Search the Community

Hi there Can anyone tell me the pros and cons of living on the Gold Coast. Do a lot of people commute to work in Brisbane? I really wanted to be near nice beaches but do people in Brisbane get to the beaches in good time? Do people in Brisbane regret not choosing to live nearer the beach? Do people in Gold Coast regret not choosing to live in Brisbane? I know everyone is different and how long is a piece of string and all that.. but just a few views would be nice. By the way i like reading negative posts as well as positive as its all information. Hubby is a forklift driver/production worker so work wise is it going to be difficult on the Gold Coast and probably need to commute? Southern suburbs may be near enough for work to the Gold Coast or am i wrong as the commute could be long?? Thanks Georgie

Hi, was wondering if anyone on the Gold Coast could recommend a good dentist to me. I've just chipped either a filling or part of my tooth away, and have to get it seen to. I went to a dentist when we got here, but he had worked in the NHS and seemed to hate the UK and everyone from there, very patronising, AND expensive. Runaway Bay is the nearest suburb to me, but if anyone knows of a good one I'll travel:notworthy:. Cheers, Jo x

Im moving to Queensland March next year, but I am rearly confused as to which is the best place for work as a Wall and Floor tiler please can anyone tell me the best one to head for Thanks Very Much Chris

Hi we are in Oz in August on a recciein August and are looking to how we will get around- car hire is very expensive, so we are looking at train travel. Our biggest journey we need to do is from Caloundra to Surfers Paradise- how easy and costly will that be with 2 young children, and all our bags ? any website addresses we can look at for train times etc Thanks

Hi everyone, I am a mental health OT, and my boyfriend who is a chef are coming over to OZ on a WHV in July '11 - just in time for winter!! :goofy: We are both in our late 20's and we are planning on working (duh!), surfing, making friends and enjoying some nice weather hopefully! Any ideas on where in Oz it would be best to head to? We are starting off in Darwin but don't plan to stay there to long as there is a lack of surf. We are thinking maybe Perth or the Gold Coast? Any suggestions would be great! Thankyou x

Hey There, Im 28, from Liverpool/Wirral originally and now living on the Gold Coast. Been a ping pong pom for 11 years because my family moved here 11 years ago, but only back for 18 months. Love it here but do miss home also. I have amazing friends back home, met some lovely people here, looking to meet some like minded people, maybe from home so hopefully on the same wavelength! I love a laugh, easy going, like a night out and the odd cheeky drink! Been known to have a pint of cider watching the footy, a glass of wine with a nice meal or a couple of vodka's watching a band... just generally like a good time with good friends.

Hi I thought I would give an update of our 6 month anniversary. Very long sorry. Some of you may know, we originally sold everything in UK and made the move to Gold Coast in Jan 09. Well we only lasted 6 weeks as hubby hated it. The main reasons were, he never researched anything about Queensland. He did have a look on internet at Adelaide as his mum had visited there and he listened to some of her stories. He thought he was oing on holiday and also his boss from UK was phonin him every couple of days telling him to come back cos they all missed him. Well in the 6 weeks we also flew to Adelaide and stayed a few days. Sorry but i really didnt like it there. Far too quiet. Well 6 weeks later we returned back to UK and stayed with my mum & dad. Got our boys enrolled in new schools in the area. Had a real struggle getting a place for our eldest. I had to go an see an MP and have an appeal. Well he got in. A few months later, hubby decided he would like to give Oz another go. He went on his own and stayed 10 weeks. Loved it this time but really struggled for work and with christmas approaching he came back. Well we saved and saved and finally made the move on 27th november 2010. We flew with Singapore airlines and they were good. We arrived on Sunday evening and stayed at Ashmore Palms. We bought a car on Tuesday. We had medicare sorted, bank account, driving licence already so no need for us to stress about them. We planned to stay at Ashmore Palms until after christmas and booked for 8 weeks. Our boys met the friends they had made previously who live permantly at Ashmore. Hubby got a job and started on 21st December. Well we were set on Pacific Pines so looked at a few rentals. Everytime we went there, it didnt feel right. Also lads at hubby's work put him off saying how rough it is. Friends of ours who lived there told us that high school is rubbish and that primary school is full of bogan kids. Locals on Ashmore Palms also didnt have anything positive to say about the place and I think it really put us off. We visited Sunshine Coast a few times and everytime we loved it. Loved Mountain Creek. Hubby had applied for a job in Caloundra the last time he was over. Well, just before christmas he got an email off them asking if he wanted a job there. We felt it was fate and that we belonged on Sunshine Coast. We secured a lovely rental in Mooloolaba, it was a waterfront house with pool for $430 per week. The house was a little tatty but the location was amazing. We moved in on 21st January and our boys started Mountain Creek high and state schools in years 10 & 4. Our youngest loved school in UK and here he was really struggling. It was a big school with 1200 pupils. Most days he would have an headache or tummy ache and didnt want to go. Eldest never into school in UK or here. He was same. He would go in school and then they would telephone me to say he is ill and send him home. In the meantime hubby was commuting daily to his job on Gold Coast as the Caloundra job still hadnt happened. It was a 4-5 hour round trip every day setting off at 4:30am and not getting home until 6:00pm. He was exhausted. Eventually Caloundra job called for him to start. He took a week's holiday from Gold Coast job. Well he did 2 days at Caloundra. They offered him $25 per hour for 3 months then review. On his first day, they said they had made a mistake and it was $19 per hour. A total joke. Well he went back down the road again to Gold Coast. I managed to get a job but with our youngest struggling at school, I felt really guilty. Hubby colapsed at work and was taken to hospital who said he was suffering with exhaustion. We decided as there were no jobs on Sunshine coast and my wage was rubbish, we would have to move back to Gold Coast. We broke our lease and moved back to Gold Coast. We stayed a few days at our friends at Coomera Waters. Wow, its brilliant there. Its a secure estate with security patrolling, gym and 2 pools. We would have loved to live there but its too far out. I wouldnt be able to get boys to school as I dont drive and no shops nearby. Shame because it was very nice. Well, we went back to Ashmore Palms and are staying in a new cabin there. We are doing month to month. Its very modern and spacious and we have put some of our own furniture in. Got the boys enrolled at Ashmore State school and Benowa High school. Well our youngest is a different child. He is so withdrawn and sad. He cried every day going to school and hates it. Hubby took him last week and he was shaking so much, he brought him home. We have contacted school and well they not bothered. He is not going back there and we have withdrawn him. Oldest doesnt really have much to say about Benowa but thats just him. Hubby is still in same job and really busy. He is working 14 hour days and weekends so we dont see much of him. We have decided that we will be returning to UK before start of new school year in September. I have contacted UK schools and they can both have there places back. We like Australia but just dont feel its for us. Maybe moving about has done it but we really dont like the Gold Coast. We feel the grass isnt always greener. Jill xxx

