Rockhampton

[apj696]

Hi, I’ve been in Sydney for 2 yrs on a 457 visa, my nomination is in for PR. My company have offered me a job in Rockhampton. Im a single mum, daughter Is in year 4.

School fees are killing me in NSW, so just the thought of not having those to pay are tempting.

Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts on living in that area, I prefer to live by the coast. Rental prices are much more affordable than Sydney!

[Marisawright]

I had friends who moved to Rockhampton and they seemed to enjoy it.  It's a big country town rather than a city, so it's pretty quiet.  If your daughter was older, she might find it a bit boring, but there should be plenty to keep a four year old amused! 

It would be too hot for me, but I'm not good with heat. 

As you're on a 457 and presumably your employer will pay for the move, it sounds like a good opportunity to experience a different part of Australia.

Edited April 18, 2018 by Marisawright

[Guest The Pom Queen]

Hi @apj696 we stayed in Rocky a couple of nights ago and are currently a couple of hours inland from there at the moment. You may find Rockhampton a culture shock if you are use to the bright lights of Sydney. Although the population is larger than Mackay there doesn’t seem to be the same amount of shops/facilities etc. Saying that we haven’t spent any length of time there.  If you love the outdoors then I think it would be a fantastic base to explore the surrounding areas ie National Parks, Capricorn Caves.

If you do move there please look at the flood maps as Rocky is often hit with flooding, the last one being 2017. https://www.rockhamptonregion.qld.gov.au/CouncilServices/Disaster-Management/Floods

 

 

 

 

 

[dv4]

On 4/18/2018 at 21:13, apj696 said:

 

Hi, I’ve been in Sydney for 2 yrs on a 457 visa, my nomination is in for PR. My company have offered me a job in Rockhampton. Im a single mum, daughter Is in year 4.

School fees are killing me in NSW, so just the thought of not having those to pay are tempting.

Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts on living in that area, I prefer to live by the coast. Rental prices are much more affordable than Sydney!H

Hi apj696,

We live in Rockhampton. Moved here a couple of years ago. Took us a while to get used to the place but as The Pom Queen states, it'll be very different from Sydney. Having said that, we've gotten used to it. Generally nice friendly people. We get most things without missing too much. We do make the trip to Brisbane once every 3 months or so to "get away".  

Some good schools, private and public. There's a large'ish Stocklands shopping centre and ALDI is opening up sometime soon.

Lots of people live in Yeppoon, which is about 20-40mins away and on the coast. It's quite an easy drive and temperatures are usually a couple of degrees cooler! 

Weather is absolutely amazing here! You'l have to suffer through 3 months or so of hot muggy weather, but then the rest of the year is absolutely amazing.

Yes, it floods once a year at the most but it usually only affects some parts of the city.

Lots of new developments in the pipeline that have brightened up the city. The riverbank has had a facelift, some new parks, playgrounds etc coming up.

If you're a bright lights big city girl , then this might be difficult, but we're happy. Look at living in Yeppoon and travelling. It's lovelier there...nice cafes...beach front etc.

 House prices for rent and sale have been quite depressed since the mining downturn. Rockhampton isn't your typical "mining town"...far from it but it does support the mines in the region so when they have a downturn, it does affect Rockhampton...

What we miss the most is good restaurants...

The city is generally divided into the north and south sides divided by the river. Lots more newer brick style houses on the north side...lot's of quirky "queenslander" houses on the south side. If you've never seen one before, you'll be in for quite a surprise.

 

There's an airport with multiple flights everyday both by Virgin and Qantas to and from Brisbane which is about an hour away by air. JetGo flies 4x a week to the GoldCoast airport and to Townsville.

Beef Week is coming up...we are the Beef Capital of Australia, btw!  

Hope this helps...let me know if you need any more info or if I can help...

[apj696]

Wonderful! Thanks so much for your response.
I’m definitely not a big city person, I much prefer to be closer to the beach so I did have a look at Yeppoon/Kinka Beach areas.
I lived in Phuket, Thailand for 12 yrs before coming to Sydney so I’m more used to the laidback easy lifestyle. Sydney can be too fast paced at times!
Hoping to get up there this weekend to have a look around, thanks so much for your advice.

