Sure it was, but I could be wrong as there's always a first time

We live in Trinity Park, have done for a few months now. Never had any problems.

They could be lying I suppose but according to the local newsletter, Trinity Park has the lowest crime rate of all the Northern Beaches according to the rozzers (clearly not your missus though eh Richy ? I'll admit, it's no Port Douglas !). Maybe all the druggies and less fortunate in life people go to the other beach resorts and nick their stuff and bring it back to TP?

would agree that some of the houses either side of Reed Road could do with some renovation but then again, 90% of the existing houses in the northern beaches (and smithfield for that matter) are block homes with little or now redeeming character or architectural features anyway. a lot aren't even rendered, just painted concrete block. They will sell up in time I suppose as prices go up. There have been a few near us sold for renos and a few more being done up.

All the newer stuff looks better but is generally on smaller blocks that have little yards and not enough room for a pool unless you lose the garden !

From what I have seen, Bluewater estate, or at least the end accessed from Trinity Park is nice but you have to wonder about mossies/sand flies as you walk across the access bridges and look out over the mangroves !
Have spoke to a couple of people who have been there for site visits who had to run for the car ! and that was during the day.

The new marina and surrounding estate looks nice but again backs onto mangroves.

Smithfield Village development is going up behind our back fence and is nice - new estate, smaller houses, cheaper smaller blocks, park, wetlands area for waterfowl/wildlife, couple of play areas (wallabies come out of the bush at night).

I don't think it's anywhere near Mitre10 personally as that's way down the road. that's a different development, accessed from the traffic lights on cook highway near the caltex servo.

Never smelled anything from the tip where we live. There is nothing within 500m of the tip other than the ind. estate next door and the WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT that is being upgraded as part of the Cleaner Seas Project (that I am working on). Don't worry though, all being fitted with Odour Prevention Seals these days so no smells.

Andy

PS - TP does indeed have a lovely unspoilt beach. at the mouth of the creek though so make sure you can swim fast from them crocs !

PPS - Fraser, that travel agent or whoever it was should be shot. and you should know better.

Should I, why?

hey andy, have you seen the plan for smithfield village and north point estate ( one mega suburb really). it will end up on top of the tip. i can only go on what the wife tells me and where she found most of her work whilst at smitty. i never said that there was loads of crime in TP. but there are known drug dealers and users who live but that goes for palm cove aswell but nobody asked about palm cove. has sandy retired yet?

I bought the place. Hopefully I won't regret it!

Good luck with it, I hope it proves to be a good investment.

I'm heading over to Cairns on Monday to have a look at this place. Can anyone recommend a good, cheap place to stay for a night?

The Pacific International
I havent stayed in it, but its in a pretty good central Cairns location from what I can recall, (and the Japs were all over it) std room for Mon 10th is $119 on Wotif.com.au
Std room in the Rydges Esplanade are the same price.

I stayed in the the Mantra Trilogy about 2 years ago and that was pretty good ($140 night) but there has been a fair amount of development gone on around it so unless thats finished it could be fairly noisy early in the morning when they come on site.

Word on the street is that there are a number of plots in Smithfield Village which have been bought by the council for government housing, so imagine having saved hard all your life to buy a nice house there, and then having some bludgers living next door to you, that spend their entire time pissed, and having domestics - no thanks!

Oh and i forgot, having worked hard all your life to buy your house, these people gt the house for free, and then trash it!

Really? Where did you hear that? Is it just word of mouth right now?

Thanks will have a look.

nice generalisations there Baz

It was from someone who works in real estate, advising me not to buy in that area for that reason. I guess you could make checks to verify it, Smithfield Village reps would probably not give you a strait awnser though. You have to be careful, there are some nice housing estates in Redlynch that also suffer from this problem.

If you do buy it can I be first on the list if you are renting it out shy bairns get nowt if they don't ask