Planning on moving back to Oz next year. Lived and worked in Adelaide for 3 years and only liked Glenelg. Fancy Queensland for well paid work and lifestyle and heard Sunshine Coast would be good choice. Bundaberg seems affordable. Ideally we'd like to be close to the coast but with enough space for kids and golden retriever and a pool would be nice!! Any guidance appreciated.
Hubby a Carpenter

Cairns!!! I wouldnt live in cairns even if you paid me. sunshine coast is beautiful place to live and a relaxed lifestyle not too busy pretty affordable to buy a home and have enough of a yard for pool, kids swings, dog to roam, you could even try the wide bay area - no crime in that area at all not far from beaches, nambour, harvey bay area, caloundra, maleny is more upper class, bundaberg is ok, dont go to brisbane - they are running out of drinking water at present with the worst drought in history, and far north qld rains too much, cairns is too tropical with the heat, cant swim in the ocean - stingers, sharks, crocs, not to mention mozzies, sand flies and the rain, plus cairns is always in the paper with violence in the streets people being bashed or robbed or raped, personally I do not like the place and I dont live far from it. log onto realestate.com.au - and search for homes in the areas - so you get an idea of the costs

Hi, I need to attend a test in USC (the university of Sunshine coast next month. Since I am living on the gold coast and have never been to sunshine coast, I need your help to find a motel to stay overnight. The motel should be close to the university campus and public transport. If anyone can help, please provide me with the name and detailed address of the motel. Thanks very much.

Try this one:
Fiesta Charreada Motel 07 5445 1874
http://www.fiestamotel.com.au/
I haven't been there and have no idea what it's like but it's only a couple of minutes away from the uni. and it looks OK for an overnight stay.

Husband, I and three kids are moving to the GC in March 2007, from the Northern Suburbs of Perth. We would like to have a laid back beach type lifestyle, and live within 10k from the beach. We are only able to afford $350K for a 4×2 house. Is it nicer to live halfway between Brizzy and GC. We were thinking of the Sunshine Coast but I really feel it will be too hot for us there. We are ok in 35 degrees with humidity, and 40 without humidity. Anything over that and we won't cope very well. Thank you to those who answer.

You could get a house at Upper Coomera for around that price. It takes about 20 mins to get to the beach though.
If you want to get closer I suggest Merrimac, its near broadbeach and would only take about 10 mins to beach.
Arundel, which is about 15 mins to Surfers Paradise also has some nice houses around $350000.
Hope i've helped.

I am going to live and study personal training for three months but am confused as to where i should go. Im from portugal (girl in her early 20s) and have been told that surfers is too touristy and not so nice… is maroochydore a better option? Please HELP!!

There's nothing wrong with Surfers Paradise or the Gold Coast. It is very touristy, better for holidays than living there IMO.

Sunshine Coast is slightly less hustle and bustle and more laid back.
It would be my choice for where to live and study out of the two.

I hope you have a wonderful stay, no matter which place you choose.

Hi there, me again asking Aussies what they think of these areas to rent/live. Apparently these are near the sunshine coast region Gympie, Berserker, Park Avenue and North Rockhampton.

Would appreciate any advise.
We will be looking to be in nice areas and near schools and hospitals, nursing homes. Thanks
Thanks so much all of you for your detailed info. It is hard to imagine the sheer distances between towns! I will be looking for a job as a trained nurse within a care home setting whereas my husband will want a defiante hospital job as a registered nurse.

Berserker and Park Avenue are both suburbs of/around North Rockhampton. Nowhere near the Sunshine Coast - much further north. Rocky's a great place if you're in the meat industry - it's the cow capital of Qld. Gympie is about an hour north of the Sunshine Coast, in the Cooloola Shire I think.

Sunshine Coast regional towns include Maroochydore, Nambour, Palmwoods, Maleny, Kenilworth, Flaxton, Woombye, Alexandra Headlands, Palmwoods, Kawana, Currimundi, Noosa, Marcoola, Tewantin, Buderim, Peregian, Sunshine Beach, Noosaville, Bli Bli, Caloundra, Dicky Beach, Landsborough etc etc etc. Do a search on any of these towns. They all have nice areas, are near schools and nursing homes and there are quite a few hospitals in that area too.

Other places to look might include the Harvey Bay area (population explosion happening there).

Good luck!

We are going on our hols to the Sunshine Coast with 4 adults and a 3 yr old. We want to stay in two , two bedroom appartments. Anyone got any suggestions of where is good? We don't want a room with a gap between the 2nd bedroom and living room as I have heard there are a few of those. We would also like a pool.
Thanks- Em

Try the Outrigger Mooloolaba. Very central to everything, family friendly and the best views of the beach! They have a pool both indoors and outdoors which is great at this time of year. Have fun, maybe cya around the place here on the Coast!

