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Ferny Grove is on the northern suburbs of Brisbane. It's far enough away from the city to feel peaceful and yet close enough to commute or indulge in some retail therapy. The local high school is known as a school of excellence in the performing arts and offers the students some excellent opportunities. There are some beautiful walking trails around the suburb and it's a short drive to the lovely township of Samford where you can take a picnic lunch. Ferny Grove has shopping and entertainment facilities including a tennis complex and some cute specialty shops. If you're looking for a place to live close to the city but without the hustle and bustle, this is for you.

Springbrook is one of the loveliest places in the world according to me. Surrounded by National Parkland and infused with greenery, it can take ones breath away with beauty. There's a few excellent camping spots and lots of quaint cottages to rent. In summer you can swim in the mountain streams and in winter you can huddle next to a fireplace and watch the mist swirl outside the window. There are a few specialty shops dotted on the mountain and it's only about half an hour from the Gold Coast so it's convenient enough. Charming little tea houses offer scones and refreshments and the lookouts are spectacular.

Noosa is one of those rare places that everybody you talk to loves to visit. While it's only an hour north of Brisbane it feels like a different world. Kids, families, surfy grommits and old people alike flock to Noosa. Excellent and award winning restaurants, cafes and hotels line Hastings Street which backs directly onto the beach. Sarongs are the uniform d'jour and sandy hair and bare feet are the usual. The beach itself has enough swell to interest board riders but has enough protection to still be suitable for little people swimming. Accommodation is many and varied and if you crank up the jack johnson you are sure to have a great and relaxing time.

Boyne Island is across the waves from Tannum Sands on the Central Coast of Queensland. It's humidity is at times quite disturbing, but apart from that it's a great place to be. Especially if you're retiring. For young people there can be a bit of a void, but the beach offers a great distraction. There's local grocery and specialty shops, cafes, schools and fishing outlets. The seafood in town is also excellent with fresh stuff coming into town daily from the trawlers. The locals are friendly and if you watch out fro crocs (which have over the past ten years taken up residency in the Boyne River), you can have a great time either visiting or living here

Okay, so if you're off your head and unable to see straight then I could imagine that you'd like Surfers Paradise. Personally, I truly believe that it houses the worst that humanity has to offer. Disgusting behaviour, crappy tourist traps, dingy, dirty and dangerous. The best part about the place is the beach, but even then you have to watch out for syringes in the sand and people nicking your stuff while you swim. Yep, there's some excellent hotels in the area, some relatively okay retail opportunities (when you can find a shop that's not selling stuffed koalas in a can) and a bevvy of restaurants to choose from. All I'm saying is- enter at you own risk. It's not for the green or the faint hearted.

Samford is a lush green oasis on the northern fringe of Brisbane city, out past Ennogera. It has a delightful feel to it and the local Steiner school is an excellent alternative to state schooling systems. There are a few great restaurants in town that cater for those who like quality food, and an awesome country style pub with a jumping atmosphere on a weekend night. The boutique specialty shops in town are lovely to browse through and the little park in the centre of town is perfect for a picnic. The real estate market is strong making it expensive to buy, but once in, your property will continue to gain capital.

Strathpine is on the northern side of Brisbane approximately half an hour from the central business district. It's full of agricultural retail outlets and used car lots. To say that it's not a pretty place is a slight understatement to say the least. It's hot, flat and full of relatively unhappy people. Or perhaps it was just coincidence that every time I've ever been there, the locals were just having a really bad day. It has a fair share of industrial estates and a poor excuse of a high school. The Westfield shopping centre does offer some retail respite and there is a Sizzler across the road for the more culinarily discerning locals.

Dayboro is a beautiful rural suburb on the extreme northern side of Brisbane. With an excellent country pub that delivers a mean pork masala, and a charming little village, it's a lovely place to live. There is a sweet primary school, a pharmacy, medical centre, cafes, bakery and grocery store. The township has quite a tight knit community and properties are somewhat cheaper than in Brisbane proper, however it's an easy commute to the northern suburbs like Ennogera. Camphor Laurel trees line many of the towns streets,rolling green hills surround the town and it really does have the feel of a town from the 1950's.

If you consider shopping a great way to spend time, then you'll love Paddington in Brisbane. With a lovely array of boutique clothing and lifestyle shops and some awesome cafes, Paddington is high on my list of suburbs I'd most like to live in. It attracts a certain resident that is a cross between student and theatre workers with many interesting folk. It's edgy, but safe, trendy and accessible to the inner city. It's also really pretty, with a nice blend of quaint cottages and schmick new apartments. Rent can be high, but buying is a whole lot higher. There are some great schools in the area, with Kelvin Grove just around the corner.

Rocky, as it's known to the locals, is famous for bulls. Big bulls. Tasty bulls and cutting the balls off bulls. That's right, it's an interesting signifier of a town that just can't keep its balls on. Local kids find it hilarious to cut off the testicles of the towns iconic giant bull. Cows are pretty much the best part of Rockhampton, unless you like crocodiles in your swimming holes or heat so all invading that you start to actually want to go swimming in them. You may have picked up that I'm not a fan of Rockhampton. I find the community lacking in spirit and the cultural scene non-existent. I do however recommend a nice drive, straight out of town.

