Hi All,

We moved over some 6 years ago.
Very few of you may remember me. I haven't been on this site for quite a while now(apologies).

Anyhow were looking to sell our house on the Morntington Peninsula, Victoria and move to Cairns. Has anyone else done this move from around Melbourne and can give me a rough estimate of the costs of shipping goods out of a 4 bedroom house upto Cairns please?

Any help greatly appreciated.

Hi,

Moved from Adelaide to Cairns recently. Shipping was reasonably expensive, so shop around. Drove 4X4 and trailer (on a 4 month road trip the long way round) and had one shipped up. That cost about $1,500.
No regrets. Love the climate and love the area, especially proximity to outback and NT. Pace of life is lovely except if anyone in the family likes their retail therapy!

good luck with the move.

Many thanks for your reply No, neither of us will be missing the retail therapy. I want to get out of the madness of Melbourne, not much different to the UK. We got married just north of Cairns (Kewarra beach resort) 10 years ago (before we migrated over here) can't wait to go back! Its where our heart is

How you both getting on with finding work? Are you renting?

Do you have jobs here to move to?

Hi 65 Million,

That's funny. We live there, about 500 metres from beach, just a bit further down from the resort. It's lovely.
We bought just before Xmas and have recently started job hunting. Expecting 1st little one mid year so partner no longer on the job hunt train. We expected it to take a while and was part of the planned long trip really.

Pop in for drink when you get here, always happy to entertain.

cheers and good luck,

Good luck with job hunting!

Thank you so much!, will do when we get there. Have been speaking to Centrelink though and because we will sell our house move over with some cash and give up a job they will penalise us with 22 weeks without any benefit help I don't want to live on benefits but we'd need the help while we are settling in and finding work etc. Not sure where we go from here?

errr sorry mate but I think this is perfectly fair and reasonable. I don't see why the taxpayer should have to finance any part of your voluntary move.

BB

lol

Apart from the fact that Cairns is nowhere near the NT, you are much closer to the outback (i.e. desert/semi-desert) in Melbourne.

If however what you mean is, 'closer' to relatively sparsely populated areas then I'd agree.

Hi Tony

It's not all that far really. Take the Savannah way through Normanton (1 day away) and soon enough you can leave the bitumen and be on the old Savannah track and into the NT. If you like bush holidays (assuming you haven't been) get out to Lorrela Springs Station (NT). Great spot, as is the whole track (the old dirt one) right through to Broome in fairness.

We enjoy the rough and remote stuff.

You'd have to go some to get to Normanton in a day (yes I have been out there) and you're still an awful long way from the NT even then. Why not just enjoy the rural delights nearer Cairns? North Qld is varied, empty, and abounds in wildlife which is what I love about it.

I guess you need to save up.

?

We will get there!!!! Victoria is a lovely state but there is something about Cairns and the Northern Beaches that is typically Australia. People are so much more relaxed up there compared to Melly and its suburbs, something that Australia has always be a draw card for, its relaxed way of life, after all that's why us brits want to move here in the first place but more and more people are moving to Victoria hence high house prices and cost of food etc.

From what we've noticed the price of food up here is very high. I'm sure it has escalated all over the country in recent times. However, we are quite surprised about the weekly food bill and we've travelled a lot in remote areas throughout the country and are not easily shocked to pay very high costs for daily items. I'm sure it will be based a lot on freight and distribution costs, but be prepared for it when you get here.