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Being so close to Newcastle this area is great for anyone who has not got a car. Cooks Hill is a really old residential area of Newcastle with narrow roads, very little car parking (cause they didn't have cars when these houses were built), but slowly and surely being revamped to become a very trendy area.

New trendy cafés are springing up all over the place and it is becoming quite the arty centre to hang out. As well as the trendy cafés there are trendy shops springing up as well. If you are wanting to purchase something just a little bit different, then this would be the place to go.

It leads into a hilly area at the back and this is an interesting place to see. From here you can head over to the surf beach which is very, very popular.

There are not many major cities that have a surf beach only 5 mins away.

Newcastle is in a rather unique position in that it has surf beaches on one side and a large industrial port on the other. This city was built on the back of the coal mining industry many years ago. It has seen its ups and downs, but has continued to grow and prosper.

Being such an old city there are major contrasts in architecture right throughout as the old and the new mix together. It appears to be a relaxed city but in fact Newcastle is a very strong commerical and industrial city north of Sydney as it services the rural area and the wine growing region of the Hunter Valley.

With its growth has come some very trendy areas and locals expect high standards in the restaurant trade. Nightlife is well catered to with excellent clubs and bars.

Sydney is only 1.5 hr drive south so Newcastle is by no means isolated.

All sports are well catered to in Newcastle and there have been many Australian sporting icons emerge from this area.

Surfers Paradise is a place the the locals tend to avoid. It is a city that is very busy most of the year round and it attracts tourists from all around the globe.

This does tend to give it an unfriendly air most of the time. Sure, there is plenty to do and if you are with a group that is good, but people tend not to mix the same unless you hang out at bars and clubs.

Seaworld, Dreamworld, Movieworld and Wet 'N Wild all draw thousands into the area. These attractions are of world standard and each one are a day visit all on their own. There is no doubt that there is plenty do do when you visit the Gold Coast. No matter what age you are, you will find something to do on the coast if you decide to holiday here.

Accommodation is right along the beach in highrise apartments with fantastic views up and down the coast. On almost every corner and in between, there are restaurants, cafés and takeaways. Night clubs are very popular, but not without their problems. The night life is a bit sleezy, so one needs to take extra care.

Generally people living on the coast tend to live north and south of Surfers Paradise, or further back towards the hinterland.

Burleigh Heads is a really bustling centre. It is busy, busy, busy. The area has developed in ways. Shops, restaurants, apartments, holiday apartments, and houses bringing in a variety of people at all times of the year.

In behind Burleigh are some lovely canal homes that are taking full benefit of being so close to the ocean. The Gold Coast is really the home of canals. They just thread their way all the way through behind the coast.

Burleigh Heads and the surrounding area is more for local residents, even though there is a strong holiday population as well. There is large well equipped park area near the beach shopping centre and the whole area has such a relaxing feel.

There are numerous activitiesin the area for all ages and all interests.

Coolangatta has been a holiday destination as far back as I can remember. It is a little cheaper to stay at this end of the Gold Coast than it is closer to the Gold Coast, but in saying that there really is a variety from the caravan parks to the resorts.

Coolangatta has been a popular family holiday destination for so long because it has so many activities to offer. Virtually anything you can think of that does not need snow, you can do at Coolangatta or nearby. Not too far away is Currumbin Bird Sanctury, the Tropical Fruit World, Kirra world reknown surf beach and houseboats on the river.

The shopping in Coolangatta will keep you occupied for hours with all the beach wear and evening wear. If you want to just sit back and relax, you can in any of the many cafs or restaurants. If not, take a short walk to the point in the south and watch the surf, or north round the hill to Kirra where you can watch more surf.

Where else have you heard of a city being in two different states. The city has grown up on either side of the Tweed River, but it spans the border of NSW and Qld.

Tweed Heads has become a very popular place for retirees because the weather is excellent. Not too hot a summer and not too cold a winter. It is no wonder it is such a popular holiday spot. Tweed Head backs on the world reknown Coolangatta and then over the hill to Kirra, a world reknown surf beach.

Very much a holiday area the city caters for holiday makers in every sense of the word: a variety of accommodation, takeaways through to quality restaurants, fishing, boating, surfing, bowling, golf and so much more.

There is quite a lot of industry in the area because of the fishing and boating, but also because of the rural area behind. Tweed Heads tends to the the residential area backing on to and supporting the work on the Gold Coast.

If you love prawns then you will not go with out down in this area. There is no shortage of supply of fish and other seafood. Not far south of Tweed Heads is the Tropical Fruit World which is worth a visit. Tropical fruit and prawns go well together.