My first introduction to the suburb of Red Hill was my father telling me where his grandfather used to live on Windsor Rd. It seemed strange then that years later I would end up renting exactly the same house when I was at QUT as a student. Full of beautiful colonial and Queenslander houses, Red Hill speaks of old charm and Brisbane's Grand Dame heritage. There are now many young, up and coming families living in the inner city suburb. It's leafy, hilly and catches a nice breeze on those hot Brissy summer afternoons. Sit on the verandah, sip some iced tea and watch the storm roll over the city. This is a lovely suburb.

West End in the days that I lived there was a slightly terrifying place to be. There was half houses full of misfits and mentally ill that roamed the streets and being a slummy area of the city, break and enters were common. I lost several car stereos and dobbed in a drug ring I heard running in the apartments garage one night. But that was years ago now. West End now has the dressing up that makes it yuppy heaven. Full of funky retro clothing stores, organic cafes and politically conscientious suit wearers, if you can't get a good latte here, you're just too fussy. Close to the city and South Bank, very handy.

Currumbin Valley is the beautiful hinterland that overlooks Currumbin Beach and the Pacific Ocean. It's lovely green hills and trees contrast with the sparkling blue of the coast and the temperature is cooler on the whole. Lately eco warriors have created an eco village which harnesses sustainable building and development practices. The village itself has a pool, parks, walking trails and specialty stores. Like minded folk seem happy to chat and it's a friendly place to be. I get the feeling I could quite happily relocate my small family here and be very happy indeed.

The pity about Gladstone is that it's got the potential to be a great city. But it just doesn't live up to it. Maybe it's the footy obsessed townsfolk who all look agahst at the thought of attending a cultural event. Maybe it's the generations of families that have all married into each other and need some fresh blood. Or just maybe, it's the horrendous industry that looms large over the city and fills the place with toxins and smog. It has a lovely marina area, some good sailing opportunities and a lookout of silos. Forgive me, childhood home, but Gladstone just reminds me of the Simpsons' episode about the 3 eyed fish

Although there are the dodgier elements to Southport on the Gold Coast, one has to admit that the place has some seriously great things going for it. For one, the shopping is fantastic with Australia Fair and many boutique specialty shops catering for every need. Then there's the beach front. Safe little bays for kiddies to play on, parks and swings, all kept relatively clean by the Gold Coast City Council. The Broadwater is currently under renovation and I can't wait to see the new facilities opposite Aussie Fair. Yes, it can seem a little grimy and has some unlikely occupants, but Southport has some great restaurants and cafes and overall has a great 'alive' kind of feeling.

If you're looking for a place where friends come in the form of neighbours and views go on forever, then Lower Beechmont is the spot for you. It's quiet and sweet and a world away from the hustle and bustle of the city life. Stunning flora and fauna surround the township that's about 30 minutes from the Gold Coast up in the hinterland. Pack your woollies if you head up in winter as it gets very cold. There are no shops so if you are renting a house on holiday make sure you bring provisions. It's very close to the Heritage listed Binna Burra National Park and is well worth a visit.

Upper Coomera is a suburb that's attracting some great young families. In the outer area of the Gold Coast, it's still affordable for families just starting out and yet close enough to all the conveniences of the Coast. Only 15 minutes drive to the beach and 15 minutes drive to the hinterland, Upper Coomera has got a lot going for it. It has a great school with a Kindy to 12 program and enough retail opportunities to make life incredibly easy. There are lovely parks and some very family friendly housing developments that have been built in recent years. All in all, it's a suburb that's going the right way to being one of the Gold Coasts' most livable.

If you're looking for a quiet and serene place to visit or settle down, Beechmont in the Gold Coast hinterland is the place to go. Approximately 35 minutes from Southport it couldn't be more opposite to it's flashy neighbour. With no infrastructure, no shops and no cafes, it's not a town for social consumers. But if cows and gardens and beautiful views are your thing, then Beechmont is your idea of heaven. There's a great market on once a month and the local primary school is one of the best in the state. Pack a picnic and thermos and it's a great place to chill out and watch the clouds drift by.

Witheren is a strip of bushland that runs between Tamborine Mountain and Canungra in the Gold Coast hinterland. It's incredibly leafy and green and has the kind of serenity that people in cities can but dream about. Birdsong awakes you in the morning and owls hoot from the safety of trees at night. The views from Witheren can either be west out towards the Dividing ranges or East to the Pacific Ocean. There is very little in the way of conveniences, so your best bet for retail and commercial centres are Canungra or the Coast. Acreage is available to buy and the kids will love the friendly local children.

Labrador is increasingly becoming known for its criminal activity with crimes such as breaking and entering and car theft on the increase. This has prompted the nickname Lockyadoor. There are plenty of cheap housing options with apartments and houses regularly coming up for rent. The fabulous retail centre, Harbour Town has great bargains and there are some wonderful dining options as well. There is a readings cinema and the beach as ready entertainment and the people seem friendly enough. All in all, I find it more of a tourist destination and personally wouldn't want to live there.