Newby!!
 

Hi all,
Im new to this site..... me, my husband and 3 kids have decided to make the move to Oz and have decided on Cairns. Does anybody have any info on the place??..... Is it good for families? good schools, close to beaches etc..... Please help!!
Thanks :eek:

Re: Newby!!
 

Hello and welcome! :)

Re: Newby!!
 

Welcome to B.E. :D

I can't help but ask but.... how did you decide on Cairns without having the answers to those questions? What made you choose Cairns, there must have been something?

I haven't lived in Cairns but I have visited, there are beaches near by as Cairns is right on the coast. Just remember though that you can't (shouldn't) really swim in the ocean off the beach during stinger season which is during the summer months.

Re: Newby!!
 

Hi.... my husband decided rather than me, he just wanted that area of Oz, he didnt want any further north or south for that matter so cairns seemed the perfect area. So having decided that (even though I suppose its abit bottoms upwards!) I then wanted to research that area. To be totally honest it may not be the place we settle for but need to start somewhere!
Thanks for your help :thumbup:

Re: Newby!!
 

Hi Newy, :thumbsup:

IMO the sites that I found helpful was Realestate.com.au for house prices and areas. They have videos of the area that you search at the bottom of the search screen. Google earth. Once I seen a house that I liked on real estate I would then look it upon google earth to see what the area was like. Seek.com.au for jobs. and last but not least saving the best to last.......HERE of course ( we're a great bunch):rofl:

Hope this helps and good luck

Tony

Re: Newby!!
 

Hi and welcome! You will find this site quickly becomes really addictive! We are off to Palm Cove (near Cairns) in August, hopefully to validate OH's spouse visa. Have always wanted to go there so looking forward to it. Am a bit worried that having seen it, it will be where I want to live and then I will have put a real spanner in the works! Whatever, hope you enjoy your time on BE - you will find answers to any question you want to ask. People on here are really helpful! Lou x

Re: Newby!!
 

thanks tony and lou..... i'll be looking into those websites..... its all very exciting!! x

Re: Newby!!
 

There are quite a few recent threads about Cairns! If you use the search facility you should find them but here is one to get started!
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...ghlight=Cairns
We live in Cairns, so if you have any specific questions, just ask! We chose Cairns because of the climate & we wanted a city that was more like a town & so far, so good:thumbup:
What type of work do you do? Is most definitely a consideration when deciding where to live these days!

Re: Newby!!
 

Spent a week in Cairns in 2003 and it was a decent enough wee spot. I was there as a backpacker though, so probably not the best viewpoint to take consideration of. (The Woolshed pub was excellent though!) People have mentioned the beaches being dangerous during the summer, when I was there one of the beaches near the centre of Cairns had been dredged away (or so i was told) to allow the many boats to take people off scuba diving/snorkelling. Not sure if that's still the case with regards to that beach, maybe someone will clarify? However they did have a 'man-made' beach called the lagoon....which was a nice spot, and was close to a green area where they had lots of BBQ's for the public to use. If you watch this video on youtube you'll see the lagoon, though turn the sound down as that geezer seems a right plum lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdPMJSUxMMo

Re: Newby!!
 

Oh god, it gets worse, definitely turn the sound down if there's kids in the room! OMG I'm so sorry for posting that link now!!! :o

Re: Newby!!
 

Hey Jen
OMG..... Can not stop laughing!!!.... yes your right,..... good job kids not with me when I played the youtube vid!!! hmmmmmm ;)
However..... im a little unsure now.... Cairns seems remote?....
im so confused.... thought we had a good place to start, Australias soooo big, not knowing where to start is scary incase we pick the wrong spot!
thanks for link though.... cheered me up! x

Re: Newby!!
 

Hi sallyclaire..... yes thats why my huband like the sound of it because of the climate.... Do you have children?... if so, what sre the schools like?.... your totally happy with your choice?.... how long have you lived there?.... did you originally live in the uk?..... you can tell im new right!!... sorry x

Re: Newby!!
 

Hi

I'm also a newby!!!!! Just come back from a trip to Melbourne and Brisbane with the Husband and kids. Melbourne was too fast a pace of life for us and a little expensive but Brisbane was excellent!!

Great for families
Great all year round weather
Slightly cheaper to live than Melbourne and Cairns I believe!!
Beautiful beaches
Beautiful houses

If you can take a look at Brisbane - you'll love it!!! www.ourbrisbane.com is a great place to start!!!

Good luck with your decision!! x:thumbup:

Re: Newby!!
 

Are you saying you didn't know that Cairns is remote? It's remote enough that the Aus government gives you a special tax discount for living there :lol:

Have you done any research to see if you and your husband can get work there? Have a look at www.seek.com.au

And have you considered whether you like the hot and humid climate? You do know that it's in the tropical zone, right? That means you get a wet and a dry season. And don't forget the cyclones. Google "cyclone larry" to get an idea.
Have a look at www.bom.gov.au

Australia is indeed huge - same size as the US without Alaska. Just sticking a pin in the map and telling yourself that Cairns sounds nice might mean you're in for a shock when you get there ...

Re: Newby!!
 

Hi yes, I have 2 boys, 10 & 15. They have settled really well & yes, so far I am happy with our choice. (Only been here just about 6 months!)
Downside for us has been difficulty for my husband in finding work & he has just moved down to Townsville to start a job, so we will have to see how living apart goes for us as a family!:huh:
There is no beach in Cairns itself but plenty within easy drive/bus journey. Plenty of nice suburbs & some good schools, both state & private.
My husband was very keen to live in the tropical north as he cannot bear to be cold! We have also lived in the tropics before so knew we could cope with the humidity.
Cairns is more expensive in some respects due to shipping/transport costs but it really is a great part of QLD!
What sort of work do you do? Unfortunately at the moment, job availability does need to be a major consideration!