Brisbane

Living in Brisbane

Brisbane South BankBrisbane LocationA quick glance at any map of Australia will convince you that all the major cities, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane are all on the beach. They all are, except Brisbane, which is on a mangrove; if you want to know what I mean about that, check out my post The Beaches of Brisbane: A Quick Tour. Perhaps that’s why Brisbane only came 20th in the Economist’s Intelligence Unit’s 2014 Liveability Survey. But London only made 51st, so…..

Any shoreline about 15 kms either side of the mouth of the Brisbane River is a mangrove. Mangroves are intertidal trees and shrubs growing on tropical and subtropical shores. Basically, trees growing on mud. They are highly productive ecosystems, but you can’t build a sand castle on them.

But you’ll still need to bring your bucket and spade, because Brisbane is ideally located for both the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. This accessibility to beaches is one reason why Brisbane pulls in so many tourists. It also has the benefit of a cooler inland climate.

Surfers Paradise (Gold Coast, south of Brisbane), one of Australia’s best know beaches, is about an hour and 10 minutes drive and Caloundra (Sunshine Coast, north) about an hour and a half. The closest sandy beaches to Brisbane are at Redcliffe (north) and Southport (south).

The city itself is very modern, clean and compact. It is easy to navigate and has its own man made “beach” at South Bank Parklands.

What’s the weather like?

Brisbane Annual WeatherBrisbane boasts, on average, around seven hours of sunshine each day. It doesn’t really have a “proper” winter, so if shorts and T-shirt are your thing, you can wear them all year round.

The only time it gets anything like resembling “cold”, is usually around July and August at night time when you may, on occasions, need to find some jog bottoms or a jumper to see you through those winter evenings.

Possible severe weather around the Brisbane area could include cyclones and some flooding. So be especially careful where you choose to settle. Brisbane Council has produced a flood areas map which you can view online on  Brisbane Council’s website.

You may also want to check out my post called Brisbane and Queensland Floods: Should We Avoid Living There? Here’s a clue though, Brisbane is where I live and I love it.

You may think this all looks pretty straight forward, but I didn’t describe them as “sprawling suburbs” for nothing. These areas break down into around 80 or more postcodes and each postcode can have 2, 3 or more places to live. All in all, there are about 250 different places around Brisbane that you can choose from to live.

What’s Brisbane Like?

  • Please note: Brisbane is no longer Australia’s fastest-growing city as stated in the commentary, it was a few years ago, but it’s not now.

Brisbane Suburbs Map:

Brisbane MapThe sprawling suburbs can be divided up into 5 areas as follows.

  • Inner Brisbane – Including City, Inner North, Inner South, Inner East and Inner West
  • Northern Suburbs – Including Moreton Bay Islands, Northern Suburbs, North Eastern Suburbs, North Western Suburbs, Outer North Eastern Suburbs and Outer Northern Suburbs
  • Southern Suburbs – Including South Eastern Suburbs, South Western Suburbs and Southern Suburbs
  • Eastern Suburbs – Including Bayside Suburbs and Eastern Suburbs
  • Western Suburbs – Including Outer Western Suburbs and Western Suburbs

Questions about Brisbane?

If you have any question about living in Brisbane, please please feel free to ask them in the comments below. Or if you know this city well, why not tell us what you think of it or maybe even help out by answering some of the questions people have about the area. I’m sure anybody thinking of moving here would be very grateful for any help you can give them.

Visa Assessment Service
{ 1313 comments… add one }
  • Gbrinda April 13, 2017, 1:40 pm |

    Firstly, thank you for the wonderful information.
    Actually, I am from a developing country in Asia.I am planning to study in University of the Sunshine Coast and come with my wife in Brisbane. Where will be the best place for accommodation? And can you tell me about the jobs we can get while living in Australia? What sort of jobs are available in Brisbane? We will probably live for 3 years there in Brisbane. Thank you.

    • BobinOz April 17, 2017, 8:51 pm |

      Thank you, glad you like.

      I’m bit confused though about exactly where you want to live though, because if you are going to the University of the Sunshine Coast, you do not want to be living in Brisbane, it would just be too far to travel for the uni.

      From where I live in Brisbane, for example, it would take me a good hour and a half to get to Sippy Downs where the uni is, and that’s by car with little or no traffic problems. So how far away from your uni are you prepared to live?

      As for jobs, your best bet would to be to do some research using the links on my page called Getting a Job or a Sponsorship.

      • Gbrinda April 17, 2017, 9:41 pm |

        thanks a lot, Bob. Actually i have applied to USC South Bank.

        • BobinOz April 18, 2017, 9:36 pm |

          Ah, beg your pardon. In that case, try and find out from the uni where the local cheap student accommodation is, I was think is best to try and live close to your fellow students, it helps you to socialise with them.

          Alternatively, New Farm, Newstead and Teneriffe are all quite good suburbs, and Woolloongabba, which is on the right side of the river for you is definitely worth a look.

          • Gbrinda April 18, 2017, 9:40 pm |

            Thanks a lot.I will definitely go for it.

  • Tam April 6, 2017, 9:40 pm |

    Hi Bob!
    We’re looking to make the move over to Brisbane in the next couple months. My husband, if he is successful in his application will be working in Oxley.
    Could you suggest any nice, family friendly areas that we would do well to look at please? We have a 3 year old and a 5 year old.
    Cheers

    • BobinOz April 7, 2017, 7:44 pm |

      If you want to stay close to where your husband will be working, then I would suggest that Mount Ommany, Jindalee, Graceville, Sherwood and Corinda would all be worth a look. Do be aware though that some of those areas are low-lying, and be very wary of living in Oxley, the creek there often causes local flooding and many areas were completely submerged during the floods.

      The aftermath of Cyclone Debbie last week also caused flooding in the area, I believe Graceville train station went under. So wherever you choose, do check the precise location on the Brisbane flood map, there’s a link in the article above.

      If you want somewhere nearby that is pretty much guaranteed not to flood, check out what Steve Lynch has to say about Mount Gravatt on my page about the southern suburbs in Brisbane, his comment is stated 5 November 2016. Good luck, Bob

  • Nancy April 2, 2017, 10:40 pm |

    Hello Bob,
    Thank you for your assistance. My daughter has recently moved to Brisbane and hopes to stay and work for a year on a WHV. She is very confused about the best place to work in hospitality and live. She is on a budget and needs to use public transportation.
    She is currently in Moorooka but her job offers are in Bulimba. Could you recommend areas nearby that may fit her situation?
    Thank you very much!
    Nancy

    • BobinOz April 4, 2017, 7:33 pm |

      Bulimba is, I think most would agree, a much better suburb than Marooka which is a little too far to commute anyway. But accommodation in Bulimba would be quite expensive I think. If your daughter can find a cheap flatshare there though, it would be a great place to live as would the nearby suburbs of Newstead, New Farm and Teneriffe.

      These are all very much young peoples areas, very trendy, plenty to do and really quite safe, I think your daughter would like it there. I know some of the places I’ve mentioned are on the other side of the river, but most are just one stop on the citycat which does go to Bulimba.

      Hope that helps, Bob

  • Marie April 2, 2017, 11:35 am |

    Hi Bob
    Thanks for providing such a great website. My husband and I have landed jobs at Prince Charles Hospital. We would appreciate some suggestions regarding good suburbs for us to look at from you or any locals. We have been looking at Kedron – but we are open to looking at other suburbs . Any thoughts would be much appreciated.
    Thanks again
    Marie

    • BobinOz April 4, 2017, 7:10 pm |

      First, congrats on landing those jobs 🙂

      As for Kedron, I really don’t know enough about it or what it’s like to live there, although I’ve driven through it many times. I think what you need to know is that there is a main and very busy road running right through it, it joins the M1 to the Inner City Bypass and is aligned, left and right, by many businesses and lots of car dealerships.

      Just saying that because you may not want to live close to such a main road, but having said that, the backstreets might be very pleasant and you will have easy access to all those businesses along with the restaurants etc.

