West Vic

Hi,

I am currently living in West Vic with my aussie hubby and toddler. My hubbys job is coming to an end in the next few months and he is currently looking for work all over. (He is an Engineer working as a Project Manager). We were hoping to move to Bendigo but that fell through. Now he is being interviewed for a job in Mackay.

Have to say i've been googling Mackay for the last hour and it is not looking good! I do have experience of the tropics, husband lived there for 5 years, his brother is still there, I lived in Cairns for 5 months 5 years ago, have visited 3 times since. The humidity does not suit me - that I know! But hubby swears humidity in Mackay "is nothing like Cairns" and that i'd be well able for it! Hmmm

Anyhow, Mackay is coming across as backward, remote, hostile and boring.

Do you have any experience of it? Is this true? Have lived in Melbourne also, and i'm not a big city girl but I do like my nice hotels, myers, shopping at the weekends, cafe lunches etc! (no really, i'm not a big city girl lol!).

Any advice appreciated.

WV.

DadAgain

PMSL - Mackay???!!!

I spent a couple of days there on business a few weeks back - and although a quick trip to the northern beaches did reveal some pleasant looking houses and a stunningly deserted beach - the town was completely devoid of merit.

The biggest office in town is the centrelink office and the busiest looking venue (which was closed when we were there) the strip bar opposite centrelink.

Now perhaps Mackay has a hidden heart somewhere that I missed - I was only there for 2 days, but what I saw was soul-detroying, run-down and ugly. This was my first visit to any smalltown regional Australia and it came as a rude shock. All of a sudden claims of Australian backwardness and unculturedness (previously I though over-the-top claims) were confirmed beyond reasonable expectation. Further trips since then to other small regional towns have now cemented my opinion that Australia, outside of its capital cities is a seriously terrifying place.

Like I say - it was just my impression - but I'd at lthe very least pay a visit to Mackay and look for yourself before jumping in!

West Vic

LOL!

They say first impressions count, and I for one agree with that. If my husband gets a further interview I guess we will fly up with him and take a look ourselves.

But I see you're in Brissie? Recently visited there, drove up from surfers one day. We were only there a few hours as my daughter fell and split her lip but I really liked the CBD, looked old yet modern. Clean and pretty and hilly! And the shopping!

I am interested in the QLD life, perhaps we will look further at Brisbane.

I'm not too gone on Mackay.

Thanks for your feedback.

jad n rich

Mckay is not my cup of tea, but neither is Cairns, and some love Cairns and even reckon its not humid so it takes all sorts.

If thats where a job is, can he not fly in and out from brisbane, flights should be pretty cheap, know that leaves you alone while hes working but plenty do it.

Petals

I would not write it off being a regional town as we cannot judge a book by its cover and I know that there will be a lot going on just like in the small towns in Vic its the humidity I would not be able to stand. I do not even like Brisbane in the summer time way too humid for me.

West Vic

Jad N Rich: I'm not a fan of Cairns either, not at all. We wouldn't consider the "fly in fly out" lifestyle. I'm pregnant with no.2 and really need him at home at night lol!

Petals: The humidity is a big factor for me, I feel faint and lightheaded in it. Drowsy and ill actually! I guess I would have to check out Brissie in the summer time. I thought seeing it was so much further down the coast it wouldn't be so bad. I'm living regionally at the moment, town of about 15,000. I can't stand how quiet it is, am afraid Mackay will be more of the same, except with more bad hair days lol!

Hmmm........

jad n rich

Brisbane humidity is not as bad as Cairns or townville or even mackay, I find the heat up there just about knocks me out in summer.

But brisbane in dec jan and feb can also be humid, however if I got off a plane from bris to cairns in january I would find cairns even worse.

Maybe I am just a whinger Partner cracks up if we ever have to go somewhere with flies or heat in mid summer


I was going to suggest a small beach place around mckay but if you cant do quiet either, well your stuffed You should move in with me we sound very similar.

West Vic

LOL! I'm stuffed alright. Bendigo would have been perfect for us. 90 mins to Melbourne, 80,000 pop. An independent city yet close to a very large city. Best of both worlds.

It's hard trying to figure out where to move when I have no real grasp of this state, never mind country!

Geelong Gent

I think MacKay is quite bearable for even a 2 year stint. A continual period over this would be to much.

You need to take account of the high cost of housing due to shortage of accomodation. Suggest you look for high ground as key selection criteria.

I have spent a few months up there and used to fly my family up to spend the long weekends with me.

The shopping was dismil but geared to local market requirements. A few restaurants - nothing too rave about but hey you wont starve.

looky

I have never been there but its not classed as a small rural town. Its a large regional city with at least 70,000 population (not small at all!) http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABS...=PL&action=401

If you really want to see what small rural towns look like then stray away from the regional cities and look inland. Most small outback town is the size or even smaller than a suburb in those regional cities and the population are anywhere from 500 to 5000 people in a town. Those are the ones you were referring to as backward, remote, hostile and boring not Mackay! Although in Queensland you get alot of Queenslander (wooden houses elevated off the ground by metal poles) once you move away from Brisbane which gives the place a tired and rundown look.

framac67

Backward-Bogans but arent they everywhere..it is regional
Remote-From where. If you want a city then this isnt it.
Hostile-People are friendly so dont understand this
Boring-This is a place for young families. ie..little crime and not much graffiti or litter.


Basically if you want city crime, population and snobbery, them Mackay aint for you but if you want friendly small town regional Aus, then it aint perfect but you could do a lot worse.

Geelong Gent

I have seen more mullets in West Melbourne than in anywhere in Queensland.

Every night seemed to be kids sports night in Mackay. Yes the locals were real friendly, the louts were mainly from Brisbane

framac67

Young people and booze means fisticuffs anywhere in the western world and none more so than downtown Glasgow so when people think Mackay CBD is rough, then I allow myself a wry smile.

West Vic

Hmmm, it's looking like Mackay would be an "out of the frying pan into the fire" situation.

I am living in a small regional centre right now and have had quite enough. I thought with Mackay's population being 70,000/80,000. this would equal more shopping and restaurants and a more city type lifestyle without having to live in a huge city but that's not the feedback i'm getting.

I see Myers is to open up there! But obviously i'm not going to relocate somewhere on that basis.

Thanks for your feedback, there is somewhere out there that ticks all my boxes, Mackay clearly doesn't.

WV.

LINZI

I have lived in Mackay for 4 years nearly and i love it i dont see what people have a problem with it but hey we always want something more right ?