[Guest The Pom Queen]

14 hours ago, apj696 said:

Wonderful! Thanks so much for your response.
I’m definitely not a big city person, I much prefer to be closer to the beach so I did have a look at Yeppoon/Kinka Beach areas.
I lived in Phuket, Thailand for 12 yrs before coming to Sydney so I’m more used to the laidback easy lifestyle. Sydney can be too fast paced at times!
Hoping to get up there this weekend to have a look around, thanks so much for your advice.

It sounds like it would be the perfect place for you then @apj696

[Bobj]

On 4/28/2018 at 23:13, dv4 said:

Hi apj696,

We live in Rockhampton. Moved here a couple of years ago. Took us a while to get used to the place but as The Pom Queen states, it'll be very different from Sydney. Having said that, we've gotten used to it. Generally nice friendly people. We get most things without missing too much. We do make the trip to Brisbane once every 3 months or so to "get away".  

Some good schools, private and public. There's a large'ish Stocklands shopping centre and ALDI is opening up sometime soon.

Lots of people live in Yeppoon, which is about 20-40mins away and on the coast. It's quite an easy drive and temperatures are usually a couple of degrees cooler! 

Weather is absolutely amazing here! You'l have to suffer through 3 months or so of hot muggy weather, but then the rest of the year is absolutely amazing.

Yes, it floods once a year at the most but it usually only affects some parts of the city.

Lots of new developments in the pipeline that have brightened up the city. The riverbank has had a facelift, some new parks, playgrounds etc coming up.

If you're a bright lights big city girl , then this might be difficult, but we're happy. Look at living in Yeppoon and travelling. It's lovelier there...nice cafes...beach front etc.

 House prices for rent and sale have been quite depressed since the mining downturn. Rockhampton isn't your typical "mining town"...far from it but it does support the mines in the region so when they have a downturn, it does affect Rockhampton...

What we miss the most is good restaurants...

The city is generally divided into the north and south sides divided by the river. Lots more newer brick style houses on the north side...lot's of quirky "queenslander" houses on the south side. If you've never seen one before, you'll be in for quite a surprise.

 

There's an airport with multiple flights everyday both by Virgin and Qantas to and from Brisbane which is about an hour away by air. JetGo flies 4x a week to the GoldCoast airport and to Townsville.

Beef Week is coming up...we are the Beef Capital of Australia, btw!  

Hope this helps...let me know if you need any more info or if I can help...

And that is a reminder not to live in, or near Grassmere which is a few km south. That is the big salesyard and cattle truck terminus.

Cheers, Bobj.

[Bobj]

That should be Gracemere, not Grassmere. Fingers, sort of thing...

Cheers, Bobj.

[apj696]

Thanks bobj, good to know places to avoid! [emoji1303]

[Eera]

On 4/18/2018 at 22:35, The Pom Queen said:

. Although the population is larger than Mackay there doesn’t seem to be the same amount of shops/facilities etc.

 

That's fighting talk around here!   Mackay is weirdly proud of the fact that the population is bigger than Rocky, though they have the edge when it comes to random cow statues.

I do a fair amount of work in Rocky and have to say I'm impressed with the amount of investment and beautification that they've done, particularly along the river front.  it's also the seat of a number of local government offices (if you are looking for Department of Mines and Department of Main Roads, I generally am).  Plus as PQ says, there are some wonderful spots around there - Mt Morgan, the caves (whose name escapes me), good camping areas).  But as previously mentioned, avoid the flood areas; they have been working on a levee in recent times but I can't say how far they've gotten with construction.

[apj696]

Just got back from a trip to Rockhampton and Yeppoon, what a great place. Relocating is now becoming real and not just a Dream!
Definitely would be looking to live in Yeppoon.
Been looking at costs for removal/backloading, anyone have any experience or companies they would reccommend?
Looks pretty pricey!

[Marisawright]

Unfortunately removal costs seem to be expensive everywhere.  It's not surprising when you think about it, though.     It sounds expensive because you're more used to removal costs in the UK where it would be a big move if you moved more than 300 or 400 km - but Rockhampton is nearly five times that.