      Hopefully though someone who does know Kedron will see this and give you more helpful information. As for alternatives in the area, maybe Deagon, Sandgate and Shorncliffe are worth a look, I’ve always liked the look and feel of that area.

      If anybody else can help Marie out with this one though who does know the area well, I’d love to hear from them as well, simply because I don’t know what the suburbs in this area are really like to live in.

      Good luck to both of you in your new jobs, Bob

      • Marie April 5, 2017, 5:34 am |

        Thanks for your reply Bob
        Sounds like Kedron is very busy. We will check out some of the other suburbs you have suggested.

  • Robert Tobin March 31, 2017, 10:33 pm |

    Hi Bob
    I love your site
    I’m a 48 year old Glasgow GP and have wanted to make the move to Queensland for at least 10 years. There seems to be a shortage of GPs in tropical north Queensland and I fancy the Cairns area. My wife is not as keen as she looks after her elderly mum but she is coming round slowly to the obvious fact that it would be a better life for us and our 3 kids. Do you have any experience of the Cairns area? Is there anything that would put you off? Brisbane is my No 2 preference

    thanks

    Robert

    • BobinOz April 1, 2017, 7:02 pm |

      Well, not much experience but I did spend a few days in Cairns last year. I wrote a couple of posts about it, see…

      https://www.bobinoz.com/blog/21139/a-thorough-look-around-cairns-far-north-queensland/

      And the post before that. It’s a good city, very much a holiday destination from what I saw, just be aware that it is very hot and humid. Have a look at the comments on my page about Queensland under Australian States in the main navigation menu above, there is some chat about Cairns. For me though, the only possible concern is the climate and I do prefer the weather in Brisbane. Hope that helps and good luck, whatever you decide.
      Oh, and by the way, don’t hang about, get your visa asap, you don’t want to wait until you’re 50.

  • Trupti Shelar March 31, 2017, 1:55 pm |

    Hi,
    This website is fountain of knowledge but sometimes too much of it leads to confusion ?
    I am bit confused and need some guidance now. I am 35 Female from India currently working as customer service manager and planning to migrate to Australia in next few months. I have been supporting my family a lot financially and after deducting the Visa expenses and all I will be left with AUD1923 precisely in my hand on which I will move to Australia. I am planning to stay in Hostel/ boarding for first few months. The guidance I need is which city I will be able to find job immediately. I am ready to take odd jobs but will prefer to stay in hospitality industry.
    Can you please help me shortlist between Melbourne, Brisbane, South Coast,Gold Coast and Adelaide.The first and important requirement is job and with above financial constraint a safe place to stay however that is second on list.

    Warm Regards,
    Trupti

    • BobinOz March 31, 2017, 6:58 pm |

      This really is a difficult one, and I can’t help thinking that what you are about to do is very risky indeed. $1923 AUD will not last very long, and I’m afraid there really are no guarantees that you will secure a job immediately, or soon, or at all.

      I don’t like to scare you, but things haven’t changed very much since I wrote this article in 2015, please have a read and check out the comments as well…

      https://www.bobinoz.com/blog/17033/whats-it-really-like-trying-to-find-a-job-in-australia-2015/

      To answer your question though, from your list, I would say Melbourne would probably have the most job opportunities, although accommodation would be slightly more expensive there, then I would say it would be Brisbane next followed by Gold Coast. I don’t know what you mean by South Coast, and I would certainly say that Adelaide, at the moment, is not the place to go to to find work.

      My fear for you though is what do you do when you run out of money in three or four weeks time and you still haven’t got a job? That’s something you really need to think about. Good luck though, Bob

      • Trupti shelar April 2, 2017, 7:04 pm |

        Hello Bob,
        Thank you for the reply. My whole problem is that the more I stick around here in India I will always have to support my family financially and then as usual will not be able to save enough for Australia. Its like a viscous cycle. I earn , I support and savings apparently get exhausted which I have kept aside for my Australia dream. This is 5th time I am attempting. How much is money I will need to be in Australia actually.
        Also can you please guide me are their any hostels / boardings for working people and the tentative cost of them.

        Regards,
        Trupti

        • BobinOz April 4, 2017, 7:15 pm |

          Yes, if you Google ‘backpackers in Australia’ for wherever you want to be, that would be the cheapest kind of accommodation you could get. Prices vary but if you are okay to share a room with other people it gets much cheaper.

          As for how much you need, that’s almost impossible for me to answer. I wouldn’t come here with less than $5000, but even that might not be enough as it really does depend how long it takes you to find that job.

  • Susan March 31, 2017, 6:04 am |

    Hi
    My husband and I are thinking about living in Australia for 6 to 8 months next year (Oct 2017 – May 2018) as was wondering the best place to live. I like sunny weather, close to beaches or city and he likes nature (birds, etc). We also plan on travelling to other places from there like Bali, Singapore, Great Barrier Reef,New Zealand and Fiji. We are both in our 50’s and would rent a furnished place. We will not be working or need to be close to schools.
    Any suggestions?

    • BobinOz March 31, 2017, 6:26 pm |

      Well, Perth would give you quick and easy access to some great beaches, the marvellous Margaret River region, easy access to Bali and with the city being so isolated, you can pretty much drive in any direction for some wonderful wildlife.

      On the downside though, that same isolation will make it more difficult to visit other parts of Australia.

      So I’d suggest Sunshine Coast, again it has great beaches, the demographic of the area is very much your age group, it has some fantastic hinterlands for your husband to get his birdwatching and of course, you could have an enjoyable road trip up to see the Great Barrier Reef.

      You’d also only be an hour and a half away from Brisbane and the International airport there, and the weather is definitely sunny, Queensland is known as the Sunshine State.

      The big downside of Sunshine Coast is usually that there is no work there, but you don’t want work, so no problem with that. Hope that helps in good luck, Bob

  • Molly March 28, 2017, 12:09 pm |

    Hi Bob,
    Seeking advice!
    My partner and I currently live in Ormeau (and love it), however find the commute to Milton and Corinda respectively a nightmare. We are thinking about relocating to the city. We are looking for a family friendly, quiet and safe neighborhood, and would love to get rid of a car. We would be looking for an old Queenslander to purchase – am I dreaming?
    Thank you.

    • BobinOz March 28, 2017, 10:32 pm |

      Whether or not you are dreaming Molly depends on how much money you have to buy a house. Milton and Corinda are on the same train line, so it seems to me the best place for you to look is somewhere in between where there is also a train station.

      I just searched for Queenslanders for sale in the area and found one with five bedrooms overlooking parklands in Sherwood for $849,000. With that suburb being so close to Indooroopilly’s train and bus hub you could certainly ditch the car, so maybe the dream is possible?

      Once you start to get closer to the city though, into the inner suburbs like Paddington and Hawthorne, I think you’ll be looking at $1 million + for a Queenslander.

      Pinch yourself, see if you wake up 🙂

  • Jonny March 25, 2017, 4:28 am |

    Hi
    Me and my girlfriend are moving to Australia in October maybe thinking Brisbane I am a chef and she is a nurse looking for a 2 bed house, no more than 30 mins drive from the beach and city if possible
    Thanks

    • BobinOz March 27, 2017, 6:56 pm |

      Before I try and answer this one, you need to know that Brisbane isn’t very good for beaches, please see the link about that towards the top of the above article. On that basis, Brisbane might not be the best place for you.

  • Rachel March 23, 2017, 11:26 am |

    Hi Bob,

    We are a family of 3 living in Auckland, and seriously considering to move to Australia next year. Can you please advise some places that will fit into our main requirements?
    1. Good and Safe place, low crime rate
    2. Good Christian School and Church
    3. Property price is not too high
    4. Nice weather
    5. Close to Beaches and Parks
    6. Have nice community atmospheres, not racist
    7. Nice living environment

    I hope I didn’t ask for too much 🙂

    I am looking forward to your options and suggestions. Thank you very much.
    Rach

    • BobinOz March 23, 2017, 9:35 pm |

      Well, forget Sydney and Melbourne, they contravene your 3. You don’t mention job opportunities, generally speaking cheaper housing is in our cities where there are fewer job opportunities.

