[camellia kelly]

Hi Everyone.
I'm new to this forum in terms of posting but have been reading some fantastic advice and comments. So thank you to all.

I'll give a brief description of our background and situation.
My husband, who is a Civil Project Engineer was offered a job recently in Australia working for a good company and his start date is 4th July. (we hope to fly out June 19th based on 457 visa.)
We have been told that the area that he probably will be working in is regional Queensland, perhaps in the Gladstone area.
We have looked into living in Rockhampton and having hubby commuting to Gladstone as we heard that there's not much in Gladstone but I'm not hearing anything better for Rockhampton either.
I wish we had a choice in his location but we must go with his job.
I'm very grateful for our new opportunity and would like some info into these locations and if there are any others out there who could shed some light on anything positive about them.
We also have a 3 year old daughter who we will be enrolling in Kindergarden so any info in relation to zoo's, parks, etc would be great.
Thank you in advance for any info and/or comments.
Camellia

 

[cross]

well Rockhampton was good till the recent floods .Rocky was under water.
Gladstone is good. esp for miner and civil eng.
No good schools.
nice town.
but u can try bundaberg as well .

 

[Jen_21]

I think rockhampton does have a propensity to flood most years just not that badly usually xx

 

[EE-India]

Hi Cross / Camellia

You guys live in Gladstone now? Possible to get some suggestion on ongoing real estate boom there?

 

[vixxy666]

my partner and I are moving to rockhampton in June. Worried about settling in and meeting people. Going to try living in rocky for the first 6 months then maybe move further out to yeppoon or emu park if it's as bad as people say. I've done lots of online research and it has everything and more so not sure why all the bad press. Would love to get in touch with people already there or going...

 

[rocky567]

life in rocky

Hi
(Ive alresy posted this elsewhere but couldnt work out how to link)

Ive been living in rocky for 6 months. Im finding it a bit tough at the moment i find it really hard to meet people here seems really clicky here. Its ok just really dull and you have to have a car to get anywhere as there is virtually no public transport. Im only here to get my visa then im heading to melbourne and i try and go to melbourne as often as possible to see my friends there. The only people i tend to hang out with here are English and kiwis not for the want of trying and they all say the same thing. I deal with alot of the school in rocky and to be honest with you i think the state schools are better the kids from the private schools are rude and arrogant and expect everything to be done for them. All the state schools have more money, equipment and teaching staff then ive ever seen in the uk also alot of schools seem to be highly religious so depending on your believes thats another thing to look at although i know the one of the very religious school takes a percentage of the parents wages as well as fees!?
South Rocky seems to have a bit more life to it but is rougher and the northside is nicer but the only thing thats there is a shopping centre and houses. Also some parts of the south side floods regularly where are the north side didnt last year. There is a new hospital they are just finishing off thats good really clean ect (my mates been ill recently so i have been going there to visit) and i just have medicare.
I find food really expensive here and not as good quality compared to other parts of oz but its still better than the uk. As rocky is a town where alot of people work at the mines some things are getting expensive but most people earn more in rocky than in the cities for most jobs that people come to rocky for to get people here. Im on aprox $15k more in rocky than i would get for the same job in central Melbourne.
Theres alot of newly qualified people form brisbane that come to rocky for 2 years or so for some experience then they go back to brisbane/goldcoast.
The beach is 30 min drive and the islands are a good day out.
Hope this helps

 

[jojosmile]

thanks really good info thanks

 

[vixxy666]

Thanks so much for the info good to go there knowing its going to be difficult to meet people. Have you spent much time in Gladstone? thinking about living there if I can work there n my partner can commute. either that or yeppoon or emu park are they less clicky there? I've got an opportunity in Brisbane but my partners job in rocky is essential n want it to be a career for him but were considering living there n my oh spending 4 days a week in rocky the flight seems reasonable. Heard of anyone doing that? Thanks again it's hard never been there so good to speak to people there

 

[rocky567]

Thanks so much for the info good to go there knowing its going to be difficult to meet people. Have you spent much time in Gladstone? thinking about living there if I can work there n my partner can commute. either that or yeppoon or emu park are they less clicky there? I've got an opportunity in Brisbane but my partners job in rocky is essential n want it to be a career for him but were considering living there n my oh spending 4 days a week in rocky the flight seems reasonable. Heard of anyone doing that? Thanks again it's hard never been there so good to speak to people there