Nimbin is a town that has hit the world news at times. Hidden away in the Northern Rivers region, Nimbin became a town of hippies and marijuana lovers. Different little communes sprung up and when the goings on hit the media it got quite a lot of interest.

A visit to the town is an experience if you have not been involved in this lifestyle before. There is outright advertising of the pot smoking lifestyle.

Some of the art in the area is really quite stunning and there are many gifted people in this area. Another feature is the clothing assortment. Again it is very hippy styled, but most of it is made from natural fibres and this in anybody's language is good, especially in the hotter climates.

It is a subtropical area here and the rural area is very lovely, all really well worth the trip if you are in the area.

Lismore is a city that is on the older side, very tidy and generally sporting a strong vegetation as it is in the sub-tropical area. Servicing the surrounding rural area there are all sorts of industry and commerce here for that purpose, but it is only a short drive to the coastal towns of Ballina to the south east and Byron Bay to the north east.

The city is well supported by the Southern Cross University.

Much of the land settled here was done so by migrants from Italy and Germany with workers brought in from China. Today these nationalities are still very strong in the area and give it that cosmopolitan feel.


The surrounding forests have wonderful walks for nature lovers and some of the surrounding towns offer a variety of natural healing opportunities. It really is worth exploring the areas outside of town and see what the area has to offer.

Ballina has a most unusual situation in that it is actually situated on an island. If you quickly look at a map it does not look like it, but it is totally surrounded by rivers. The area is known as The Northern Rivers.

There seems to be something for everybody around the Ballina area. There is the tranquility of the rivers, the surf, fishing, adventure trips, long white sandy beaches and upmarket cafés and shopping. There are clubs and pubs throughout the area with a ready supply of entertainment and quality meals.

Safe swimming, boating and fishing is available for the littlies so this makes a great place for a family holiday.

Various markets are held in town during the month and during the year there are quite a number of activities like bands playing, rodeos and the like.

Lennox Head is well known amongst the surf crowd. It is said that off the point at Lennox Head you will get one of best right-hand point breaks anywhere on Earth.

In fact most south east Queensland and northern NSW dedicated surfers would have been there at one stage or another. Most people who go there go to surf or just relax and have a break.

Many of the older houses in the area are holiday homes. The main shopping and commercial centre for Lennox Head is Ballina not far south on the Pacific Highway, or if someone is looking for a bit of nightlife they would probably drive up to Byron Bay, another popular surfing town but on a larger scale and with more to offer in the way of entertainment.

As is everywhere else, Lennox Head is slowly growing and now has a number of cafés and restaurants in the area.

Other activites one may do in Lennox Head are fishing, swimming and dolphin and whale watching.

Kingscliff has become a very popular town for retirees and holiday makers. That is why I don't think that the fact that it is a little out of the way would matter too much. Once you were there you probably don't leave too often as it is not really a commercial centre.

The weather at Kingscliff is fantastic, not too hot and bearable in winter. It is very picturesque with fabulous beaches and a real café/restaurant atmosphere is in town. And why not, it is a town of people with not a lot to do and there is nothing better than to sit around in a café and enjoy the sunshine.

Recent developments mean that most of Kingscliffe is quite modern looking and most people who go there want to go back at some stage. I have heard that there is a great retirement village there and the residents are very active and social.

Getting to Kingscliffe means coming off the Pacific Highway when coming north and wending your way out to the coast, or coming from the north you can access it from the highway once you have crossed south over the Tweed River. It is about a 1/2 hr drive north to Tweed Heads from Kingscliffe.

Byron Bay is a lovely coastal town. Very laid back, a little bit hippy style and very, very relaxed. The surf is great most of the time and it is a fun place to stay.

There is a walking track out to the famous Cape Byron. There are 2 reasons why the Cape is so famous: 1. it is the eastern most point of the Australian continent, and 2. it is a very good location for whale watching.

Byron Bay has attracted attention from all around the world with its surf beaches and there are kilometers of them both north and south.

In the township there are quaint gift shops, craft shops, clothing shops and cafés all there to delight the tourists.

What I love about tourist towns is the atmosphere. They always seem to have a happy atmosphere. The area boasts health retreats and lots of the 'natural living' culture is in the Byron Bay atmosphere.

Yes, the home of Pauline Hanson, is that a good thing or a bad thing, I will leave that up to you.

The city of Ipswich has been growing rapidly. Not so long ago real estate was cheap in Ipswich and there was a demand for rental properties, and the investors flocked to the area and invested in the older houses. Hence, the real estate prices went up.