      Nice weather is subjective, but I think you should be considering Adelaide or Brisbane, or Hobart if you prefer your weather colder. Have a look at my page A Quick Guide to Choosing a City in Australia, it should help you further. Good luck, Bob

    • Mark March 24, 2017, 7:04 am |

      As Bob has said Sydney and Melbourne are or can be expensive There are though certainly in Melbourne areas where housing is still affordable and No its not the high crime areas either. there are 17 new suburbs planned for Melbourne I think to help you further we need to know what profession if any youd be looking for job wise and what you consider high for a house eg 4 bed 2 car etc. = $ Is your list in order of requirement as I can also recommend a great Christian school if Melbourne is on your list still.

  • Donna March 18, 2017, 9:31 pm |

    Hi Bob,
    Thank god, I came across your website. It’s very helpful and informative!
    Just a question, we are family of five with kids ages 10, 5 and 2 years old, moving to Brisbane from the UK in 4 months time. My husband was offered a job with 120k per year salary ( not including superannuation) just wondering is that a good amount for us to be able to live decent life? We are looking to rent 30 minutes away from St. Lucia. Thank you

    Kind regards
    Donna

    • BobinOz March 19, 2017, 8:36 pm |

      Thanks Donna, glad you like my website.

      Yes, that’s a very good salary, I think you and your family will be able to live quite comfortably on that.

      May I also suggest you look at living in western suburbs, any suburb from Indooroopilly through to Kenmore through to Moggill including all the suburbs in between. The further away you get from St Lucia, the more house you will get for your money, and the more family friendly it becomes in terms of open spaces and green grass.

      All are comfortably within 30 minutes drive from St Lucia. Hope that helps and good luck.

  • Sush March 11, 2017, 7:49 pm |

    How safe is it to live in the suburbs of Brisbane for a single woman and a child?

    • BobinOz March 13, 2017, 8:08 pm |

      Very safe. We have one or two suburbs that are socio-economically challenged, and therefore maybe not quite as safe as the others. Easiest way to avoid these is don’t choose a suburb where housing is significantly cheaper than elsewhere.

  • Amanda March 3, 2017, 7:15 am |

    Hi Bob,

    We are looking at relocating to Queensland from Sydney for work lifestyle reasons. We are after a suburb/s that are within easy drive of Brisbane ( say half an hour) but you can purchase properties on the beach or alike, that is family friendly, good schools etc.

    Can you recommend any suburbs?

    • BobinOz March 3, 2017, 7:58 pm |

      We actually don’t have too many beaches that are that close to the city, but I think your best bet is to look at Sandgate and surrounds. You can just about drive it in 30 minutes from there, depending on traffic. Our beaches aren’t great though, you can take a tour of them by a link in the above article.

      Sandgate is a very good suburb though, certainly family friendly, but I don’t know enough about the schools there.

      • Amanda March 5, 2017, 2:38 pm |

        thank you – we are happy to travel up to an hour to find an amazing spot if we have too.

        I will have a look at the suburbs you have recommended.

        Thanks!

  • Lori March 2, 2017, 11:13 pm |

    Hi Bob,
    Thanks for sharing all your knowledge, it has really helped us in our steps towards making the big move (hopefully in October time). We are visiting Brisbane in April to make sure its the right choice for us and we are looking at the North Lakes/Redcliffe areas. We want to book our accommodation this week and are looking at serviced apartments or holiday rentals as we have a 10 year old and a very active 18 month old, who is not good in hotel rooms. We would like to book somewhere close to this area to try and experience what life would be like if we moved. An apartment is also important as our youngest has a dairy allergy so we can stock up on his food for him. Anyway, Im rambling now, we wanted to know if you could recommend any good apartments or villas to rent? I also note most charge for a cot per night, is this the norm?
    Thanks
    Lori

    • BobinOz March 3, 2017, 7:39 pm |

      Hi Lori

      Glad to hear my website has helped. I think your best bet for accommodation when you visit is to check out Airbnb and another site called Stayz. You can rent whole houses and apartments, fully furnished, cheaper than a hotel. You should be able to find something in the area you’re looking at.

      As for the cot, that might be a little trickier, it might be worth buying a travel cot and bringing it with you. You might get lucky though and find accommodation that has one there. Good luck and enjoy your visit.

  • Trupti shelar March 2, 2017, 1:50 am |

    Hi Bob,
    God bless you and others in your team for such a wonderful knowledge sea.

    I am an Indian girls in her late 30s and planning to migrate to Brisbane alone by end of August 2017. Kindly guide me.
    1. I am looking for country side place to stay
    2. I will not be buying car atleast for sometimes so this place should be well connected
    3. Also places with cheap rent.
    4. How is the job market scene in Brisbane.

    Kindly assist

    Regards,
    Trupti Shelar

    • BobinOz March 2, 2017, 11:38 pm |

      I’m afraid, by and large, countryside and well-connected do not go together. So you may have to decide between one or the other. Cheap places to rent will also limit your choice of location, but you can research the costs on my page Cost of Buying or Renting a House in Australia.

      If I were you, the first thing I’d look into is finding work, my page Getting a Job or a Sponsorship will help you with that. I think it’s important to know where be working before you decide where to live, just so you can make it easily commutable.

      • Trupti shelar March 3, 2017, 12:10 am |

        Hello,
        Thank You for replying.
        I agree searching job and then home will be a better option but searching jobs sitting here in India will be bit difficult.
        Also I zero down my choice .I will prefer housing were the rental is cheaper.

        Kindly Assist

        Regards,
        Trupti Shelar

  • lei March 1, 2017, 9:34 am |

    We are moving from Melbourne to Brisbane next month. Trying to look for a family friend suburb which close to south bank. Any suggestions?
    Also thanks a lot for posting this information, very helpful.

    Lei

    • BobinOz March 2, 2017, 12:07 am |

      Before I can answer this, I think I need to know exactly how close you need to be to South Bank? South Bank is obviously in the heart of the city and inner suburbs are not always the best for family friendly. Don’t get me wrong, they are not unfriendly to families, but there’s not many open spaces and obviously the roads are a lot busier and narrower close to the city.

      But say 15 kilometres or so away would be a different story.

  • Chanelle Best-Williams February 26, 2017, 3:16 am |

    Hello,

    My partner and I are thinking about moving to Australia for a year. We are a little overwhelmed by our research, and would really appreciate some help! Where is a good place for us to start fresh and live for a year?

    • Mark February 26, 2017, 9:12 am |

      Hi You’ve posted in the Brisbane page but I assume your question you are looking at Australia as a whole…It depends a little on what you want lifestyle…Weather ..Jobs you would like and so on As an example going to Adelaide seeking work as cafe or something like that would not be as successful as say Melbourne or Sydney…Weather wise those three places can be drastically different as well. Lifestyle whilst Sydney and Melbourne are cosmopolitan and culturally busy, Adelaide is on the quieter side..I only use these three as an example…You perhaps need a short list of whats important work wise weather lifestyle etc

      • Chanelle Best-Williams February 27, 2017, 2:27 am |

        Hi Mark,

        Thank you very much for your reply. We have now decided on Perth, and have found the Perth page on this site quite helpful. We were originally considering Brisbane but Perth sounds more like what we are after in terms of lifestyle, the only drawback is that we have read that the cost of living there is quite high.

        • Mark February 27, 2017, 6:50 am |

          Hi again Yes Perth could be argued as a touch more expensive perhaps because of its outlying reach of the rest of Australia but its certainly not the most expensive Sydney and Melbourne have that honour good or not….I personally dont know enough to comment on its cost of living.. n
          Many people particularly the British choose Perth and may have said they are feeling its expensive but of course take a review of a hotel say on TripAdvisor you will mostly get the ones unhappy complaining.. The job market in Perth seems to be not as good as it has been. Good luck with it !!

  • Paolo Lorenzo February 26, 2017, 12:18 am |

    Hello Bob,

    I live in south of Brazil, about the same latitude as Brisbane. My wife and I are on or late 30s. We have 2 kids (a 4yo boy and a 1yo girl) and I’ve been offered a good job in the western suburbs, so we’re about to go and make a life for our framily there. Our main concerns are safety and schooling… Where would you suggest we settle, given my oldest son is about to be old enough for pre-school (or kindergarten – I don’t really know how it’s called in Australia)?

