carling black label

I ask, are there any expats residing on the island, would anyone consider a twelve month stint?

Bix

If I had work there yes.
Beautiful place. Quite stunning.
So laid back it's horizontal.
There are regular car and passenger services to Townsville.

carling black label

I am tempted, so if you had enough cash to live work free for a year, you would take on a twelve month tenancy, and just chill...............watch the world disappear up its own ass.................Are there may shops, pubs, takeaways, bottle shops etc............

renth

I went there in my younger years, great place.

I banged a girl on the beach and the next day got into a fight with some dude and banned from the Island. Happy days.

Bix

Yep.
Not many better places to do that.

There are a few bays on the island taking you from one extreme to another.
On one end of the scale is Radical Bay where there is literally nothing but boulders and beach. Great for a peaceful picnic, lazing in the sun reading a book.
On the other end the more commercial Horseshoe Bay with a few cafes, restaurants and beach activities.

This website sums it up pretty well.....
http://www.magneticinformer.com.au/index.cfm
Look under the Community tab for retail and services available. There are about 3000 residents.

There is one of most things you are likely to need but if you want any retail choice it will mean a trip over to Townsville. That's easily done and quick. I think the car ferry was 30 minutes / passenger ferry quicker than that.

Bottle shop - yep.
Pubs - yep but get to know the opening hours.

The biggest pain in the ass when we were there was knowing when the restaurants and eateries opened. It's all printed in a seasonal holiday brochure.....but they don't take any notice of it and open and shut at a whim it seems. We got damned annoyed cos a few of the restaurants put out "OPEN" boards by the side of the road but when you go there they are shut. That happened 4 times to us.

If you are living there though it's something you will get to learn I guess.

Broad Shoulders

We did a big roadtrip a few years ago, to Cairns and back to Brisbane. We decided to rent a place there for 3 nights. We took the ferry over so we could take the car. I must say I was disappointed. I had no preconceptions of the place, but I found the place quite boring really. Apart from the trek up to the fort on the hill, there really wasn't much to do. The beaches were all crushed coral (from memory) and there seemed to be a lot of party-goers on the island (not sure where the hell they were partying). All I know is that my wife and kids all came away from the place with the feeling of "so what".

However, if your aim is to go somewhere to completely get away from the hussle and bussle and you are quite content to make your own entertainment, then I am sure it would be a great place.

jad n rich

I know that feeling, 22 hours of driving some boring bland lanscape to arrive at a place of magnificence, only to discover yet another beach, bbq and the standard pelican ZZZZZZZZZ

While waiting in the packed car service lounge one time, I made the error of saying I found 1770 quite boring and couldnt see what people went on about, I thought they were going to hang me

Buzzy--Bee

I spent 2 weeks there this year and loved it, from a holiday point of view.

I met a lot of locals who used to live on the mainland and had semi-retired there.

It's the sort of place where everybody knows everything about everybody.

BB

Bix

Agree with BS, bugger all to do there but if you just want to chill it's as I said, as laid back as you will find anywhere.

cappuccino

I seem to recall a nudist beach there

The A Team

We've had a couple of week long holidays on Maggie when we've needed to switch off and do nothing as well as a few day trips there. It's actually a suburb of Townsville and a number of people commute from there each day for work. I'm not sure I could live there for a year, but plenty of people do and when you want more shops etc Townsville is only a very short ferry ride away. There's a bus service that picks up from the ferry terminal that loops around the CBD. http://www.sunbus.com.au/documents/R...7_2011_001.pdf

jimtrish

We live in Townsville and go there often, it feels like you have left the rat race behind and can really start to feel less stressed.
Its expensive there as they have a captive audience, but my friend moved there with her husband and teenage son and they love it. They travel to work every day by the ferry and although during our wet season you can be stranded (either on the island or Tsv), they say they wouldn't change it.
My mate does all her grocery shopping here in Tsv as its too expensive there.
Its a gorgeous place and if you want to get off the beaten track, West Point is the place to go....just pure bliss, no shops, no pubs....just you and the gorgeous beaches and the ocean.......and the odd big Croc

Buzzy--Bee

Yes - we loved driving the track to West Point and watching the sunset - was a real highlight of our stay, I think we did it three times.

BB

carling black label

The Senario.....................thoughts?

Retired, do not smoke, do not gamble, run an old car, and pay rent. Enjoy fishing, reading, relaxing, and like to have a few beers every night, whether at home or down the pub/RSL. No kids, no wife, no dependent, could you survive on a fixed income of $700.00 bucks a week living here. I ask not for me but for a friend who is not computer literate. Its just on the mainland, trying to find fully furnished accomodation with air con, with either one or two bedrooms is nigh on impossible for half the above income. Whereas, you can get a nice place on the islands for $350.00 bucks per week all in.

Alfresco

What's the attraction?