The council is determined to upgrade the city and are taking steps to make sure this happens and happens in a positive way.

Ipswich is the centre of the farming area at the base of the Darling Ranges and the last major city before heading up to Toowoomba. It is a very busy place.

The weather takes a bit to contend with. It has extremes of temperatures.

I do believe that Bribie really interests some people because they do say they enjoyed their time there, but not so long ago we thought we would like to find a quiet place for a weekend and we went there. We thought we would do some fishing which is what we enjoy, but we arrived there, drove around and decided to leave. This was the 3rd time we have been there, but it just does not excite us.

There is really a mixture here of the old and the new, the wealthy and the not so wealthy. There have been canal states developed and they have attracted those wanting the canal living and lifestyle it offers. There is no doubt that there is a market for that here.

I find it too far to go (20 min drive off the highway), with not a lot to offer when you get there.

By comparison to the other towns around, Beerwah is a very quiet town, but in saying that, an important one. It is the centre for the small farming area at the foothills of the hinterland area. Pineapples and turf are two of the main farming types in the area.

AND, OF COURSE, the home of Australia Zoo. Internationally know Australia Zoo was set up here by Bob Irwin as a family business and became world reknown when Steve and Terry Irwin became heavily involved in the business.

Australia Zoo is a very big employer of well over 150 staff and is still going through a growing stage. Their plans will have a big impact on employment in the area.

The funny thing is, even though the zoo is here, it does not actually have a strong presence in the town itself. The town is more reliant on servicing the local farming community.

Palmwoods is nestled in the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast and is a lovely little town. It has been going through a revamp in the last few years with new estates opening up and a new shoppping is scheduled to be built in town. The railway line goes through town so rail access to Brisbane is very easy.

Palmwoods is some 45 mins drive inland from the coast and 10 mins drive from Nambour, so is quite accessible to all conveniences. The council itself has been putting in parks and doing up the town.

There are a lot of small acreage blocks in this area, some of them being farmed and some of them just grazing the family horses.

Depending on the weather Palmwoods can be quite dry and brown, or very lush in the wet season.

Bordering on the famous Doomben Race Track, Hamilton is the home of many professional people. It is 'old Brisbane'. I say that because it is 'old money' that owns the homes in this area and some of the properties are in second generation. The houses are magnificent and the blocks quite large which is always desirable.

It has developed into an upmarket caf area and because there is not too much traffic right near the cafs it is quite a popular place for people to spend an hour or two.

On the southern side of Hamilton is the Brisbane River but properties do not run along the river frontage at this point. Also near-by is the famous Breakfast Creek hotel which has been a drawcard for visitors for many, many years.

All up an exclusive place to live, only 10 mins drive into Brisbane city.

Real estate is very sought after in St Lucia for many reasons. It is an exclusive area with some quite large blocks and some very extensive homes and many of them on the river frontage. St Lucia is in a rather unique geographical situation in that the Brisbane River wraps around 3/4 of the suburb, almost leaving it like an island.

University of Queensland campuses are nearby and this is a drawcard for the area and is why there is also some high density housing in the area.

The fact that it is only 15 mins drive from Brisbane city is another plus for those living in this area.

As the suburb is quite small and exclusive many of the facilities are in neighbouring Indooroopilly.

Situated near University of Queensland campuses Indooroopilly is a high density living area and very popular with most people who go there. The terrain is a bit hilly and this adds to its character. There is a huge shopping centre where people can go and spend the day keeping themselves busy if they have nothing else to do.

Real estate is very valuable in this area for many reasons. The houses are desirable, the proximity to Brisbane, the demand for housing and the demand for rental. It is a mixture of the old, the new and the renovated.

Indooroopilly is a bustling centre and very busy at most times of the year.

Indooroopilly borders the edges of Mt Coot-tha and the very popular Brisbane Botanic Gardens on the north west and with the Brisbane River on the south-west.

One of the most popular tourist spots in Brisbane is right here at Mt Coot-tha - the Brisbane Botanic Gardens. There are 52 acres of sub-tropical gardens that are an absolute delight to visit. The park is only a 15 min drive from Brisbane city and is very popular every day of the week.

At the park itself there is the Mt Cootha Summit Restaurant which has stunning views either during the day or night. In the daytime you can see out to the glistening Morton Bay and at night overlook Brisbane city with its miriad of twinkling lights. So romantic by day or night!

Most of Mt Coot-tha is designated to the park, but there is some housing around the base of the park leading into Toowong, towards the river.