    Best regards, and thanks for this website… It was our original source of inspiration to seek a life in Oz.

    • Mark February 27, 2017, 8:59 am |

      Hi Paolo As you can see form replies ti Aline and David below Bob is slightly inconvenienced without internet as I type He is pretty good on Brisbane but to help you for now Safety and schooling I should not worry to much about the former Its safe and concentrate on the latter Schooling Called Kindergarten here shortened ti kindy (they shorten everything) you can look at schools and kindergartens on several websites in the meantime if you list for areas to suggest to you what is important to you in an area eg cafes parks etc and perhaps for purposes of traffic say which western suburb you are working in I am sure Bob will be along and point you in the right direction

    • BobinOz February 28, 2017, 12:17 am |

      Lucky you Paolo, western suburbs are great, and very very safe. It’s where I live, and I love this part of Brisbane. Anywhere from Indooroopilly, through Chapel Hill, Kenmore, Fig Tree Pocket, all the way through to Brookfield, Pullenvale, Bellbowrie and Moggill, it’s all good.

      There is a good preschool, or kindy, in Bellbowrie and a very good junior state school in Moggill. If you tell me your budget, whether renting or buying, and where you will be working I can probably give you more information. Also, do you want a big house with lots of land or a smaller house on an easy to maintain plot?

      • Paolo Lorenzo March 20, 2017, 7:16 am |

        Hello,

        I saw the answers to Aline and David and forgot about checking back. But I just saw it now and thanks for the reply!

        As for the budget, my salary would be around average, I believe… Around 85-90k/year. We might be renting for the first one or two years since the job offer is just for me; we figured that my wife would need some time before finding at least a part-time job. After that we can consider buying something.

        I’d probably work in different sites along the week, but most important ones are Oxley and Springfield. We don’t mind living in apartments, but a comfortable house with a garden or some space to play ball with the kids would be great.

        Thanks for your time!

        • BobinOz March 20, 2017, 8:36 pm |

          Okay, so there are two bridges to take you across the river so you can access Oxley and Springfield, but I’d say the best one for ease of access to both of those places would be the one you get to from either Kenmore or Chapel Hill, it’s the M5 if you look on a map. Both of those suburbs are quite expensive and the housing is smaller, and that trend continues the closer you go towards Indooroopilly which is where the second bridge is.

          The value if you don’t mind the drive is to go to Bellbowrie or Moggill, that’s where the junior school is and where you can rent a four bedroom detached house for around $420-$475 a week, see Cost of Buying or Renting a House in Australia. You’d get a big yard for the kids to play around in and plenty of local parks.

          That’s where I’d go when you first get here if I were you, and then when you choose somewhere more permanently, you might decide you fancy one of those other places. Good luck, Bob

          • Paolo Lorenzo March 21, 2017, 5:12 am |

            Thanks very much… I’ll check those tips! After we settle you have to let me buy you a beer. 🙂

            Cheers!

            • BobinOz March 21, 2017, 8:20 pm |

              Yummy beer 🙂 Good luck Paolo, hope it all goes well.

  • David February 22, 2017, 9:00 pm |

    Hi Bob,

    Just looking for some info. Myself and my girlfriend are moving to Brisbane and arriving in the first week in April. She is a nurse and is registered with a nursing agency and planning to start work the middle of April and I will be looking starting to look for work when I get out there in anything in financial services. Just looking for advice on where would be good areas to look for accommodation perhaps near the healthcare Australia, near train line, along the river. also any recommendations for estate agents to contact regarding accomoation.

    Would appreciate any help.

    David

    • Mark February 24, 2017, 6:36 am |

      Hi David Bob is pretty darn good on Brisbane but he was moving house at the start of this week… I am guessing you are from the UK as you use the term estate agents…Bob may be suffering at present as we have something very similar to the UK… To what do I refer? Well some say it gets its staff trained by the chuckle brothers… Some say Its software is from a 1986 Austin Maestro.. Some say its complaints department is run by Trigger from only Fools n Horses.. All we know is, its called Telstra…yes its BT’s equivalent . phone internet
      Just to help you along for now though try realestate.com,au

      • BobinOz February 26, 2017, 11:38 pm |

        Mark is correct, I am suffering, no internet in my new house. Hot spotting on my wife’s phone at the moment. Anyway, the hotspot, pardon the pun, for hospitals in Brisbane is probably South Brisbane down Vulture Street, they have the Mater Hospital and the Children’s Hospital. Good for agency work I think.

        For financial planning it is probably also good to stay close to the city, and if you want a good suburb close to the river I’d go for New Farm if you want young and trendy, or maybe look at Bulimba if you want cafe culture but age makes no difference.

        If you can be more specific about what you really want from a suburb, maybe I can help some more.

  • Aline Laurent February 22, 2017, 1:09 am |

    Hola Bob!
    Great website! Well done!
    We are moving from Perth to Brisbane and I have no idea of where to live. We have a 4yo lil girl so our priority is to find a great school for Valentina and live close to it.
    Not sure how familiar you are with Perth. We live south the river here (applecross area) and would love to be somewhere similar there. My husband will do FIFO so it’ll be me, V and our dog.

    • Mark February 24, 2017, 6:19 am |

      Hi Aline Bob is pretty good on Brisbane and I am sure he will be along to give some guidance..I say that as his lack of reply is noticeable but he was moving house at the start of this week and I suspect. well I know that involved dealing with Telstra. We can only imagine what they may or may not have done to him…

      • BobinOz February 26, 2017, 10:56 pm |

        Mark is spot on, I’m hot spotting right now, not with Telstra though, that doesn’t work, I’m using my wife’s Optus phone. It’s a struggle 🙂

        Anyway, no, I don’t know the Applecross area, let me know what it’s like and I’ll try to tell you Brisbane’s equivalent.

  • Kelvin February 19, 2017, 3:16 am |

    Hi Bob.

    Great website!

    I am in the midst of moving over to Australia. I have received a job offer in Carole Park.

    I would be moving over first and my wife and 2 kids (3 and 2) will join me 6 months later.

    I am looking for a safe place to live and not too far from the city and work. I was thinking of looking for a place which is about 20 minutes drive from work.

    I was wondering if places near Indooroopilly would be a good place to live. I am open to any suggestions you may have.

    Thanks

    • David cooper February 19, 2017, 7:22 am |

      Kelvin. Indooroopilly , Springfield lakes lots of places just depends what your looking for. Carole park industrial wouldnt live there. Smog etc.

      • BobinOz February 19, 2017, 9:13 pm |

        Yes, I agree with David, Indooroopilly is very nice as is the nearby Chapel Hill, Kenmore and Fig Tree Pocket. All would be 20 minutes or so drive from the CBD.

        • Kelvin February 19, 2017, 9:31 pm |

          Thanks Bob. Indooroopilly looks good but a little pricy. How is Cooparoo? The prices were a little better but what about safety and floods in that area?

          • BobinOz February 26, 2017, 9:19 pm |

            I don’t really know Cooperoo well enough, but I certainly haven’t heard anything bad about it. For flooding though, it’s not really always suburb by suburb, but street by street. So you need to check each house individually and that’s where the council maps (there’s a link to it in the above article) will help you out.

      • Kelvin February 19, 2017, 9:27 pm |

        Thanks David

  • Luisa February 15, 2017, 11:19 am |

    Hello!
    I’m a student and I’ll be going to Griffith University (Mt. Gravatt or Nathan campus, don’t know yet). I’d like to know the best areas to live in Brisbane that are are affordable for a foreign student and located near the university and also not so far away from the city.
    Thank you!

    • BobinOz February 15, 2017, 11:19 pm |

      Well, I don’t know that area well, but I would be surprised if lots of the housing nearby both of those campuses haven’t been converted into affordable student shared accommodation. I think it’s always best to stay as close to the campus as possible because that makes it easier to socialise with the other students.