I currently have a small investment in Physical Gold and have been told by the Customs Information and Support Centre that, because it isn't coinage in current use, (gold bars) that it would be subject to Goods and Services Tax on import but, given the fineness of the metal, they would be duty free. No details were given as to the percentage of value of GST that would be applied and I'm looking for any advice on what to do with it prior to making the move to oz or indeed any personal experience anyone has. If gold prices go up before I emigrate, no problem, I'll sell but if they don't... lol Thanks

Hi I am a 30 yr old nurse married with a little boy (4 yrs old) I have just applied for a 175 PR visa and I am after some info on the Gold Coast and the Sunshine coast including job prospects for a nurse, lifestyle, suburbs and schooling for a young family in these two areas of Qld. We visited the Gold Coast last year and fell in love with the place but since coming back to the uk I have heard that the sunshine coast is a great place to live too. If anyone has any info or experience it would be great to hear

Hi guys, i am moving to gold coast in 3 weeks and if you want to chat about oz and stuff and you are roughly the same age and are in or moving to gold coast then pm me and i will give you my email address. Thanks, Harrison..

Take the worry out of finding a good hairdresser. Our salon is owned by a London Trained Hairdresser ( and an ex L'Oreal Colour Specialist ) and a Scottish Beauty Therapist. We have many British clients and are happy to introduce you to other fellow countrymen. All new clients receive a $25.00 credit when quoting this website, Come and visit us Look forward to seeing you :smile:

:wubclub:Hi we are an Irish familly living in the Gold Coast looking for other famillys to meet up. We have moved here 4 weeks ago from the Sunshine coast We have an 8year old girl and a 11year old boy. So if anyone fancys meeting up give me us a shout.

I may well be moving to Australia next year with my wife, who is in the process of securing a job in Gold Coast. I am a qualified social worker in England (qualified 7 years), and work in adult social care, and wondered whether there was many job opportunities in the Gold Coast? I am willing to do any social care jobs, including support worker, also be happy to work in mental health, for charities, drug and alcohol projects etc Does anyone know if there is much of this work in GC? or will I need to travel to Brisbane for work? This will obvously have a bearing on where we live... Any advice is gratefully received, Thanks.

Hi, I was wondering if anyone could help? I am 25 yrs old, i have a BA in criminology and i am about to graduate (In UK) with a MA in Social Work. I am looking to hopefully move to the Gold Coast, where two of my best friends have recently received visas for and are in the process of moving to. I think, i may need to have at least 1 or 2 yrs 'post grad' experience, is this true or is 1 yr enough, giving the experience i have previously? I haev read in some cases certain states provide sponsorship and/or relocation packages for social workers. Do i need to look for sponsorship or do i look for a company who can help me start applying for a visa? Am i also correct in thinking that you have 5 yrs to 'activate' your visa if and when you are granted?

