Mackay QLD

[Paige03]

Hey.  I have a possible job offer in Mackay, QLD. I've never been there before. Can anyone give any advice on nice suburbs and schools.  I have two teenagers, 17 and 14.  Thanks. 

[Guest The Pom Queen]

@Bobj may be able to offer advice. I nearly moved to Ball Bay it's a lovely village around 40 minutes I think from Mackay so you may not want to commute that far.

[Bobj]

6 hours ago, Paige03 said:

Hey.  I have a possible job offer in Mackay, QLD. I've never been there before. Can anyone give any advice on nice suburbs and schools.  I have two teenagers, 17 and 14.  Thanks. 

Err...Umm, Mackay is a great town for young people, sports wise. It has possibly the best sporting facilities outside the Brissie environs.

Know nothing about schools, though a couple of local kids like the high school.

All the usual shops are in the supermarkets and downtown A good air service for those who need to fly.

Jo and I only go in once a week for groceries and, where we live, it is a 35/40 minute commute (48 km)

I take it that you are in the nursing profession? $410 m was spent on the new Base Hospital a few years ago.

Suburbs? Best, as far as I'm concerned are Rural View, Nindaroo and Bucasia, on the northern/north west side and West Mackay. New estates are quite good, like Settlers Rise at Erakala and Richmond Hills at Rural View.

@Eera lives in that area, so she might have more info for you.

Cheers, Bobj.

 

[Paige03]

34 minutes ago, Bobj said:

Err...Umm, Mackay is a great town for young people, sports wise. It has possibly the best sporting facilities outside the Brissie environs.

Know nothing about schools, though a couple of local kids like the high school.

All the usual shops are in the supermarkets and downtown A good air service for those who need to fly.

Jo and I only go in once a week for groceries and, where we live, it is a 35/40 minute commute (48 km)

I take it that you are in the nursing profession? $410 m was spent on the new Base Hospital a few years ago.

Suburbs? Best, as far as I'm concerned are Rural View, Nindaroo and Bucasia, on the northern/north west side and West Mackay. New estates are quite good, like Settlers Rise at Erakala and Richmond Hills at Rural View.

@Eera lives in that area, so she might have more info for you.

Cheers, Bobj.

 

Hi Bobj. Thank you for your reply. We've been looking at Rural View, so glad you've said it's a nice suburb. My daughter will be pleased about the sporting facilities. From what we've read and seen, Mackay looks nice, so we're going to give a try. And yes, I am a nurse; good guess

[Bobj]

7 minutes ago, Paige03 said:

Hi Bobj. Thank you for your reply. We've been looking at Rural View, so glad you've said it's a nice suburb. My daughter will be pleased about the sporting facilities. From what we've read and seen, Mackay looks nice, so we're going to give a try. And yes, I am a nurse; good guess

Not really...I looked it up.

Base Hospital is good, have had the odd 'rest' there.

Cheers, Bobj.

[Eera]

I live in Rural View, and I recommend parts of it.  There's an awful new estate that was put in a few years back (Plantation Palms) that has tiny blocks, no offset between houses and a hideous one way system.  They've also redrawn boundaries so Blacks Beach Cove is part of Rural View - AVOID!  I'd probably also tend to avoid the newer estates like Richmond and Settlers Rise as they have no infrastructure there an you need a car to get everywhere.  The more established areas at least have bus routes and shops.

Mackay Council has one of the best publically-available GIS systems in Australia, it's called MiMaps Mackay (google it, it's got a .gov address so I can't remember it off the top of my head)  You can find all the info you need such as public facility locations, bus routes, flood maps etc on it.  Some areas are low-lying and flood prone.

Sports facilities are pretty good.  My boys both take part in Little Athletics, there's great swimming coaching and all sorts of sports; at this year's sports sign-on day there was something like 100 different clubs represented.  We are also about to start construction on a proper running track and athletics facility, and 50m pool which should be completed end of next year.

Right now weather is perfect; mid teens at night, mid twenties during the day.  During the Wet it can be hideous; think of the sort of weather that Singapore or Bangkok gets and you won't be far wrong, we are in the tropics though so it's to be expected.  You basically just get on with it during these times.  We are within the Barrier Reef area and don't get any surf.  There are lifesavers around and while the beaches look marvellous, we do get a lot of box jellyfish and other stingers, so only swim where the lifesavers have dragged the water and declared it safe.  On the plus side it's coming up for the 100-year anniversary since anyone was eaten by a crocodile in town.