      Go to ‘gumtree.com.au’ and look for shared or cheap accommodation in those areas to see what comes up. I know others have commented here about the Mount Gravatt area, and have spoken highly about it. So I think it will be a good area to live.

  • Div February 10, 2017, 9:15 pm |

    Hello Bob,
    Firstly thank you for this great resourceful site,I was wondering,we were going to relocate to Brisbane by May this year with my 3 yr old and husband,My Job is in the Wickham Terrace,Could you plz recommend an area where I would be able to settle down to buy house thats reasonable,near to train station with great schools and within 30 mts drive to the CBD.And also if you would be kind enough to recommend places to rent that would not be too expensive near to Wicham terrace when for the first few months,thank you very much..

    • BobinOz February 12, 2017, 7:26 pm |

      Well, I think you would be spoil for choice really, Wickham Terrace is in the heart of the CBD and almost every train line passes through the station you want, which I think is Brisbane Central.

      So what I would do if I were you would be to Google ‘Brisbane train maps’, the one on the website called railmaps is probably the best, and have a look at all the suburbs that are on the train lines that will work for you.

      You will literally have hundreds to choose from that are within 30 minutes.

      Sounds like you will be going into temporary rented accommodation first, and your 3 -year-old isn’t yet of school age, so I would just use the links on my page Cost of Buying or Renting a House in Australia to rent somewhere on a six (if possible) or 12 month lease that gives you easy access to work.

      Then you can spend your time having a good look around to see which suburbs really take your fancy and research the schools in those suburbs for their suitability; for help with that see my page Which school?

      Also, if you Google ‘best schools in Brisbane’ there is a great website that puts them all into a ranking table.

      You will have so much choice, so for anyone to be able to help you meaningfully you would need to provide more information about what you want from a suburb. Shops? Close to the coast? Countryside? Quiet? Bustling?

      Some of the comments already made here on this page will also be very helpful in researching the suburbs. Good luck, Bob

  • Tina February 8, 2017, 2:31 am |

    Hey Bob
    Thanks for the really helpful website – I wonder if you or others have any advise re suburbs. We will be moving to Queensland from UK in May and staying with friends near the Gold coast while we look for somewhere to rent. I will be commuting to Brisbane CBD and would prefer to keep my commute time to a minimum. My teenage son will be going to school in Beenleigh so we have been looking at Holmview, Edens Landing, Waterford, Eagleby.. and recently we have found properties that look great in Sunnybank and Macgregor. We are looking to rent 3-4 beds with a budget of upto $550 per week and want a pool if possible Any guidance re where to look or confirmation that we are on the right track would be really appreciated!!
    Thanks
    Tina

    • BobinOz February 8, 2017, 10:54 pm |

      Hi Tina

      Well, my first question is why is your teenage son going to school in Beenleigh when you want to be working and commuting to Brisbane CBD? Sounds to me as though that in itself is going to make life hard for you all. Beenleigh is a long way away from the CBD.

      If your son could go to a different school I would give you different advice, but as things stand, I’m really not sure what to suggest.

      • Tina February 19, 2017, 10:05 am |

        Hi Bob
        Beenleigh is about 45 mins by fast train so its a trek but not too bad 🙂 When we first arrive we will be staying with friends near Beenleigh until we find somewhere of our own to live so I will be doing that commute – plus my son will go to school with his friend. I will use that time to really look at the areas between as I would like to keep commuting to a reasonable minimum will let you know by the end of year how it worked out!! Thanks for all the information on this site, its so helpful!!
        All the best
        Tina

        • BobinOz February 19, 2017, 9:25 pm |

          Thanks for the update and additional info Tina, yes, please do let us know how it all works out. 45 minutes, it’s not as bad as I thought 🙂

  • rachel romans February 7, 2017, 12:38 pm |

    Hi we migrated to perth form the UK 6 months ago but are now thinking that it may have been better to move to the east coast, we live 5mins from the beach but I am looking to work at the new childrens hospital, my priority would be a good school for our teenage daughter but startining the whole process again seems daunting. ive heard redcliffe is nice for families, what would be your thoughts.

    • BobinOz February 7, 2017, 8:37 pm |

      Yes, Redcliffe is quite nice, it’s got a great fish and chip shop. Most of our eastern coastal suburbs are pretty good, we just don’t have the golden sandy beaches that you will have enjoyed in Perth.

      We have the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast for that.

      I don’t live in any of those suburbs or know them that well, but I’d be surprised if they aren’t family friendly. There are lots of parks, barbecues and things to do along the coast and every weekend they are bustling with families having fun.

      Maybe somebody local will see your comment and give you more details than I can. I do agree with you though, it would be better to be on the east coast rather than the west.

  • Wynne February 6, 2017, 1:30 pm |

    Hi Bob,

    I am coming to Brisbane for a year and will be working at Mater Mother’s Hospital. I will be coming with a child who would be 5 years of age. Do you have any recommendations where we should be looking at for apartment rental and any good school recommendations? We would like somewhere close to the hospital and school with amenities like supermarket nearby. Thank you!

    • BobinOz February 6, 2017, 7:24 pm |

      If you’re only criteria is to be close to the hospital, school and some shops, you will have plenty of suburbs to choose from in that area. I couldn’t tell you specifically which would be the best school in the area, but you can check out school performances on my page called Which school?

      If you also Google ‘best primary school in Brisbane’, I’m pretty sure top of the pile will be a quite comprehensive school rankings website which will list the schools in order for you based on their performances.

      I’d suggest you find the best school first, and then make sure you live within the catchment area if it’s a state school. If it’s a private school, just make sure you are able to enrol and then live somewhere nearby.

      If you can tell us more about what you want from a suburb, maybe I or somebody else could give you more suggestions.

  • Lee February 4, 2017, 4:48 am |

    Glad I have come across this.

    Me my wife and out 2 children have started the long process of migrating to Australia. Brisban has been 1 of our top destinations to settle, however I really do want to be able to visit the beach as much as possible and this concerns me from the comments above. Brisban ticks most of our boxes.

    Schools and work are our main focus and we hope Brisban will be able to offer both of these for our family to give us the relaxed life style we are looking for.

    We would be very interested getting in touch with other families making the move or already have made the move.

    thanks
    Lee

    • BobinOz February 5, 2017, 8:48 pm |

      Well, I moved here, and I love it. Yes, it’s a shame it’s at least an hour and a quarter to drive to a decent beach, but then we don’t want to go to the beach every day. If you can restrict your beach visits to say, every other weekend, then I think Brisbane is a great choice.

      We do have plenty of good schools and although there are never any guarantees of finding a job, there are jobs about, depending on what you do. Housing is also much more affordable here when compared with Sydney and Melbourne.

  • Claire January 30, 2017, 6:44 am |

    Hi Bob
    Thinking of buying a home in Brisbane to retire to and I like the look of Newport canals what can you tell me about this area for lifestyle and any flooding issues

    • BobinOz January 30, 2017, 6:50 pm |

      I don’t really know the canals very well, but I’m pretty sure they are man-made and dredged out. I don’t know how they went during the floods, but there is a link to the flood map in the above article which will help you research it.

      I doubt it did flood there though, because it is not part of the river system, but whether it will flood in the future due to rising sea levels, who knows?

      The area is quite nice though, Redcliffe and Brighton and all the way down towards Sandgate is good. The nearby North Lakes is a very new development and it does have a Costco and an IKEA, for what it’s worth. Hope that helps, Bob

      • Claire keats January 30, 2017, 7:52 pm |

        Thanks
        I appreciate all the information

  • Sandy January 28, 2017, 10:36 pm |

    What a amazing website.

    My husband and I with our two kids ages 2 and 5 are in the process of immigration to Australia. We are extremely excited and are really wanting to move to Brisbane.
    I would love to know what areas would suit us as a family we love the our doors and fishing the beach and so on. My husband is a qualified commercial diver and a qualified sheet metal worker, would also like to be in a area that is close to shops, work, beach, parks, schools and mostly where I can meet people 😉
    Thank you for your time.

