Sydney To Mackay ????????

gtfpv · 01-12-2007, 07:57 PM

anyone here know about/ or live in mackay?? position vacant there that may suit me .
i would have to relocate my family from suburbian sydney. my kids are 9 and 7. and we are in our 30's . can anyone tell me what to expect . if the place is nice for a family ???
many thanks in advance.

StealthAu · 01-12-2007, 07:58 PM

I just left Mackay, what sort of work are you into?

gtfpv · 01-12-2007, 08:05 PM

engineering and maintenance. i'm a fitter.

StealthAu · 01-12-2007, 08:13 PM

There are plenty of mine sites in the Mackay area, so very easy to get a job that pays well, which is a must as the price to rent there is a bit of a joke. Other then that its a nice place, easy going, plenty to do and places like Ayrlye Beach less then 2 hours drive.

XAGSV8 · 01-12-2007, 10:13 PM

It's a nice town with some very nice Islands close by but finding a place to rent or buy at the moment is a little hard.

Bucknaked · 02-12-2007, 03:05 PM

Got a mate who works for the ATO and lives in Mackay. Apparently his patch of turf is the islands. Says he'll never leave.

paule11 · 02-12-2007, 05:52 PM

Nice place buying a house is expensive good fish and chips up here and seafood in general is great compared to Sydney Its a boom town because of mining was told that its hard to get a house loan there as houses are overpriced dont know if thats true if your a fitter you should haver no problems getting work.

la2or · 02-12-2007, 06:17 PM

400k houses. Less crime rate than Sydney. More mosquitos

Might be better for kids with all the Sydney thugs relatively.

Only thing might be less surfing waves and more mosquitos.

I dont think it is that hot because it is coastal and rainforest and some rain.

also has a marina or harbour for you to drink your sydney style lattes.

expensive petrol

la2or · 02-12-2007, 06:27 PM

There is cane toads also I dont know how bad they are there. they scare the out of me.

donno · 02-12-2007, 06:32 PM

I'll let you know when I move there in January ;)

la2or · 02-12-2007, 06:52 PM

I imagine some Mackay businesses that extort money out of you where there is less competition.

Force6 · 02-12-2007, 07:44 PM

We have a lovely place on Lambert's Beach that might be coming up for rent soon

:

Mackay is a great place to live. And a lot of hot Fords/Holdens reside here, but there are a lot of horrible ones as well. And no Sunday shopping at Woolies/Coles etc.

Chippar · 02-12-2007, 08:44 PM

Just to get an idea of what houses are selling for in Mackay and aurrounding areas, click on the link and browse, browse, browse.

http://www.realestate.com.au/cgi-bin...MACKAY&latest=

la2or · 02-12-2007, 09:00 PM

As far as crime goes, I read the qld police news every now and then most the crimes are tattooed people doing something like a robbery and 1 was a rape and the husband got his finger cut off I think but it was a domestic type thing not a random crime from what I understand like an acquantance of the couple.

They might have a few bored teenage gangs as well. But I imagine not too much trouble since most people would be pretty wealthy. Also drunk miners getting ****ed and punching people might be something to watch out for.

AUsome · 02-12-2007, 09:05 PM

Big thing up here is price of Houses and renting are really a joke... But sounds like you shouldnt have too much trouble getting a job just staying away from home at mine site/camp.

Dazza XLT · 02-12-2007, 09:06 PM

Mackay is a good spot, if you can find a place to live. I see a few ad's on the box about new estates opening up, so you might have a chance there.
Some miners are basing their families in Bowen, and commuting to the sites around Mackay each week due to the housing shortage.

