ready09

Oxenford is at the base of Tamborine Mountain in the Gold Coast hinterland, approximately an hour south of Brisbane. It has adequate retail opportunities, with several big supermarkets and plenty of specialty stores. It is smack in between two major gold coast attractions, Dreamworld on the north and Movie-world to the south. There's also Wet and Wild and the Outback Spectacular close by as well. A large amount of development has occurred in the past few years with large tracts of land being swallowed up by developers and housing projects. In saying this it's a clean and affordable choice for first home owners that is close enough to the conveniences of the coast without the price tag.

Beaudesert is the cultural void found approximately forty five minutes west of the Gold Coast. It offers minimal retail, medical or cultural appeal. In the past 3 years however, the local council has attempted to rectify this with the creation of "The Centre" an artistic facility that regularly holds concerts, arts nights, performances and gallery exhibitions. Unfortunately the demographic of Canungra is not suited to such a facility. Agricultural in it's description, it is barren, dry, dusty and experiences hot summers and cold winters. The townsfolk are either unfriendly or undecipherable and the entire town has the air of a run down pub. Basically you'll love it-if you're a cowboy that's had a lobotomy.

Canungra is your typical country town, quiet, peaceful and full of country folk. (Read into that as you wish) With an army base and accompanying barracks located in the actual township, it's population is highly transient, with posting cycles every two to three years. This can mean making friends in town is difficult, as they are likely to leave. There is a lovely little primary school, but for high school options kids have to either travel up to Tamborine Mt. or Beaudesert and these are fairly big drives. The Canungra pub is a good place to have a counter meal and the Albert Valley Vineyard offers a nice drop of plonk if you are so inclined. Overall, a nice place to visit.

Mount Tamborine is actually a glorious plateau in the gold coast hinterland. Surrounded by natural beauty and National Parks, it's spectacular. The views of the gold coast from the height of the mountain are amazing. Locals are friendly and helpful and the schools in the area are award winning for their proactive and innovative approaches to learning. It's about an hours drive from Brisbane and a relaxing 25 minutes drive from the beach on the coast. There's an IGA supermarket and some amazing galleries with local artists featuring in them. An artistic community, it often has the feeling of being an island of serene in a crazy world. In winter I do recommend a fireplace in winter though.

Eagle Heights is on the plateau known as Tamborine Mountain in the Gold Coast Hinterland. It's about an hour out of Brisbane but only 25 minutes from Southport. The nature of the mountain is incredibly peaceful and somewhat rural. There is no water services, therefore all water is collected by residents in water tanks. This can be a problem in times of drought, however as a family of five, we still haven't run out of water after 6 years. There are fantastic local primary/high schools and the famous Gallery Walk tourist strip is crammed with cafes and art galleries, fudge shops and tearooms. All in all, a great place to live, if you don't mind a bit of a drive to major shopping, urban centres.

North Tamborine is a peaceful, leafy place in the centre of Tamborine Mountain in the Gold Coast hinterland. Approximately an hour and a half from Brisbane, it feels like a different universe up here. The mountain was formed as a result of the Volcanic Mt Warning's eruption thousands of years ago, when lava and volcanic ash deposits piled up. It's this very volcanic soil that allows for such a beautiful and lush environment now. For gardeners, North Tamborine is the place to live as everything just flourishes. The local National Parks offer spectacular walking tracks and the views of the coast are quite something. The Witches Falls N.P was the first ever named in QLD. There is a vibrant cafe scene and award winning restaurants, such as Songbirds. I raise my two little boys up here and it has the feeling of being a community out of the 1950's. (In a good way!)