    • Jeremy ayling January 30, 2017, 12:56 am |

      Hi not sure if I can reply to this using my own e mail address so Bob can I email you and pass on to sandy. Cheers jez

      • Sandy January 30, 2017, 4:53 pm |

        Hi Jeremy thank you for your feedback look forward to what you have to say 🙂

        • BobinOz January 30, 2017, 6:05 pm |

          Hi Sandy

          Just wanted to say that Brisbane isn’t great for beaches, please see my link towards the top of the above article to take a tour of them. I think it might be a good idea for you to decide if you want to live in or close to any of the areas I mention in that article, then maybe we can take it from there.

      • BobinOz January 30, 2017, 6:02 pm |

        Hi Jeremy

        Yes, you sure can reply using your own email address, you already have 🙂 So if you would like to pop back to reply to Sandy, I’m sure she will appreciate it.

  • Ahmad January 27, 2017, 6:14 pm |

    Hi Bob,

    I will be in Brisbane by the end of next week, will be staying at a friends house in gold coast by the time i get something appropriate. I will be studying n acacia ridge for the next two years, wondering where its best to live considering am planning to purchase a car on arrival.

    Thanking you in advance for your precious help.

    Ahmad

    • BobinOz January 29, 2017, 8:07 pm |

      Well, that really depends on what you want from a suburb. Cheap? Expensive? Countryside? Nightlife? Close to the city? Close to the beach?

      Personally, I always think it’s best for students to live as close to campus as possible, that way they can hang out with the other students in the evenings very easily and live in the often cheap student accommodation that is available in those areas. Then if you want to go out somewhere else, drive to it.

  • Kris January 26, 2017, 12:39 am |

    Hello Bob
    Thanks for this great page and all your advice. I just got a new job in Ipswich and I’m hoping to move in March.
    I heard Ipswich is not the best suburb to live. I’m wondering if you can suggest any good suburb not more than 20 to 30mins drive from Ipswich and also close to the CBD. I’ve been looking at Springfield Lakes and Brookwater but can’t really find a good house with reasonable size for growing family.
    I’m hoping to find something with decent size bedrooms, possible tow lounge areas, tidy and clean street and close to amenities.
    Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
    Kris

    • BobinOz January 27, 2017, 5:33 pm |

      Hi Kris

      Thanks, glad you like.

      Just to clarify, Ipswich isn’t actually a suburb of Brisbane, it is a city in its own right. It has its own Mayor and Council, in fact I did hear once that it was a contender to be the capital of Queensland way back.

      Anyway, my suggestion to you would be to look at Moggill in the western suburbs of Brisbane and then follow the back road that goes into Ipswich via Bellbowrie, Anstead, Mount Crosby, Karana Downs (which has a golf course with clubhouse and bar), Karalee etc.

      The junior school in Moggill is very good, it’s where my daughter went, and housing is cheap and plots are large in pretty much all of the areas I’ve mentioned. It’s about 30 minutes drive from there to Ipswich.

      That’s the kind of area are be looking, it would give you good access to Brisbane as well. Good luck, Bob

  • Gem January 25, 2017, 10:32 pm |

    Hi Bob!!!

    Just want to say you’ve got the most informative site!! Well done you… helping so many people and offering great advice.

    I am hoping to one day in the near future attempting to relocate to Brisbane.

    But instead of asking a location question, could I ask… do you have much call for counsellors?

    When mentioning my plans I’ve been told my profession won’t be wanted or needed.

    So I was wondering, have you seen counselling offices? Is it something unheard of? Or is it known as something else over there?

    I have a cousin NZ who has said jobs can be very different to ours in the UK. But he lives out in the sticks so doesn’t know about city environments.

    Thanks so much for any info or advice. I hope you a fab day and keep up the brilliant work.

    Gem

    • BobinOz January 27, 2017, 5:22 pm |

      Hi Gem

      Thanks, glad to hear you like my site.

      Well, I haven’t really seen any counselling offices, but then I didn’t really notice them much in the UK either. I’m pretty sure we have them here, but it is something you can search for yourself more thoroughly on my page called Getting a Job or a Sponsorship.

      There are also links on that page to the government’s skills lists, that’s the list of skills for which there is a shortage of workers for here in Australia. Might be worth looking through that as well, if counsellors are on it, it could help you get a visa.

      You may have to jump through a few hoops to get your qualifications recognised before you can work here as a counsellor, I’m just guessing on that one, but it does happen with lots of skills.

      Hope that helps, Bob

  • Qpr January 22, 2017, 11:27 pm |

    Bob in Oz that’s a long way from loftus road isn’t it

    • John ennard January 23, 2017, 6:54 am |

      Yep all us rangers supporters stick together !!

      • BobinOz January 23, 2017, 6:48 pm |

        Yes Qpr, it is quite a distance, you wouldn’t want to walk it.

        And John, you appear to be right, you do stick together; I’m proud to have you both here 🙂

  • Celeste January 20, 2017, 5:53 am |

    Hi there!

    Thank you for this great resource! I am planning to move to Brisbane with my boyfriend (he via the working holiday visa and me via work and holiday subclass 462) in May. Where would you suggest the best parts of the city to find affordable housing? Have you heard of any anecdotal obstacles for working holiday visa housing pursuers? Any advice for us as we start our research for our one year adventure in terms of finding housing? We hope to rent for the whole year of our stay and will need something that is furnished. Thanks for you help!

    -Celeste

    • BobinOz January 22, 2017, 7:56 pm |

      Well, I think you might struggle with this. The WHV is intended for young people to be able to come here and have a holiday but also work their way through it. The idea is, generally speaking, for these visitors to see as many Australian tourist hotspots as they can during their visit, but maybe work in bars or restaurants, pick some fruit or do any kind of casual work to help them pay for their holiday along the way.

      Most people coming on this type of visa go backpacking, staying in back packing accommodation which is generally quite cheap. See Working Holiday Visas and Backpacking in Australia for more about this.

      Back to your question though, the vast majority of housing that is available to rent is unfurnished. Anybody with furnished accommodation tends to offer it through Airbnb or other online holiday accommodation sites. This kind of accommodation is way more expensive than a regular unfurnished rental.

      Your second problem is that landlords would be unlikely to want to rent to somebody on a WHV for 12 months, because they know they will definitely be looking for another tenant at the end of the period. They would prefer to rent to a family who would more likely than not extend for further periods at the end of the first 12 months. They would also undoubtedly have concerns about your ability to pay the rent each week as you can only really go for casual work and will arrive here, I assume, without a job to go to.

      Maybe you need to relook at your plans. Hope that helps, Bob

  • Marc Kirton January 17, 2017, 8:00 pm |

    Hi Bob,

    Great page looked through this a lot over the last 6/12 months.

    We are moving to Australia in May myself, wife, and what will be then our 10 month old Daughter, we are currently so stuck and divided on where to live, between Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Goldcoast, looking for the best of both worlds really want to be in close distant possible to both the CBD and the beach 30/60 mins either way, mostly we would like a nice safe friendly area which i have read most of these areas are, and good schooling for our Daughter, but we are also very out going so walks and parks scenery, we also like shopping nice restaurants and pubs/bars.

    I work in Oil and gas Engineering so my work might take me away from time to time and my wife is a Radiotherapist so will be looking for part time work in a Hospital or Private cancer treatment centre. We would also be attending lots of activities, groups, especially with our daughter as we feel this will also benefit us on meeting people.

    Any Advice on these Different places and what you would recommend for a young family would be much appreciated??

    Thanks in advance.

    Marc

    • BobinOz January 18, 2017, 1:19 am |

      I think all of the places you are considering are great places to live, if I were you though, I’d go to wherever you can find work. Life can be quite difficult if nobody is bringing in any income.

      Brisbane is likely to offer you the most job opportunities, then Gold Coast, but Sunshine Coast is known to be poor for jobs. It can also be a bit quiet, so not great for pubs, restaurants or night-time entertainment. So Brisbane is probably your best bet, but it will take you just over an hour to drive either north or south to get to some decent beaches.

      That said, if you can find work in either SC or GC, they can be great places to live. So I say go where the work is, you can research that on my page called Getting a Job or a Sponsorship.