Cheers

Darran

la2or · 02-12-2007, 09:19 PM

I know a guy who lives in Townsville and works and Moranbah. Its probably boundless where you could live but the OP sounds like a real family man.

gtfpv · 02-12-2007, 10:05 PM

don't really want to be a miner. however i would consider the move . i am starting to get sick of a high paying sydney job . which is getting me nowhere. 400 ish houses would mean near no mortgage for me . and still could get a high paying job . looking at the booming times there . SYDNEY IS starting to get too stressfull. and everyone hates each other here . i think most of it is due to stress .
the crime is increasing . there is 4 000 000 people in sydney . and everyone is trying to screw everyone else over in regards to employment . houses start at 300k to 20ml
people work shift work and long hours . and drive in peak hour traffic . going to the beach is becoming impossible . yopu cant park anywhere . and spontainiously going away for a weeking is becoming impossible . as most of the time places are fully booked . in households both adults need to work to get by.

i am starting to wonder . do i want my kids entering adulthood facing that. driving to work in sydney traffic from day one .

thexyking · 02-12-2007, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gtfpv

engineering and maintenance. i'm a fitter.

.

I had a friend at school who was epileptic, he was a fitter too!

thexyking · 02-12-2007, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bucknaked

Got a mate who works for the ATO and lives in Mackay. Apparently his patch of turf is the islands. Says he'll never leave.

With mates like that, who needs enemies?

jarridtheruler · 02-12-2007, 10:15 PM

Most issues with mackay have been already mentioned.
IE- high rent, high house prices, lack of qualified trades people making everything so damn expensive, etc
There is so much work going for fitters up here, but the problem is that most of it is mine work, which isn't bad apart from the travel if you want to live in mackay.
If your worried about car parking it is terrible, and the place hasn't really been designed for the traffic levels it gets.(I havn't driven around sydney so can't compare)

Zeuspig · 02-12-2007, 10:19 PM

Mate I lived in Mackay for 24 years. It is a pretty good place and seems to be getting better and better every time I go back with the marina area expanding.

Houses are quite expensive. I have mine up for sale at the moment but they have slowed down heaps.

Good place for the kids and plenty of schools etc. Plenty of good beaches.

Every Thursday used to be the night to head out the harbour and show off your ride. Not sure if that is still the case.

Good luck.... Oh it gets pretty damn hot there, hope you don't mind the humidity.

gtfpv · 02-12-2007, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thexyking

.

I had a friend at school who was epileptic, he was a fitter too!

i do know how to spell. but my typing sucks. i guess i am a keyboard dyslexic.

thexyking · 02-12-2007, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gtfpv

i do know how to spell. but my typing sucks. i guess i am a keyboard dyslexic.

If that was true you'd be GFTPV

la2or · 02-12-2007, 10:42 PM

http://www.police.qld.gov.au/News+an...eases/2007/11/

search for mackay to look for the crime

Zeuspig · 02-12-2007, 10:50 PM

The crime there isn't out of control. Like everywhere there is good and bad areas.

Nothing compared to Sydney that's for sure!!

All my family currently live there and love it.

While I'm typing has anyone found an XK - XP wagon for sale yet??

jeffb · 03-12-2007, 09:26 PM

I've been here for 20 years, it is a nice spot, but has really had a heap of southerners swamp us in the last 5 or 6 years and have really stressed everything, thats why houses and rent are the way they are and the traffic is the way it is. But it is still no comparison to Sydney although i do miss the old days when it was a nice quiet cane farming town, but you cant stop progress..

gtfpv · 03-12-2007, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffb

I've been here for 20 years, it is a nice spot, but has really had a heap of southerners swamp us in the last 5 or 6 years and have really stressed everything, thats why houses and rent are the way they are and the traffic is the way it is. But it is still no comparison to Sydney although i do miss the old days when it was a nice quiet cane farming town, but you cant stop progress..

i feel your pain jeffb. the house prices there are pushing towards sydney prices now . and southern greed will probably turn up. where will it end . i guess mackay could use some development though .

donno · 03-12-2007, 09:58 PM

When I went up for my job interview, I noticed there were a few (3 or 4) multi story unit blocks going up. Any idea how long until these are done? Hopefully if they're done all around the same time (and soon!), the market will be comparatively flooded for a while.

jeffb · 03-12-2007, 10:02 PM

They are nearly finished the first one, they are absolutoly overpriced, no one in their right mind would buy one for the money when you can have a house 3 times the size for 1/2 the cash, as far as i know they still havent sold them all, and rightly so the prices are very unrealistic.

there are a few new estates nearing completion that will help however