Guest The Pom Queen Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 On 12/10/2020 at 12:55, Wanderer Returns said: Honestly, unless you love driving, I really wouldn't bother. Once you get passed Gympie the drive itself is pretty monotonous. The Bruce is a bad road but there are some beautiful places to stop off at on the way up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 On 10/10/2020 at 13:54, Gary H said: Spent the last 6 years in Cairns can't wait to leave, Summers last 3 years have been horrendous ( we have lived 20 years in Tropics so no soft to heat and humidity). Not experienced any serious Cyclones in that time. But the crime here is ridiculous, petty, and annoying from a demographic that seems pretty much untouchable, it has gotten noticeably worse over the last 5 years with no end in sight. It's remote outside of the 2 hr driving bubble you are into nothing in all directions. COVID has pretty much destroyed the economy up here being so reliant on Tourism. A good place to retire to in the winter but will not be returning once left What suburb did you live in? We never witnessed any crime, my son lives up there still so it’s been 10 years for him and no crime. I know certain suburbs (I could name them but it’s not fair on the people who live there) are more prone to crime. ‘This summer has been hot for everyone, we are just outside Brisbane and are in severe drought and carting water in because the tanks, bores and dams have run dry. It’s funny because I was in Cairns visiting my son a few months back and was so thankful for the rain and how green everywhere was. Down here is more like the desert it’s a complete dust bowl. Just like Melbourne gets in the summer when everything dies off but we have had it for so long and we have now come out of winter. ‘I think the tourism industry is doing better in Cairns than anywhere else right now. There is still plenty of work up there. ‘In regards to nothing to do outside a 2 hour drive, I suppose it depends what your interests are. If you are in to beaches, waterfalls, lakes and rainforests then there is plenty. If you are wanting a lively town with pubs and clubs or huge shopping centres then no there isn’t any of that, and I think that’s what I loved and still love about Cairns. I prefer a quiet town with amazing beaches, rainforest, the Great Barrier Reef. I love the smaller towns/suburbs/villages (whatever you want to call them) of Palm Cove, Ellis Beach, Port Douglas, Kuranda, Lake Tinaroo, etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanderer Returns Posted October 14, 2020 Share Posted October 14, 2020 On 12/10/2020 at 13:30, ramot said: We put the car on the train in Brisbane to Cairns, and took 3 weeks to drive back. Really enjoyed the drive as we stopped in lots of interesting places on the way back. Not sure I want to drive both ways though. What was the train journey like? I'm a sucker for trains and have often fancied doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanderer Returns Posted October 14, 2020 Share Posted October 14, 2020 15 hours ago, The Pom Queen said: The Bruce is a bad road but there are some beautiful places to stop off at on the way up. @The Pom Queen Some lovely places but you really have to detour to get to them. 2-3 weeks to do it justice. Lovely photos btw! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary H Posted October 14, 2020 Share Posted October 14, 2020 15 hours ago, The Pom Queen said: What suburb did you live in? We never witnessed any crime, my son lives up there still so it’s been 10 years for him and no crime. I know certain suburbs (I could name them but it’s not fair on the people who live there) are more prone to crime. ‘This summer has been hot for everyone, we are just outside Brisbane and are in severe drought and carting water in because the tanks, bores and dams have run dry. It’s funny because I was in Cairns visiting my son a few months back and was so thankful for the rain and how green everywhere was. Down here is more like the desert it’s a complete dust bowl. Just like Melbourne gets in the summer when everything dies off but we have had it for so long and we have now come out of winter. ‘I think the tourism industry is doing better in Cairns than anywhere else right now. There is still plenty of work up there. ‘In regards to nothing to do outside a 2 hour drive, I suppose it depends what your interests are. If you are in to beaches, waterfalls, lakes and rainforests then there is plenty. If you are wanting a lively town with pubs and clubs or huge shopping centres then no there isn’t any of that, and I think that’s what I loved and still love about Cairns. I prefer a quiet town with amazing beaches, rainforest, the Great Barrier Reef. I love the smaller towns/suburbs/villages (whatever you want to call them) of Palm Cove, Ellis Beach, Port Douglas, Kuranda, Lake Tinaroo, etc Glad you like it up here, as your pictures show its stunning to look at. But in all fairness, I could post pics for a recent trip to sunshine gold coast and give the same impression. Tourist spots always look good. Crime is an issue here mostly with the transient mobs from the cape it's gotten a lot worse since troubles in Weipa etc. I live in an apartment in a posh part of town near the esplanade, step outside run the risk of getting hassled