windog

It seems we may have a choice between these two and I wondered if anybody has any pros or cons to throw into the mix for us.

My wife is a nurse (or she will be by the time we go!) I will be looking for site work as a carpenter (with difficulty as although I have worked over here for 10 yrs self employed I have no formal qualifications) or to set up making furniture.We have two daughters aged 10 & 8.

At first glance it would seem that property is slightly cheaper in the Townsville area, but only marginally so.

We would hope to live outside the town & near to a beach, preferably with sufficient land that I can have a reasonable size workshop on site.

Any comments gratefully recieved!

Nigel

The A Team

I've never been to Cairns so I can't comment on prices there. We moved to Townsville a couple of months ago. Land is still fairly reasonable outside of the town at Bushland Beach......starting at around $100,000 for a block big enough for a pool and workshop. Plenty of work for nurses too

Townsville is a wonderful place to bring up your children there is loads for them to do here. We absolutely love it. PM me if you want to know any more and I'll do my best to answer.

windog

Thanks for that, I will if we come up with some specific questions.
Anyone else?

jad n rich

Biggest consideration for cairns townsville would have to be climate, Many aussies would not handle it, so do get your head around what it will be like, not now - lovely weather in winter, but in summer. Wet hot and humid is not everbodies cup of chai. For an outside worker visit in summer first, you may love it, you may not. www.bom.gov.au will give you some idea on paper of temps humidity rainfall etc, check the whole year not just now.

Quick example of stuff you can find on that website

http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/climat..._new.cgi?32040

rob&lucy

Hi
Have been here for 2.5 years now and love the place. Your wife will have no problem getting a job here as they are recruiting heavily again. Busy hospital but not bad, i'm a midwife and a nurse there. Personally i feel the Townsville has more atmosphere to it than Cairns. Also more entertainment with big bands/groups/shows at the entertainment centre on your doorstep. The airport makes escape easy and its esy to drive everywhere. The weather feels much more bearable here than Cairns especially in summer. Having the strand and the rock pool is just a godsend. Your daughters will have so much to do here on the strand especially and it's free eg rock pool, water park, beach activities. Have a look on www.townsville.qld.gov.au
As for your job you will have your pick and fill as a carpenter. If you want a larger house with land and near the beach then the best places are Deeragun and The Northern Beaches 40min nirth of Townsvile city. Check out local real estate agents via google or the site above. The land plots are HUGE and i know this because i do home visiting.
Anyway PM if you want more info.
Lucy

Bix

Were only making plans for Nigel
We only want whats best for him
Were only making plans for Nigel
Nigel just needs this helping hand

Plenty of jobs available at both places. Not sure what effect your lack of qualifications will have but that will be the same wherever you go.
Here's a thread I did a while ago.......
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...ight=carpenter

Cairns Carpenters
http://www.jobs.careerone.com.au/js....fromSearch.y=7

Cairns nurses
http://www.jobs.careerone.com.au/js....fromSearch.y=5

Townsville carpenters
http://www.jobs.careerone.com.au/js....romSearch.y=11

Townsville nurses
http://www.jobs.careerone.com.au/js....fromSearch.y=7

Too much is made of the weather conditions up this way. How do Arabs live in the desert, Eskimos in eskimoland, Africans in the jungle etc, etc ?
Because they are used to it......acclimatised. You would be surprised how quickly that happens. We had never been to a hot country before but already after less than 2 years find less than 22 degrees is getting chilly ! Wherever you go there will be a season of "not so nice" weather. I'd rather that be hot and humid than freezing cold. If you look at the BOM site you will find that the actual temperatures here are very consistent all year round. No sweeping changes day to day or week by week or month by month.

I haven't been to Townsville yet but most of the people I know living there like it a lot. I think it is about twice the size and population of Cairns and in comparison very flat and a lot more arid.

Cairns is where I know of course and is green and lush all year round. Loads to see and do. Lot's of free activities. Lots of free facilities. A central base from which to explore a magnificent Far North Queensland in every direction.
Great Barrier reef, beautiful islands, beaches, rainforest, wildlife, The Daintree, Tablelands, Port Douglas, Lava Tubes.....could go on forever.

Very cosmopolitan. Lots of space. Hubble bubble time ? Yes, if you want it. Peace and tranquility ? Yes if you want it. Cairns really is a diverse place.

You will come across people who say "that was a good place for a piss up and shag but I wouldn't live there". In virtually all of those cases they were backpacking or passing through on holiday and found what they were looking for. A piss up and a shag. Such a shame they missed so much of what Cairns is really about. They didn't "live" here. But what do I know ? I do live here.