Edited May 7, 2018 by Marisawright

[Guest The Pom Queen]

7 hours ago, apj696 said:

Just got back from a trip to Rockhampton and Yeppoon, what a great place. Relocating is now becoming real and not just a Dream!
Definitely would be looking to live in Yeppoon.
Been looking at costs for removal/backloading, anyone have any experience or companies they would reccommend?
Looks pretty pricey!

Removals from Melbourne to Cairns cost us $5,000 and that was a few years back. Backloading from Townsville to Brisbane was $900, however we did get multiple quotes and some were coming in at over double. Some drivers will reduce the price rather than drive an empty truck up and down the coast.

[plodling2002]

Good morning,

I have read the other comments regarding Rockhampton and agree/disagree with a lot of them. This is my take on it, I am originally from Manchester but now I am a police officer in a place called Gracemere, nicknamed: disgracemere or the smear!! I have been here for over 3 years. This town is a couple of K’s from Rockhampton however I get to see Rockhampton every day as I’m usually transporting a fine upstanding citizen to the Watchhouse (jail/holding cell). The drug ICE is rife here (rocky and gracemere) and also weed is nearly second nature to a large portion of the community but not all. Domestic violence is almost out of control. There are a few good people here in gracemere but they are out numbered. Rockhampton is more or less the same. I know I probably have a tainted view of both areas, my wife is a police officer in Rockhampton itself so I do know a little of what I’m talking about. I would have to say that the area of Gracemere should be likened to Moss Side in Manchester, run down, high unemployment and people getting drunk/high then turning on each other leaving the police to clean up the mess. Parts of Rockhampton are the same, but not all of it. In the middle of the mining boom rental prices (Gracemere), were very high and only working people could afford to live there, looking after there houses and generally taking pride in the area, then the mining boom ended and most decent people moved out leaving a massive stock of un-rented properties, so the rents crashed to an average of just over $200 per week (£150), so centerlink (the dole) moved in your typical low socio-economic class type persons who only know how to smoke weed, take ICE (methlyamphetamine) and don’t give a sh*te about the way the house looks or when they eventually get kicked out how much damage they’ve caused. My personal opinion, and mine alone, is that given the choice I would NOT bring children up here nor would I live here, we were posted up here from the Sunshine Coast and had no choice in the matter and trying to get a spot back down south is almost impossible because nobody leaves there, (why would they), it sounds like I have a real downer on the place but I don’t, I enjoy some of the work and love the people I work with, I’m merely giving an extremely realistic view of the place to fellow brits because I don’t want anyone regretting moving here from the other side of the world because that’s hard enough in itself. Any questions you have for me I’ll be more than happy to answer. 

[plodling2002]

Don’t even get me started on Mount Morgan!!!!

[Bobj]

16 minutes ago, plodling2002 said:

Don’t even get me started on Mount Morgan!!!!

The only place I know where one has to drive all the way up to get down to rock bottom, sort of thing...

 

Well, it has a nice view

Cheers, Bobj.

[plodling2002]

Haha

[Guest The Pom Queen]

How long have you been there @plodling2002 it sounds like you are very unhappy and have a totally different view to a few of our members who love Rocky. Loveshoes was there for a few years and opened up a lovely boutique shop and loved the place. How long were you on the Gold Coast? Do you know Mr Luvpants on here, he is also a pommy policeman who was around this area I think. I can’t remember where he is now, he did tell us the other day, I’ve just forgot.

‘I do think when you are forced to go somewhere you don’t want to be it is normal to have a downer on the place, we moved from Cairns to Townsville and I hated every minute there and swore I would never move back if you paid me.

However, now I’m out of there I can see a lot of it was my mindset I wasn’t wanting to see anything good about Townsville. My eldest still lives up there he has been there 5 years now at Uni and I’ve visited a few times and I have come to realise, yes there are some terrible suburbs, but there are equally as many good suburbs as well. It’s just I always looked for the negatives as I had to prove a point that it wasn’t me but the place.