abused, mugged, assaulted. Police do absolutely nothing they cannot most of the time, beyond locking them up let them out again it's a joke. It's the main focus of the politicians up here Tourism doing well plenty of work? Seriously so far off the mark not funny, obviously have no real knowledge of this industry and how bad it is at present. Our company alone has just laid of 90% of its staff we count ourselves lucky as at least we are still not in liquidation many others are. The marina is full of boats that normally should be on the reef, international tourism accounted for 85% of tourism arrivals in the last 5 years now it's reliant on QLD tourism only. Hotels are sat at less than 10% occupancy. Compared to the SE corner we are dying here in fact from Airlie beach Northwards it's dire. As for work where? on a farm fruit picking as that's pretty much all available for most ex tourism-based workers or working as careers after reskilling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted October 14, 2020 Share Posted October 14, 2020 11 hours ago, Gary H said: Glad you like it up here, as your pictures show its stunning to look at. But in all fairness, I could post pics for a recent trip to sunshine gold coast and give the same impression. Tourist spots always look good. Crime is an issue here mostly with the transient mobs from the cape it's gotten a lot worse since troubles in Weipa etc. I live in an apartment in a posh part of town near the esplanade, step outside run the risk of getting hassled abused, mugged, assaulted. Police do absolutely nothing they cannot most of the time, beyond locking them up let them out again it's a joke. It's the main focus of the politicians up here Tourism doing well plenty of work? Seriously so far off the mark not funny, obviously have no real knowledge of this industry and how bad it is at present. Our company alone has just laid of 90% of its staff we count ourselves lucky as at least we are still not in liquidation many others are. The marina is full of boats that normally should be on the reef, international tourism accounted for 85% of tourism arrivals in the last 5 years now it's reliant on QLD tourism only. Hotels are sat at less than 10% occupancy. Compared to the SE corner we are dying here in fact from Airlie beach Northwards it's dire. As for work where? on a farm fruit picking as that's pretty much all available for most ex tourism-based workers or working as careers after reskilling Obviously you don’t like Cairns and that’s your opinion. Are you moving back to the UK or will you try somewhere else? 5 of the 9 photos were not tourists spots. One is our house, another is my sons local pub. The others beaches away from the tourists lol Like I mentioned in my earlier post there are suburbs to avoid in Cairns and unfortunately the closer to the CBD the worse it is, I’m surprised you actually chose to live there tbh. Usually in other states the CBD has the most expensive housing unfortunately that as never been the case in Cairns. The Northern Beaches have always had the better reputation and places like Caravonica, Stratford, Redlynch, Brinsmead and Freshwater. Although tbh Redlynch is now to overcrowded for my liking and Smithfield is too commercial. Personally I wouldn’t live anywhere beach side of the Bruce from Portsmith up to Yorkeys. I wouldn’t live in any M suburbs, Bungalow, Earlville etc. ‘Transient mobs from the Cape is a huge statement to make. Especially when a lot of the aboriginals in Cairns are actually from Yarrabah. ‘In regards to the police not doing anything, I personally think the police are way to heavy handed and a lot of the locals agree. Any tourists or dare I say it, white people, can sit on the esplanade but any aboriginals are told to move on. Even when my son was marching on Anzac Day they were moving innocent families along based on their skin colour. I am not saying they are all perfect. In the CBD you get a lot of drunks, homeless etc. I suppose it’s the same as places like Sydney and Brisbane with the homeless. You don’t see this if you live in the outer suburbs. However, have you ever stopped to chat with them, or have you just walked on by. I have lots of aboriginal friends in Cairns and all have a heart of gold. In fact a few weeks back I really wanted to go on the beach at Palm Cove. There was an aboriginal couple who were drunk at the end of the pier. They saw my son struggling and both of them jumped up and carried my wheelchair to the ocean front. A few days later I had a health scare on the esplanade and my son panicked, again it was aboriginals who came rushing to help. So please don’t judge a book by its colour (oops I mean cover) Most of the reported crime in Cairns is domestic/family violence, car break ins. In fact the car theft gang is a local family who employs kids to steal for them. The other would be drugs. The crime rate has remained steady over the years. If you look at the official stats for 2019 overall crime for Cairns which includes drug offences, domestic violence etc was around 18,000. The Gold Coast 65,000. In regards to tourism, I stated that Cairns tourism is doing better than other areas and I still stand by this. In Brisbane the CBD was a ghost town, great for us and parking but down here really suffered. In both Townsville (where my son is based at the defence) and Cairns