We currently live in Tassie but are thinking of heading to Queensland.My husband is a painter and decorater. Apart from Brisbane where else would there be abit of work for him Thanks Carla

Both areas that you mention are still building loads of houses, so the work should be available all over.

I've got about 80 houses being built right behind me right now !!! (Half way between Gold & Sunshine coast)

I am going to study at the australian institute of fitness and love the beach, great food and healthy lifestlye. which is better suited? thanks for the help
I used to live on the Sunny Coast http://www.queenslandholidays.com.au/destinations/sunshine-coast/index.cfm and am still a student at the University of the Sunshine Coast.

I could not recommend it more highly. It is perfectly placed to Brisbane amd the Goldie, and has the Hinterland for the most beautiful scenery and bed and breakfast stays, the coastal communities and it is a 45-60 minute drive depending on how far up you go. Gympie is also only an hour Nth os the Sunny Coast and you can a train all the way up.
The Sunbus bus service is great and the buses are usually on time and there are connecting services to Brisbane at numerous times during the day. The trains services are linked to the buses, as is the Sunny Coast uni, Nambour Tafe, major shopping centres, hospitals and beaches.

You have Noosa which is the trendy tourist place although busier every year and more expensive. Further back down the coast you have Coolum and my fave place, Alexandra Headlands. Google the images and you'll see what i mean.

We are lucky in Australia, we have the best coastlines in the world. Also, the cleanest ocean.

The Goldie http://www.queenslandholidays.com.au/destinations/gold-coast/index.cfm does have a beautiful coast as well, especially when you stand on th beach at Surfers for eg, and look back at the skyscrapers and long stretch of sand.

Personally, i think Qld beaches (and Victorias for that matter) and mush better than in NSW. Bondi is a little inlet and places snuggly in a corner if you like. Bit the Sunny Coast and Goldie and long stretches of beach as far as the eye can see. Seriously, you could easily sit on the beach and stare at the sun shining off the water.

The sand is clean and so serene in the morning, before the day begins.

The Sunny Coast really seems like another world where things move so much slower than in the city. It feels like you are closed off from the world and in the best community in the world.

Although the Goldie has Hinterland which is gorgeous, i always found it more dull than the Sunny coast. I feel like you have to travel further to reach the population. But maybe that's just me.

The younger crowd tends to head to Caboolture for the nightlife, while older people go to Noosa. A lot go to Maroochydore and Caloundra and other places.

A good thing about Qld is, that the RSL's are more a night out for everyone, rather than the War Vets like in Vic or NSW. Families and friends go out for dinner and maybe the entertainment on offer.

Nambour is more a popular place than in the past and many of the small towns are great to visit, like Eumundi where i used to live (famous for it's markets)

Montville, near Nambour, has the most incredible hideaways among the lush green nature.

The three Shires on the Sunny Coast (until moronic Beattie gets his amalgamations finished), are

CALOUNDRA SHIRE http://www.caloundra.qld.gov.au/website/cityCouncil/homepage/home.asp

NOOSA SHIRE http://www.noosanews.com.au/info/regionalinfo/

MAROOCHY SHIRE
http://www.maroochy.qld.gov.au/

COOLOOLA SHIRE
http://www.cooloola.qld.gov.au/

All in all, it's my second home and in my blood. I was born in Melbourne but you can't help but love the Sunny Coast.

Below are some great links i found, i'll give you Goldie ones to, so i'm not biased (even though i am

Im going to take the personal trainers course at the australian institute of fitness and as their are many campuses I would like to know the best place to live for someone who likes a healthy lifestlye and loves great weather and beaches. Please help! thanks!!!
The Sunshine Coast is considered to be one of the best regions to live in Australia. It has miles and miles of beautiful beaches, a gorgeous climate, an endless list of things to do, and a fantastic atmosphere. Surfers is tourist ridden, so I probably wouldn't choose to go there. Brisbane is OK, but personally I didn't like it nearly as much as other cities such as Melbourne and Sydney. I've never been to Perth, so I can't help you on that one! But really, I don't think you can go wrong with the Sunshine Coast.

but before i consider migrating im going to go on a working holiday visa for about 6 months hopefully to sunshine cost in brisbane area. does anyone know of a place thier ware i can find lots of work and a cheap place to stay live or maybe you may know someone who would take on a lodger for a while.

thank you

Keep in touch Stu Bear,

I have a good friend in the building trade. He works in Brisbane. However, I don't know what the working climate is around here at present. (Sunshine Coast). My friend might know of somewhere you can stay, too.

I'll try to add you to my contacts. And meanwhile, over the next few days, ask some questions around here.
My ex used to work in the trade too… Not brickie…but he's always up the local with his finger on the pulse.

I'll see what I can do.