  • Natalie green January 15, 2017, 3:46 am |

    Hi, me and my wife and 2 kids have wanted to move to australia for a while but have now decided to go for it, we are in the early stages at the minute and just got a migration solicitor to help as its quite a mine field! we live in the UK. Im a qualified air conditioning mechanic so hoping they are jobs out there? We are looking to move to brisbane, any tips on where? Not far from the city but not too close as we are wanting to leave city life behind! Good schools, hospitals, beaches, eating out that type of advice aswell would be good and any other tips would be great too! Thanks Dan 🙂

    • BobinOz January 15, 2017, 7:02 pm |

      You might want to check out the link in the above article about Brisbane’s beaches, as we don’t do those very well. If after checking out that post you still think Brisbane is for you, have a skim through the comments here as there is a lot of chat about the suburbs to see if it gives you any ideas.

      For work, obviously that’s a moving target, but you can research opportunities through my links on my page Getting a Job or a Sponsorship.

      Cheers, Bob

    • Allison Kloehs January 17, 2017, 12:25 pm |

      There are not actually beaches in Brisbane but you can live close to the water. We like Brighton/ Sandgate but Wynumm seems nice too. If the beach life is what you are after check out the Gold Coast or the Sunshine Coast.

      • Joanne February 6, 2017, 3:11 pm |

        Hi there we are actually looking to move to wynnum and or manly by the end of the this year from hobart tas. Whats wynnum like? Whats manly like? Good public primary schools? And is it a nice safe area. Thanks

        • BobinOz February 6, 2017, 7:52 pm |

          Manly has a marina, both are nice safe areas. That’s all I know though, hopefully somebody local will give you more info than I can.

          • Joanne La grand February 7, 2017, 6:27 am |

            Thanks bob in oz. We are looking at being close to the water as my husband is a boat builder and hoping to find work in that industry.

            • BobinOz February 7, 2017, 8:11 pm |

              There are quite a few marinas along that coastline, certainly at Redcliffe, Scarborough and Raby Bay, those are just the ones I can think of, so your husband might be lucky.

  • Diana Lyn January 12, 2017, 3:59 pm |

    Hello, I am Diana, I received a job offer in Gap Queensland, I am moving there on February 13th, could you please help me find a shared accommodation near to my workplace which is situated in 6 Kilbowie Street, The Gap.

    Thank you very much.

  • Domen January 12, 2017, 6:13 am |

    Hi,
    my name is Domen and in june 2017 I’m moving to brisbane for 1-2 years to studdy massage at Australian college of sports and fitness in Brisbane campus.Could you provide me with an advice where to look at for an afordable student shared house or appartement.
    Thanks in advance for the reply!

    Kind regards,
    Domen

    • BobinOz January 12, 2017, 8:03 pm |

      I think that’s in St Lucia isn’t it? If so, that’s exactly where I would be looking for cheap student accommodation if I were you, lots of houses and units in the area have been specifically developed for students. By living in St Lucia you will be close to where you will be studying as well as living amongst your fellow students. Good luck, Bob

  • liz January 10, 2017, 8:45 pm |

    Hi, my daughter has just been approved for a unit in Water Street, Fortitude Valley, how safe is this area as she will be by herself, attending uni, thanks Liz

    • BobinOz January 12, 2017, 6:18 pm |

      Well, first and foremost Brisbane is a very safe city, so I’m sure your daughter will be just fine. But, I do have to tell you that Fortitude Valley is probably (or even almost certainly) Brisbane’s liveliest suburb for nightlife. It’s the place with the most bars, restaurants, pubs, nightclubs and music venues.

      The streets can be busy until well into the early hours and things can get a little boisterous at times, which can and sometimes does get out of hand. If you’re daughter likes the quiet life, it’s probably the wrong place for her to be, but if she loves partying late and wants to save having to get a taxi home, it’s ideal 🙂

      Not sure that’s what you wanted to hear, but it is how it is. Good luck, Bob

  • sabina galant January 8, 2017, 10:56 am |

    Hi Bob,
    First of all I like your site it is very informative and your answered are great. We are an Aussie couple that just came back to OZ after 20 years out of the country. After almost completing a full round around Australia we have decided to live in Brisbane. My work will be in CBD and my hubby will open a food van. We are looking for a suburb that is easy to get to the city by public transportation and we need a place to park the food van. Any thoughts ?

    • BobinOz January 11, 2017, 9:05 pm |

      Hi Sabina

      Thanks, glad you like my site.

      Can you tell me more about what you want from a suburb? Close to the coast or the countryside? Cafe culture or quiet life? Big houses on large plots or smaller housing close to the city or major shopping malls?

      Also, knowing your budget would help as prices do vary massively from suburb to suburb.

  • Frankie Morgan January 7, 2017, 8:26 pm |

    Hi there – what a great website!!! We are a family of 5 looking to move to the Brisbane area from a north western suburb of Sydney… as my 2 older boys will be post uni, not sure if they will come with us… after years of living in suburbia we are looking for somewhere near (ish) beach and waterways… within 1/2 to 1 hr of Brisbane…. any suggestions of suburbs which could match these requirements….

    • BobinOz January 8, 2017, 2:05 am |

      Well, Brisbane isn’t great for beaches, but if you go to Sandgate or any of the nearby surrounding suburbs, you will be on the coast and also have pretty good access to some fantastic beaches on the Sunshine Coast.

      That’s the area I’d be looking in if I were you. Good luck with your house hunting, and thank you for the kind words 🙂

      • Elizabeth January 14, 2017, 8:03 am |

        Hi Bob,
        My husband Steve (an Australian citizen, who’s been in the U.K. From 5yrs old) our 3 kids who are 16, 13 and 11 have inherited Australian citizenship now.. just me to get a spouse visa. We really want to move to Australia but I’ve never even been there. Convincing the kids is another story. Our eldest is concerned about her education and thinks she won’t get the choices she has in the UK. I’m not sure which city would be best for their education. Brisbane is at the top of our list and now we’re thinking maybe the Gold Coast.
        You’re right it’s more difficult when they’re older. That’s why we want to be somewhere they would love and make good friends. Could you advise of a good suburb that would be good for secondary school and easy travel to higher education please. We would need affordable housing; would also like to be near cafes, local shops. The kids love out of school activities like football, gymnastics, music lessons etc… Eventually we would like to buy a plot of land to build our own sustainable house.. so being somewhere near that may be of but not a priority.

        I’ve heard mosquitos are an issue in Brisbane, is that true? I’m worried that the kids, being used to the British weather would struggle with the heat. Thank you for being here with such honest and useful information.

        • BobinOz January 14, 2017, 9:18 pm |

          Yes, I think I’ve just answered a comment made by your husband, I pointed him to my page called Which school? You can research schools and their performances from there.

          It does get more difficult when they’re older, yours, especially the eldest two, are at that awkward age when they really don’t fancy the change. I think before we start talking about suburbs you need to decide whether you’re going to Brisbane or the Gold Coast.

          My short view on that is Gold Coast would be much more fun for your kids, it’s got great beaches and theme parks, it’s like being on holiday all the time. Brisbane though is one of our major cities and probably would have better schooling choices.

          My preference is Brisbane and just have plenty of days out with your kids to make sure they fall in love with Australia as soon as possible after they’ve got here.

          Mosquitoes are not a specific issue in Brisbane, but they can be in certain suburbs where they have good breeding grounds, places where there might be stagnant water sources nearby. Hope that helps and good luck with your plans.

  • Ruth January 5, 2017, 9:12 am |

    Moorooka 6 klms from Brisbane is up a coming .Near buses, trains,schools and parks. Hamilton Road is close to these things.