had such a relaxed attitude it was like we were living in different parts of the world. Of course some businesses were badly hit but I know the proprietors of over 50 plus who all said business was the same. My middle son works in the tourism industry in Cairns and can’t find staff, my youngest son just applied for 10 jobs in Cairns, 5 in Townsville and 1 in Cloncurry and got offered all of them. Unfortunately he chose Townsville to be with his big brother. So there is work still available. Maybe if you can’t get work you are in a specialised industry. The majority of the tourism industry relied on employing backpackers. ‘Anyway this isn’t helping the original poster so I’m more than happy to chat via pm and maybe catch up for a coffee sometime if you are still in Cairns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted October 14, 2020 Share Posted October 14, 2020 12 hours ago, Wanderer Returns said: @The Pom Queen Some lovely places but you really have to detour to get to them. 2-3 weeks to do it justice. Lovely photos btw! Yes I agree, you could spend a month doing the drive and still miss out on some beautiful places. From Gympie upwards my favourite places would be: Fraser Island, Hervey Bay, Lake Monduran, The Caves, Cape Hillsborough, Ball Bay, Airlie and the Whitsundays, Hideaway Bay, Harvey Range, Magnetic Island, Paluma, Hitchinbrook, Lucinda, Cardwell, then yes probably nothing unless you branch off at Silkwood and head to Paronella and via the lakes on the tablelands, then coming down Gillies or the Range to Smithy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramot Posted October 14, 2020 Share Posted October 14, 2020 18 hours ago, Wanderer Returns said: What was the train journey like? I'm a sucker for trains and have often fancied doing it. We did the trip several years ago, so not sure if it’s the same now? We had to laugh, you could only put the car on the train at Brisbane, so after leaving the Sunny Coast, driving to Brisbane, waiting to put the car on the train, settling in and waiting for the journey to start off, we were finally as far as Gympie I think almost 5 hours later!! We treated ourselves to the top service, and it was worth it, my husband really enjoys train journeys, but even I would recommend it, but we were very spoilt, and the food was excellent, 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary H Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 (edited) 10 hours ago, The Pom Queen said: Obviously you don’t like Cairns and that’s your opinion. Are you moving back to the UK or will you try somewhere else? 5 of the 9 photos were not tourists spots. One is our house, another is my sons local pub. The others beaches away from the tourists lol Like I mentioned in my earlier post there are suburbs to avoid in Cairns and unfortunately the closer to the CBD the worse it is, I’m surprised you actually chose to live there tbh. Usually in other states the CBD has the most expensive housing unfortunately that as never been the case in Cairns. The Northern Beaches have always had the better reputation and places like Caravonica, Stratford, Redlynch, Brinsmead and Freshwater. Although tbh Redlynch is now to overcrowded for my liking and Smithfield is too commercial. Personally I wouldn’t live anywhere beach side of the Bruce from Portsmith up to Yorkeys. I wouldn’t live in any M suburbs, Bungalow, Earlville etc. ‘Transient mobs from the Cape is a huge statement to make. Especially when a lot of the aboriginals in Cairns are actually from Yarrabah. ‘In regards to the police not doing anything, I personally think the police are way to heavy handed and a lot of the locals agree. Any tourists or dare I say it, white people, can sit on the esplanade but any aboriginals are told to move on. Even when my son was marching on Anzac Day they were moving innocent families along based on their skin colour. I am not saying they are all perfect. In the CBD you get a lot of drunks, homeless etc. I suppose it’s the same as places like Sydney and Brisbane with the homeless. You don’t see this if you live in the outer suburbs. However, have you ever stopped to chat with them, or have you just walked on by. I have lots of aboriginal friends in Cairns and all have a heart of gold. In fact a few weeks back I really wanted to go on the beach at Palm Cove. There was an aboriginal couple who were drunk at the end of the pier. They saw my son struggling and both of them jumped up and carried my wheelchair to the ocean front. A few days later I had a health scare on the esplanade and my son panicked, again it was aboriginals who came rushing to help. So please don’t judge a book by its colour (oops I mean cover) Most of the reported crime in Cairns is domestic/family violence, car break ins. In fact the car theft gang is a local family who employs kids to steal for them. The other would be drugs. The crime rate has remained steady over the years. If you look at the official stats for 2019 overall crime for Cairns which includes drug offences, domestic violence etc was around 18,000. The Gold Coast 65,000. In regards to tourism, I stated that Cairns tourism is doing better than other areas and I still stand by this. In Brisbane the CBD was a ghost town, great for us and parking but down here really suffered. In both Townsville (where my son is based at the