I suppose with you being a policeman it’s like a few of our other “men in uniform” members have said, you see the bad side of life in an area. I was talking to a paramedic yesterday who works around Surfers and he said it’s terrible what he sees. However, to someone like me or Joe Bloggs we would probably never cross paths with this part of society.

 When we lived in Cairns we knew which areas to avoid, it was no different to living in Manchester. I think Cairns probably has one of the highest rates of DV due to the aboriginal community. I know in 2017 they set up a HRT after it rose by over 14%. There were suburbs and streets around Cairns that you knew were no go areas. Yet I never once had any trouble because we lived away from that area.  To me Cairns was a tropical paradise and I was torn away from it (due to health) to live in the dump of Brownsville (only joking, it’s not that bad lol). 

I think it’s great you have shared your views as I think people need to see the positive and negative of a place. People need to read both sides and make their own mind up. When I lived in Melbourne I was a relocation agent and use to drive people around suburbs and different areas to get a feel for the place.

I always remember one family,( I think they are still members on here, but I’m not saying anything I haven’t said to them and we still joke about it) as we passed through what I considered one of three areas in SE Melbourne you really don’t want to live and they said “oh we love this place, tell us more”, well they were just like my kids you tell them not to do something and they want it even more. This Suburb in Melbourne is known for drugs, criminals you name it yet they wanted to settle there.

I advised them to get a 6 month lease as I thought they will soon come to their senses. Anyway, 11 years on they have now bought in that suburb and absolutely love it. I spoke to her a few months back and we were joking around again about why she chose there and basically she said it was 100 times better than anywhere she has ever lived in the UK and when I actually stopped and thought about it she was probably right. Oh and in that 11 years they have never had a break in, seen or heard any mention of drugs or crime. I really do think it is because they don’t associate with that type of person and let’s face it a criminal usually never does the dirty on their own doorstep.

[plodling2002]

This is Mrs plodling.... and I'm Australian born and raised and as my husband initially stated, we have lived in Rockhampton/Gracemere area for over 3 years.  Yes I've been relocated to Rockhampton for work and not by choice, but that's not why I would agree against living here.  It might be a little cheaper living here, and as you would be aware those areas are probably not some of the areas you would chose to bring up children in -  the more appealing areas in Rockhampton are dearer (of course).    And it's no Sydney, however if you're after the quieter country lifestyle then maybe that's what you'll get. However, there's nothing much more around Rockhampton (to travel and see) and there's not a whole lot to do in 'Rocky' either.   

I was raised in Toowoomba, which was a lovely garden city and had very cold winters and I then relocated to the Sunshine Coast hinterland over 10 years ago and absolutely fell in love with the area.  Beautiful pristine beaches, green mountain ranges and a lifestyle that is very laid back and peaceful.  My father has lived in Rocky for over 25 years, and I visited the place probably twice in that time and never wanted to really go back.  It's intensely hot and dry for most of the year - winter sees you wearing a t-shirt for most of it.  My friends and family said that I'd love Yeppoon beach - 30 minutes from Rockhampton and it's is nothing like the Sunshine Coast or Gold Coast beaches.  

We also worked when the large big floods that come through Rockhampton and it was 10 days of smelly, dank river water and people stuck in their homes around most of the city.  Yes the crime rate probably matches most places around the world, and yes we probably only deal with the small sector of 'dodgy' people giving us a different outlook than some.  However, for the size of the town, there are a lot of criminals who do to quote 'The Pom Queen',  'do the dirty on their own doorstep'.  The town is very insular and has a small-town mentality.  Plus I won't bring up much about the indigenous community because that would sound discriminatory.  

Yeppoon is probably the place to live if you chose to come here!  And like most places Gracemere has it's better 'areas' just like Rocky does.  However, Mt Morgan definitely doesn't have any nice areas haha!  The council has finally injected some much needed money into the CBD and riverbank areas which has made the place look pretty smart and every so often they are doing festivals to encourage people to the town.  It's not all bad! It just has quite a few 'downsides' which I would just get most people to research very carefully before taking the step to move here.  Good luck.