Gladstone is only 1 1/2 hours away but ive never been what i do know is people tend to live in rocky and commute to gladstone not the otherway round due to i being too expensive. Theres always stuff on the local news about gladstone having issues with housing as there is gas thing happening there and has put the price up. Also somethings poisoning all the fish (just had to tell you as it seems to be a big deal at the moment they are always going on about it. My mates live in yeppoon (also english been here bout the same time as me) and they say yeppoons nice but very quite and expensive to rent somewhere half decent. And if they have to buy anything other than food ect they tend to go to rocky cos although there are a good number of shops in yeppoon theres not a huge amount of choice. Emu park ive only been to once seems like a nice little village. As for commuting via plane the only people i know who do this work at the mines. When ive been on flights to/from brisbane it did look like people commute but are you going to pay 2 lots of rent? and one of them in brisbane? If you did do this fly with virgin as they are alot better than Qantas and get a loyalty card and they are your only choices in airlines.
hope this helps

 

[vixxy666]

That's great really helpful. Yeah thinking of getting a house in both places but just something cheap in rocky for my oh he'll be doing 12 hour shifts so he'll be only working 4 days so can do 3 nights in rocky then the rest with me in Brisbane...something for us to think about anyway. He's going out early feb so he'll see what he thinks n we'll decide then he can scope everywhere out. Bit worrying he's going to be very alone hoped he'd make friends at work :s We'll just have to make the best of it somehow its our best option. Thanks again

 

[sadiesmum]

Hi Everyone.
I'm new to this forum in terms of posting but have been reading some fantastic advice and comments. So thank you to all.

I'll give a brief description of our background and situation.
My husband, who is a Civil Project Engineer was offered a job recently in Australia working for a good company and his start date is 4th July. (we hope to fly out June 19th based on 457 visa.)
We have been told that the area that he probably will be working in is regional Queensland, perhaps in the Gladstone area.
We have looked into living in Rockhampton and having hubby commuting to Gladstone as we heard that there's not much in Gladstone but I'm not hearing anything better for Rockhampton either.
I wish we had a choice in his location but we must go with his job.
I'm very grateful for our new opportunity and would like some info into these locations and if there are any others out there who could shed some light on anything positive about them.
We also have a 3 year old daughter who we will be enrolling in Kindergarden so any info in relation to zoo's, parks, etc would be great.
Thank you in advance for any info and/or comments.
Camellia

Hi Camellia

Not long until your move now, I hope that you have decided where to move to.

Like we we are moving to Rockhampton, looking at arriving in September. We are buying the lease to a tennis coaching business so will be working for ourselves, very excited!

The reason for my posting is that I too have a 3 year old daughter and I keen for her to make friends quickly, as she has so many in the UK. I have done a bit of research into childcare and there seems to be loads of choice, all of them appear to be a lot larger than what was offer in the UK, which is great as she loves to run around! I havent really had a chance to look at other activities (apart from toddler dance class as she loves boogie beebies!)

Hope you get settled quickly and if you end up in Rockhampton and you would like to meet with the girls I would really like that,

Good luck

Kerry

 

[MummyJulie]

Gladstone

Hi Camellia,
I moved to Gladstone in November, arriving from living for 17 years in Abu Dhabi in the Middle East which is pretty chaotic!
Though Gladstone doesn't have a lot here, I find my days are always busy and full.
There are a couple of coffee shops, Gloria Jean's, Coffee Club, Jamaican Blue which are fine, there are parks, the Marina is great with a couple of play area's down there and a big information centre.
We drove to Rocky which was a nearly 2 hour drive, and really wasn't worth the visit, though the mall there did have some decent shops like Adairs etc..
I think for your hubby to commute wouldn't be nice, Rocky isn't much better than Gladstone, and there are a lot of accidents on the road between the two places as there is a lot of work, the new coal terminal etc being done.
My two children go to the Catholic school here which we pay hardly anything for and it is fine, lots of Kindy's etc around.
We have a house down near Mooloolaba, it is a 5 hour drive, so you could always plan to go away for weekends if you feel there isn't enough here, Harvey Bay and Bundaberg are about a 2 hour drive.
I find here though to drive for the day, it is another beach and not much else.
I am a very out going person, but have found it hard to make friends here, i've not met many expats to Gladstone, mostly people who have been here for generations.
Hope this helps in some way, and good luck with the move!
Julie