People either love living here, or hate it.  It's not Melbourne, but there's everything you need (assuming designer clothes and symphonic orchestras don't feature high on your list of requirements).  The town is traditionally a sugar-farming town, but has been supported by coal mining for the last couple of decades.  There was a huge downturn a couple of years ago, but the radio said yesterday that Mackay now has the lowest unemployment in regional Queensland, plus the mines are back up to full capacity and there are four new ones in a 3 hour radius of town, going in over the next couple of years that is promoting a huge amount of optimism.

Please feel free to pm me if you want specific information about anything.

Edited April 30, 2017 by Eera

[Paige03]

12 hours ago, Eera said:

I live in Rural View, and I recommend parts of it.  There's an awful new estate that was put in a few years back (Plantation Palms) that has tiny blocks, no offset between houses and a hideous one way system.  They've also redrawn boundaries so Blacks Beach Cove is part of Rural View - AVOID!  I'd probably also tend to avoid the newer estates like Richmond and Settlers Rise as they have no infrastructure there an you need a car to get everywhere.  The more established areas at least have bus routes and shops.

Mackay Council has one of the best publically-available GIS systems in Australia, it's called MiMaps Mackay (google it, it's got a .gov address so I can't remember it off the top of my head)  You can find all the info you need such as public facility locations, bus routes, flood maps etc on it.  Some areas are low-lying and flood prone.

Sports facilities are pretty good.  My boys both take part in Little Athletics, there's great swimming coaching and all sorts of sports; at this year's sports sign-on day there was something like 100 different clubs represented.  We are also about to start construction on a proper running track and athletics facility, and 50m pool which should be completed end of next year.

Right now weather is perfect; mid teens at night, mid twenties during the day.  During the Wet it can be hideous; think of the sort of weather that Singapore or Bangkok gets and you won't be far wrong, we are in the tropics though so it's to be expected.  You basically just get on with it during these times.  We are within the Barrier Reef area and don't get any surf.  There are lifesavers around and while the beaches look marvellous, we do get a lot of box jellyfish and other stingers, so only swim where the lifesavers have dragged the water and declared it safe.  On the plus side it's coming up for the 100-year anniversary since anyone was eaten by a crocodile in town.

People either love living here, or hate it.  It's not Melbourne, but there's everything you need (assuming designer clothes and symphonic orchestras don't feature high on your list of requirements).  The town is traditionally a sugar-farming town, but has been supported by coal mining for the last couple of decades.  There was a huge downturn a couple of years ago, but the radio said yesterday that Mackay now has the lowest unemployment in regional Queensland, plus the mines are back up to full capacity and there are four new ones in a 3 hour radius of town, going in over the next couple of years that is promoting a huge amount of optimism.

Please feel free to pm me if you want specific information about anything.

Hi Eera.  Thank you so much for this information. Very helpful. I'll definitely be in contact.  I just hope I get the job now  

[Guest The Pom Queen]

On 01/05/2017 at 8:47 PM, Paige03 said:

Hi Eera.  Thank you so much for this information. Very helpful. I'll definitely be in contact.  I just hope I get the job now  

Fingers crossed, let us know how you go 

[Uhtred]

The in-laws are from Mackay and that's where we were in February just gone. Been a couple of times now.

Not sure if it's been mentioned but wherever you stay just check the flood history. They've had it quite bad a few times and home insurance premiums are very high (as are the excesses) for flood risk areas.

We're moving to Brisbane in August and the only reason it's not Mackay is because of work. It's in a brilliant location, is only 1.5hr flight from Brisbane and 4hr drive from Townsville. Not to mention the Whitsundays and the GBR.

There's also an abundance of cheap rentals in Mackay at the moment so you'll never be stuck for somewhere to live.

And if he's recovered and you're over by then, Elton John is playing there in September.

[Bobj]

@The Pom Queen

Want me to put in a bid for you? I could go as high as $100...

It was originally  up for $1.1M Then it was a divorce settlement and the asking price was $559K

https://www.domain.com.au/8-ward-esplanade-ball-bay-qld-4741-2013589067

Cheers, Bobj.

 

[Guest The Pom Queen]

15 minutes ago, Bobj said:

@The Pom Queen

Want me to put in a bid for you? I could go as high as $100...

It was originally  up for $1.1M Then it was a divorce settlement and the asking price was $559K

https://www.domain.com.au/8-ward-esplanade-ball-bay-qld-4741-2013589067

Cheers, Bobj.

 

Wow @Bobj a huge drop. Although after Debbie I bet you would struggle to get a mortgage because you wouldn't get insurance. If you could it would be a bargain buy. Anyway forget that I've got a tent set up in the bottom field for you when you need to move closer to family ??