 2 years w/ the economy?

fwiw ill probably have somewhere in the region of 200k AUD if i was to move by the end of this year and currencies don't completely implode between now and then. So i have plenty to live off but i wouldn't want to buy a house when i have no idea where i would want to go to school or if i even want to remain in Aus long term. Also i don't think buying a house is a graet idea right now if it can be helped, seeing as it will take a little while for the economy crash to be reflected in the housing market prices (houses just seem so ridiculously overpriced in alot of locations and i doubt it is sustainable). I also wouldn't want to stay in a place where the rent is extreme as my work wouldn't really be all that related to location.

viviennef

Why not Brisbane?

I havent lived in Townsville but have been there diving a few different weeks. My husband is there for the next month and he doesnt like it very much. I dont think you can swim there in the sea from November to March but I may be wrong.....

Sunshine Coast is really nice - not sure though for a single guy. Lots of bronzed bodies about though.

You could come over and move about a bit by the sounds of things if you didnt like the place you chose.

Vivienne

feitr

yea i'm not so sure about townsville or even Queensland now. It's just so hard with such a huge country and having no clue where on earth i might like when i don't have something like school to "guide me to a place" if you will.

bcworld

There are people on here from Townsville and they seem to be very enthusiastic about it. I've been for a day and vowed never to return....me and OH hated the place, couldn't wait to leave!

chocciecake

i grew up in melbourne, but moved to the gold coast when i got married, and lived there for 3 years.
we loved it so much, we are moving back there, after 3 years in sydney and 7 in london.
it has beaches, restaurants, rainforests and everything in between and hopefully we will love it so much again this time, as we are hoping thats where we'll feel settled enough for the kids to grow up there...what a place!
i can't wait to go!