Hello People Me ( Dan ) and my girlfriend Bex ( 27 and 22 ) have moved out here from York to start our new lives. We are both Nurses and are looking at making new friends. We are really easy going and love to socialise. We enjoy live music, outdoors and fitness. Let us know if you fancy meeting up. That would be great. Thanks Dan

I have a business partner Pom, his business on the Gold Coast ( established 4 years) is looking for an individule whom is in Oz or just arriving with the correct working visa. The job involves plumbing in the field, driving small vans, delivering and setting up event equipment from toilets to portable buildings, Its a small business looking for a hands on person. Plenty of outside work in the sunshine. If you may be interested and think this may be a position that is good for both parties drop me a line and i will forward your details on. Hope this is of interest to someone Richard

Hey we just arrived a week ago and are absolutely loving it. We are all sorted with house, car etc and now just need some friends We are in Pacific Pines. Anyone nearby interested in meeting up. We are 26 and have a 1 year old daughter.

hiya, im a 14 year old girl and im moving to the gold coast in October and i was wondering if anyone else is? :eek: post back if you are :3 maddy xo

YEAHY!! Well the Gold Coast will be hosting the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Great news for the Queensland Economy with an estimated 30000 new full time jobs to be created as a result of this win. Love Rudi x

Hi guys I recently lost my job as an admin (Company went bankcurrpt) I've been looking for a new job but no one seems to be interested in me. I have a lot of experience in admin and customer service I have worked with big company back home but it seems soo hard to find anything I'm currently on a WHV but I put my application for my partner visa in about 4 weeks ago Can anyone give me advise or help thanks in adv

hey! me and my fiance have just moved to gold coast, not met anyone yet, lots of other expats we have seen on here or said hey too are all all a bit older, or very involved with their kids! wondered if there are any other 20 somethings out there that fancy a drink and a catch up! I'm 23 and my man is 24, gettin married in August, no kids, not piss heads, like a cocktail or two in nice places.... sporty, musicy and both pretty laid back!

Hi I am irish and have been living in Australia for over 3 years with my boyfriend. I have only met about 4 or 5 irish people that actually live here and would love to meet new friends from home who have also emigrated over here to the gold coast. I love going out and playing sports! :yes:

Hi guys, my partner Jim (24) and is moving to Australia next week (i'm an aussie) and we are looking for some new friends to hang out with on the Gold Coast. :jiggy:

I've read quite a few threads on commuting GC to Brisbane and was initially put off the idea, however when we arrived I really didn't fancy living in Brisbane or it suburbs (no offence meant and I'm no stranger to the area, lived here before) so our initial accommodation was a serviced apartment in Southport - Meriton, highly recommended. For the first few weeks we alternated between driving and taking the train from Helensvale, it was just a bit too longer commute for me, at least 90 mins each way in the car and longer on the train. However much of this was actually getting to the freeway or train station. We've now settled in Hope Island and been doing the drive for 2 months. I have to say its not bad, provided we leave by 7:00 we're in the CBD by 8:00 9 out of 10 days, occasionally 7:45. Travelling home is similar, we leave at 4PM and are home around 5:00. Nearby areas with similar commutes would be Helensvale, Pacific Pines, Coomera etc. None are on the beach but Paradise Point is 10-15 mins drive and Labrador another 10, 10 more to Surfers if that's for you. We've all but given up on the train, it is punctual but so slow and so crowded, its known as the Bombay Express due to overcrowding. One thing to mention is the driving on the Pacific Motorway has to be experienced to be believed! As you can pass on both sides basically you get 3 lanes of 110kmh traffic driving at most a couple of car lengths apart, and even then some folk swerving between lanes to make up the odd position. Traffic get heavy around Springwood and you have 10-15 km of stop start traffic, currently there are roadworks. Also as my wife and I travel together we get to use the T2 lane, but TBH I don't think it makes a huge difference. All in all, the commute is a pain, but I love living on (or at least very near) the Gold Coast and for us that's the compromise as neither of us are likely to find work there in the foreseeable future. I don't visit the forums much having been in Aus for a while but though the above may be useful to people looking to move to SEQLD.

Hi guys We have booked flights for a reccie in feb & now looking at some accommodation, i read alot about ashmore palms which seems fine apart from it looks like we need to jump in the car to go anywhere. i've found goldcoasttouristpark.com.au (broadwater or main beach) their villas seem to be abit more spacious , has anyone stayed there who can share their experience? we have 2 children 4 & 8 so would like them to have pools & playareas on site. or if anyone can recommend anyway else which i may of missed. Thanks Adele