  • Imran January 4, 2017, 4:19 am |

    Hi Mate
    I am planning to relocate to Brisbane this year I am looking for a suburb which has a train station, shopping centre, public school and possibly GP and restaurants within very short walking distances since we will be without car for some time. Safety is also of prime importance.
    Many Thanks for your suggestions

    • BobinOz January 4, 2017, 4:46 pm |

      Have a look at Indooroopilly, it has a train station, a bus hub, a state school, a very big shopping centre, doctors, dentists, restaurants, and it’s safe. Well, pretty much all of Brisbane is safe but Indooroopilly is in a very nice area. Hope that helps, Bob

      • Mohammad Imran Shaikh January 4, 2017, 6:24 pm |

        Thanks a lot Bob. I am in fact considering Indooroopilly. I was also considering Kuraby area as a friend lives there, is it a good place? I know its quite multicultural and prices are quite decent but could not find it very walking friendly.

        • BobinOz January 5, 2017, 8:21 pm |

          I’ve never been to Kuraby, so I couldn’t tell you. I know where it is though, so it wouldn’t be my choice. It would certainly not be compatible with Indooroopilly.

  • Lisa January 3, 2017, 11:59 am |

    Hi, we are looking to re locate from Sydney to QLD later this year, looking for a house on 1 to 2 acreages but would still like to be approx 30 mins from Brisbane CBD as I will be relocating to Newstead in Brisbane for my job, any ideas on suburbs to look at?
    We have looked at Eatons Hill but there is not a lot on offer, not too concerned if it is north, south, east or west from the CBD?

    Thanks in advance

    Lisa

    • BobinOz January 3, 2017, 10:01 pm |

      Samford Village to the north-west of the CBD is very nice and mostly acreage, definitely worth a look. Southwest you have Pullenvale, Anstead and Upper Brookfield, again all acreage. All are quite affluent suburbs about 30 minutes drive from the city, but that’s with no traffic. So I’m really not sure what the commute time would be, but of course, it’s hard to find acreage much closer to the CBD than that.

  • KLM January 1, 2017, 6:39 pm |

    We are a family of five relocating from Melbourne to Brisbane. We have friends in Ashgrove so have found a school for the kids nearby in Bardon. Question is, which suburbs to look in for a good quality rental with a pool? I will likely be working in the CBD so we would like somewhere which is an easy commute to Bardon and CBD, and is a good quality area for a young family (cheap is not necessary). Any recommendations of areas to look at and areas to avoid would be great! Thanks.

    • BobinOz January 2, 2017, 6:13 pm |

      I’d take a look around The Gap, I think that would be a good area for a young family. I believe the plot sizes and houses are a bit larger than you would find closer to the city and there will be more open spaces all around.

      Not too far from the city and easy access to Barden, some houses there have great views of the city as well.

  • David December 28, 2016, 11:16 am |

    Hi Bob

    I’m moving back to Oz and we are putting Brisbane at the top of the list. Really fed up with Cork Ireland and so looking for advice to start renting.

    As we have 5 kids were looking to rent near park, train station, schools etc.

    Thanks

    David C

    • BobinOz December 29, 2016, 9:48 pm |

      Then may I be one of the first to welcome you back 🙂

      Parks are not a problem, Brisbane is literally littered with them, they are everywhere. Schools are everywhere as well, so that just leaves train stations, but we have loads of those as well.

      So I think you need to let us know more about what you want from a suburb, do you want busy, quiet, countryside, coast, shopping, cafe culture, cheap or expensive? Maybe with more information either I or somebody else can help narrow things down a bit for you.

  • Ella Lidis December 25, 2016, 3:02 pm |

    Hi,

    I will be relocating from Sydney to Brisbane in 2019 and would like to know areas for families near Brisbane state high school (as I’ve heard wonderful things about this school). I will be selling up in Sydney and buying a house, not renting. Any advice will be appreciated. Thank you

    • BobinOz December 28, 2016, 9:59 pm |

      Brisbane State High School is in South Brisbane which is very close to the city centre. If you want a suburb that’s more family orientated, you will probably want to live a little further out I would think. But maybe not?

      For anyone to be able to give meaningful advice on where to live, we would probably need to know more about what you’re looking for. My advice though would be to stay south of the river and maybe try and find out about suburbs that are included on the school bus run, because kids do actually sometimes love the independence of getting the school bus.

  • Sahil December 24, 2016, 12:47 am |

    Hi bro,

    Thanks for providing valuable info.

    Soon I will migrate to Queensland with my family. Kindly suggest me the area where I should search rented place to live. Area should be safe, economical and with in approach to public transport.

    Your response would be appreciable

    • BobinOz December 24, 2016, 6:08 pm |

      Queensland is a huge state, seven times the size of the UK I think. You will need to be more specific about your needs, otherwise it’s impossible to advise you. Will you be working when you get here and if so, do you know where?

  • Kat November 27, 2016, 9:25 pm |

    Hi Bob, thanks for the great site! My partner is with the ADF and hopes to be posted to Brisbane next year. We’re in our late 20s/early 30s and I work in PR, so I’m assuming likely to be working in the city. We like eating out, being amongst at least some nature/exercising/exploring, and I’d love to be near a decent shopping center. We’re not parties/clubbers but don’t mind being near somewhere with a bit of buzz. I’m not fussed if we live in a unit or house. I’ll probably take public transport to work while partner may drive to barracks. We’re in Manly (Sydney) now and love it, although I understand about the beach situation in Brisbane! I know we may be offered ADF housing (which suburbs are these most commonly in?) but if we rent privately where would you recommend? Thank you so much!

    • BobinOz November 29, 2016, 7:26 pm |

      Hi Kat and thanks, I’m glad you like it.

      Well, I don’t know where the ADF houses are, but I’m pretty sure they won’t be in New Farm, Teneriffe or Newstead and that’s where I think you should take a look. Lots of apartments around the area and I keep reading Brisbane has an oversupply of those at the moment, so rents should be reasonably attractive.

      These areas are very young and trendy, lots of bars and restaurants, river walks, parks and very good access to the city. Hope that helps and good luck with your move. Cheers, Bob

      • Kat November 29, 2016, 8:29 pm |

        Hi Bob, thanks for the response. I’ve had a look and those areas look great, and seem to at least be on the same side of the river as the barracks, which I’m sure is a big plus. Thanks again!

        • BobinOz November 30, 2016, 11:10 pm |

          My pleasure, happy house hunting Kat.

  • Neil November 24, 2016, 12:24 am |

    Hi Bob,

    Great Website!

    My family and I are looking to return to Australia in the next 12 months, we previously spent 5 1/2 years in Sydney before returning to the UK when kids arrived. We have become a bit tired of the UK lifestyle and weather again so we are looking to make the permanent move. This time we are thinking Brisbane, as the affordability of buying a house in a suburb that is not too far from the city or the coast really interests us.

    We have 2 young children who will be nearly 3 and 1/2 when we come back, so we are looking for some advice on best places to start looking to live. We realise that we would need to rent and find our feet first (not to mention find work again).

    It is likely that we would both work in the city, but need to find good childcare local to home. I am also a keen golfer, so something close to a decent course would be good for me. Plus all the usual amenities that we would want as adults (cafe’s, gyms) and the kids (parks, clubs, swimming etc.)

    Would be grateful for an recommendations you have.

    Thanks

    Neil

    • BobinOz November 24, 2016, 9:02 pm |

      Hi Neil

      Glad to hear you like my website, thank you.

      There are so many suburbs around Brisbane that will fit the bill for you, it’s difficult to point you in the right direction at this stage. We have gyms, swimming pools, clubs and parks everywhere, and almost all suburbs are good for bringing up children. I’m not so up on the best places for golf or childcare, so maybe somebody else reading this can give you advice about that.

      But I think before we can properly advise, we need to know what your budget is, because you can rent here for $400 per week, but in some of the suburbs closer to the city you may have to double that.

      I live in western suburbs, and I can tell you that Bellbowrie has an Olympic size swimming pool and a gym, but is not good for cafe culture and it will take about an hour plus or minus to commute into the city. There is a golf course about 10 minutes drive away in Karana Downs.

      I know there are a lot of comments here, but it would be worth you skim reading through them to see what others have said about the various suburbs to live in Brisbane as I’m sure you will find it very helpful.

      Good luck with your search, and welcome back to Australia when you get here. Bob

Cancel reply

Leave a Comment

If your comment doesn’t get answered, find out why…..
FAQs and Comment Policy.