Cairns: Where to live?

[muffman]

I'm considering moving myself and the prettier half up to Cairns for some work soon and want to work out the costs involved in renting. Which suburbs are worth a look? I want somewhere safe and comfortable for the missus.

Is up around Trinity Beach an option or is it too touristy?

[el_capitano]

Try an area called Whitfield, there are a lot of apartments around there. Only 5min from the apt and around 10min from the city. Well worth a look and it is a safe and comfortable area, so the missus will be happy.....

I use to have a 2 bedroom apartment there, rent was pretty well priced but thats going back a few yrs now.

[404 Titan]

muffman

Trinity Beach is OK. There are plenty of units there as well though they tend to be let for holiday accommodation. A house will probably put you back today $300+ per week but that is the norm in Cairns today. Yorkeys Knob isn’t bad either but I would stick to around the hill there and stay away from the lower areas. I wouldn’t go any closer to the airport than Yorkeys on the beach suburbs due to airport noise.

If you prefer living closer to the mountains Redlych is pretty good. Close to schools if you have kids and supermarkets etc.

A word of advice when negotiating rents with the agents up there in the current economic climate is that Cairns is still doing it real tough. The agents won’t tell you this but current rental vacancies are running at around 10-15% in the Cairns area. It is a renters market so make sure you bargain hard and don’t appear desperate.

[Josh Cox]

Second everything Titan said.

The real estate market here is quite depressed, vacancies are running very high, Yorkey through to Clifton would be where I'd be looking on the beaches, IMHO the beaches themselves are pretty ordinary, not like Sydney or Melbourne beaches, more mudflats with sand on the edge).

Have found Realestate.com to be a good place to find property (rental or sale).

Many Pilots end up in the Stratford - Freshwater area, really nice area, easy access to the airport and city (also good public transport).

Redlynch is nice, we've just moved to Redlynch Valley and love it ( lack of public transport is an issue here ):

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n229/Joshuacox_2006/home013.jpg

[tail wheel]

Cairns properties for rent. (http://www.realestate.com.au/rent/in-cairns%3b+/list-1?preferredState=qld)

[VH-XXX]

Not bad. Those rental properties are around $100 - $150 a week cheaper than Melbourne and Brisbane.

[Metro man]

Beware of living too far north of the airport, during the wet season the road up to the beaches can be closed due to flooding, if a cyclone has gone through it will definately be underwater. Ask when you get there, when and where it was last cut. If working for the RFDS, I believe they require you to live within a certain distance/time of the airport, check before you sign the lease.

Redlynch is very nice for a house.

For units look at the Manunda/Whitfield area, known as "lego land". Good access to the airport, shops and town. Reasonable public transport so you may get by with one car.

I wouldn't look at anything south of Cairns, no point and not worth the bother of the extra drive.

[compressor stall]

Avoid any suburb starting with M.

[Mick.B]

I will second that.

[Mick.B]

Edge Hill and Trintity Beach are great to live.

[Torres]

Yorky's Knob, walking distance from the Marina bar. The greatest place to go when the road floods and you can't get to work! :ok:

[Metro man]

Avoid any suburb starting with M.

Not refering to Manoora (Murray Street area) by any chance ? :E

[ForkTailedDrKiller]

What are the best suburbs in the Cairns area in which to live?

Any located in Townsville! :E

Dr :8

PS: Why does everyone in Cairns drive in the right-hand lane? Cause they are gonna turn right - eventually!

[splinter11]

Im probably going to be moving to Cairns some time soon. For those that know a fair bit about the area, could you give an insight into why people like cairns so much, and is the nightlife really as good as what people make it out to be? Is it a fairly cruisy saught of lifestyle up there?

cheers

[hardNfast]

Backpackers.:ok:

Here for a good time not a long time!


Agree with the avoid the M's!

[Metro man]

is the nightlife really as good as what people make it out to be?

Try the 'Woolshed' if it's still going, it's been ten years since I lived in Cairns so I may be out of date. Foam Party at the 'Beach' was good fun.

Basically the place is full of young backpackers passing through, many of them away from home for the first time and looking for a bit of fun. Quite a few cougars around as well.

I was informed by an airline captain that some of the backpackers were quite appreciative of a night in a five star hotel after a few weeks in shared dorms.:E

[beaver_rotate]

Muffman you need to PM me asap, have I gotta deal for you!!

[MyNameIsIs]

the Woolshed is still going :ok:

plenty to choose from, and also not far off fistycuffs at times. ahh the memories :E

[el_capitano]

What ever happened to the Play Pen and Gypsy Dees?? are those clubs still operating.

[Captain Nomad]

The place looks nice Josh! It will be even nicer when they start burning off that sugar cane just past the back fence...! :E

[Josh Cox]

As far as I am aware they are not allowed to burn the cane in Cairns, dam hippies !!!!!!.