defence) and Cairns had such a relaxed attitude it was like we were living in different parts of the world. Of course some businesses were badly hit but I know the proprietors of over 50 plus who all said business was the same. My middle son works in the tourism industry in Cairns and can’t find staff, my youngest son just applied for 10 jobs in Cairns, 5 in Townsville and 1 in Cloncurry and got offered all of them. Unfortunately he chose Townsville to be with his big brother. So there is work still available. Maybe if you can’t get work you are in a specialised industry. The majority of the tourism industry relied on employing backpackers. ‘Anyway this isn’t helping the original poster so I’m more than happy to chat via pm and maybe catch up for a coffee sometime if you are still in Cairns. Hahah wow. You know nothing about me, my background ,my work with ATSI, my experince here. But hey carry on with your assumptions, enjoy your week. Edited October 15, 2020 by Gary H Typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanderer Returns Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 (edited) 10 hours ago, The Pom Queen said: Yes I agree, you could spend a month doing the drive and still miss out on some beautiful places. From Gympie upwards my favourite places would be: Fraser Island, Hervey Bay, Lake Monduran, The Caves, Cape Hillsborough, Ball Bay, Airlie and the Whitsundays, Hideaway Bay, Harvey Range, Magnetic Island, Paluma, Hitchinbrook, Lucinda, Cardwell, then yes probably nothing unless you branch off at Silkwood and head to Paronella and via the lakes on the tablelands, then coming down Gillies or the Range to Smithy The Caves?? Where's that? Edited October 15, 2020 by Wanderer Returns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanderer Returns Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 I'm sure the BBC aren't helping far north tourism. They seem to enjoy bashing Australia these days, with global warming and the effect on the GBR being a recurring theme. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-54533971 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary H Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 (edited) 8 minutes ago, Wanderer Returns said: I'm sure the BBC aren't helping far north tourism. They seem to enjoy bashing Australia these days, with global warming and the effect on the GBR being a recurring theme. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-54533971 Sadly neither are the Australian press. The press are warning of armageddon up here this cyclone season, based on the latest BOM cyclone outlook which means slightly above chance of more cyclones due to La Nina. On a positive sea temps are down so bleaching unlikely this season. Edited October 15, 2020 by Gary H 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramot Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 1 hour ago, Gary H said: Hahah wow. You know nothing about me, my background ,my work with ATSI, my experince here. But hey carry on with your assumptions, enjoy your week. No need for this sort of reply, we can all gently agree to disagree. Perhaps check who Pom Queen is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary H Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 (edited) I have been polite but clearly daring to disgaree with a moderator is not on. Edited October 15, 2020 by Gary H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramot Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 (edited) 47 minutes ago, Gary H said: I have been polite but clearly daring to disgaree with a moderator is not on. I am just an ordinary member, but as I posted I thought your reply was unnecessary. We should all respect each other, that’s what makes a forum successful. I also lived in the tropics for 10 years, before moving here and can’t comment really on Cairns as I have only visited, but I do sympathise with how hard it is in so many industries affected by Covid, with a background in Aviation. I find the humidity difficult in summer on the Sunshine Coast, need my aircon, for those monthsLuckily I love living here, so happy to cope with 3 muggy months. Hope you find somewhere you are happier living. My 10 years in Brunei was tough at times, now that is a bubble, made great friends, and made the most of our time there experiencing living somewhere very different. Edited October 15, 2020 by ramot 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanderer Returns Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 (edited) 45 minutes ago, Gary H said: I have been polite but clearly daring to disgaree with a moderator is not on. Not about her being a moderator - you were a bit harsh, to be fair. This is a nice forum and the people on it (with the odd exception) are extremely helpful and knowledgeable. It's been my first port of call for help and support for nearly a decade, and now I try to help others when I can. Tourism and hospitality accounts for a large chunk of the economy outside major Australian cities, and the sector is really doing it tough at the moment, so I understand your frustration. Edited October 15, 2020 by Wanderer Returns grammar 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary H Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 (edited) No intention of being harsh nor insult intended. Maybe