There is a bloke who posts on here that lived down Brisbane or Gold Coast way who reckons there are far more activities going on here than down there. Kids will be spoilt for choice.

In many ways I have gone from the Cornwall of UK to the Cornwall of Australia....it is a relaxed and laid back place. It can be as fast or as slow as you want it to be. Bugger the big cities.

Cairns doesn't have everything.....but it aint far short

windog

Than you to all, that should give us something to get our teeth into!
My wife has spent some time in Cairns a few years ago so we are trusting her opinion that we can all survive the heat/humidity issue
It looks possible she may get an offer from both Cains & Townsville hosp, hence the choice.
I think it may come down to who offers the best visa support.
Very interesting on the job front re carpentry (as always very usefull post Bix...ever thought of applying to the Cairns tourist board..they should be paying you!) The greater the shortage the more likely I would get the oppourtunity to prove I can do the Job rather than just get a "no" for the lack of qualifications.

Well best go & do some serious thinking!

wanderingwombat

If you are looking at Cairns, suggest you try to get QLD Health to arrange accomodation for you as the rental market is currently a bit tight the moment. You have some leverage over them now.

WW

Carruss

Well we arrived in Cairns on Sunday morning and so far love the place!

Although I guess we are still partially in holiday mode but certainly getting all the important things done. Wish we had known about applying for the Tax File Number online as it said it could take up to 28 days to get it. If you have an address to put down before you arrive in Oz then do it this way.

My wife enquired to one place about work on Tuesday and she has an interview today..........so fingers crossed eh!

I have the choir of buying the car and then to start looking for work.

The kids are all in schools and kindy and start on Monday.

The scenery is fantastic and apart from the coast you are surrounded by rainforest. There is so much to do its hard to get your head around it. The weather so far has been excellent, about 27 degrees during the day and lovely cool evenings but we know its gonna get hotter!

But like Bix always says, I am confident we will manage too. The people that live here are friendly and we have had some interesting conversations with many people. One shop keeper said to us 'we will never make a million.......but what a place a to live eh'!

The only downside is the job market for me but I am determind to make a go of it and find something asap. Then in time hopefully get my own thing going!

Anyways, we will see how we go.

R.

Bix da Boss

Welcome to Cairns! Yeah ACE weather isn't it! Best of both worlds - cool enought to sleep by night and absolutely perfect weather for the beach/pool by day or whatever takes your fancy - AWESOME! LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!!!

There are plenty of jobs going - if you are willing to do some 'casual' work til you find what you want. Thats the beuaty of Cairns, so many 'quick' to fill jobs going every week!

Friends in Townsville say its ace down there too! And are also loving it Cant wait to visit them soon - should be good!

To the main poster, BIX has already said what needs to be said but, had to put my two pennies worth in I agree with everything he has said - course I would eh No, seriously, Cairns offers you both worlds, relaxed and laid back - or as busy as you want to be! Like every city/town whether it be big or small, it is so different to visit than to actually be living here - you CANNOT judge a place on the city anywhere you go in OZ! for instance, I did not like Brisbane city but love the outskirts of the place - fantastic beaches and all the theme parks - brilliant! Gold coast, Sunshine coast both fantastic places to see and live too. Wherever you choose to end up T or C, you are only a two hour flight away from these lovely places - so your holidays will be sorted Although, living in Cairns is like being on holiday every weekend!

There thats enough - cld go on and on and on

Take care and have fun

jimtrish

hi there,

we have lived in townsville since very begining of november, we love it here.
weve also been up to cairns, and port douglas (thanks bix and da boss ) we liked our time up there, but i think because we started here, we were abit biased. Cairns has magnificent rainforests at every glance and very green and very humid in comparison to us down here. Townsville is also very mountainous, yes its very dry..nickname is brownsville, but its breathtaking,we have magnetic island across the water from us, an amazing place, we have rainforests on our doorsteps too.
You have to go where you feel is best for you and your family, as bix said, the climate is not a worry. we worried we wouldnt cope, but were fine, and just like the bix's we feel that anything below 22c is blimmin cold!
you will be surprised how you adapt.
even the locals will tell you how they struggle with the heat, but you get through and if you have your own pool all the better
there is heaps to do here in townsville, and as lucy says loads of things are free. As with cairns, townsville is also the gateway to the reef and beyond.
we love it, its relaxed, not busy all the time and we have the most stunning beaches and scenery.
whatever you decide, north queensland isnt everyones cup of tea, but we love it and those in cairns love it there. whatever you choose, make sure you visit both as they are both fab places.

Trish

jimtrish

by the way, forgot to mention im a neonatal nurse at townsville. work with mad lucy at times!

steandleigh

Well put Bixxy, I concur with all your points.