it's my Essex upbringing, indigenous blood, FNQ mindset (lived here 7 years been coming and going for last 18) I just don't take being steamrolled with non-factual but bias confirmed retorts in areas I am very knowledgable and qualified in. If you read the reply I got you will see my point. Edited October 15, 2020 by Gary H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanderer Returns Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 47 minutes ago, Gary H said: I just don't take being steamrolled with non-factual but bias confirmed retorts in areas I am very knowledgable and qualified in. If you read the reply I got you will see my point. @Gary H I don't see any steamrollering going on here. You have your 'expert opinion' and the @The Pom Queen has hers, and based on my own experience of life in Cairns I would agree with points that you've both made. I haven't seen any factual data apart from those graphs, which clearly show an upward trend in crime figures of around 20% since 2014. That is rather worrying, and I hope that 2020 is a better year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary H Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 As I said no offence intended nor meant. Maybe I have my bias due to work, I'm exposed to the worse FNQ has to offer in the hope that occassionaly we can make a differnce. Pleased to say we often do. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARYROSE02 Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 I "discovered" Main Beach today, specifically Tedder Ave, and was much taken by ir, almost a village atmosphere with plenty of restaurants, but totally different to Cavil Ave. Separated by 3 stops on the tram but it is a few minutes walk from the Main Beach tram stop over the main road to Tedder Ave shops. Cavill Ave has EVERYTHING I could want within a couple of minutes walk. Sure, it is rowdy at weekends but everywhere has its drawbacks. As I said I was much taken by Tedder Ave, pleasant little strip of cafes, bars, restaurants, shops but not quite as convenient as Cavill Ave. It's the first place i've seen that I thought I would llike to move to. All very subjective of course. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 13 hours ago, Wanderer Returns said: The Caves?? Where's that? Just North of Rocky around 20km. Although most are on private land I’ve heard there are some that can be accessed although I’ve never looked for them. The accommodation there is lovely. https://capricorncaves.com.au Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARYROSE02 Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 On 12/10/2020 at 13:55, Wanderer Returns said: Honestly, unless you love driving, I really wouldn't bother. Once you get passed Gympie the drive itself is pretty monotonous. I don't especially love driving but once in a while I go on a road trip and I've never been to any of those towns north of Gympie. I'd like to see Outback Queensland too, so maybe some kind of circular trip. I crossed the border once at Hebel from Lightning Ridge and once from Bourke, staying at Cunnamulla which is the farthest west I've been, in Queensland. I've been looking at my old road atlas which I bought on 27 October 1991 in Coffs Harbour. I've become like a Medieval villager now, spending my whole life wthin seven miles of my village, in this case the Medieval village of Surfers Paradise. I never get bored walking a couple of miles north or south then coming back along the beach. Sometimes I go a little further on the 'G' the wonderful tram service they have here stretching from Helensvale to Broadbeach (hopefully on to the airport i believe?) I was the same in England never really going further than I could cycle into the New Forest and the same in Surry Hills in Sydney, as far as I could walk or drive 7 to 11 km to whichever beach I favoured - Bronte, Clovelly, Neilsen Park. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramot Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 11 hours ago, The Pom Queen said: Just North of Rocky around 20km. Although most are on private land I’ve heard there are some that can be accessed although I’ve never looked for them. The accommodation there is lovely. https://capricorncaves.com.au Undara lava tubes are interesting to see, we slept in the old railway carriages, quite fun, but definitely not sound proof!!!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 5 hours ago, ramot said: Undara lava tubes are interesting to see, we slept in the old railway carriages, quite fun, but definitely not sound proof!!!!! We slept in the railway carriages. We were lucky because there was only us in there, the rest were camping. Undara served some wonderful steaks but it was quite a few years ago now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanderer Returns Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 18 hours ago, The Pom Queen said: Just North of Rocky around 20km. Although most are on private land I’ve heard there are some that can be accessed although I’ve never looked for them. The accommodation there is lovely. https://capricorncaves.com.au That's really interesting - thanks for that. I love a good cave trip, especially when it's hot outside! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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