Is it safe here at Gympie, Queensland?
16 Answers
Yes Gympie is quiet safe, Gympie is a lovely little place that has no more crime than anywhere else I have lived, I have been here for 14 years and would not want to live anywhere else. Gympie is only 45 min to the Sunshine Coast and Rainbow Beach and less than 2 houres to Brisbane. Realestate is cheap and the weather is easy to live with.
Hi PureKrome - I have had a business in Mary St for 10 years and now do Pop-Up shops each year due to other commitments. I have always loved the street and had a good working relationship with all of the businesses I had contact with. I am not even aware who the lady is talking about. - However the story is that rent is expensive in the street - not quiet sure what the comparisons are - but I have been fortunate to have 3 lovely landlords and still had a viable business while paying rent. I would suggest putting your tow in the water first to see if you like the street - I am certainly happy to talk and the pop up shop I am in at the moment at 152 Mary St has a lovely feel and great landlord. Phone is 0419 224 628 and my business is Magicality
My husband and I have just bought a property in Cooloola Cove and looking forward to moving there next year. I took my daughter up to look at the place and visit Gympie. We were blown away by how pretty Gympie is and the people were so very friendly. I'm not so much looking forward to the sandflys but we're coming from Wagga which is crawling with flys in summer and freezing cold in winter. Nothing's perfect. We had a lovely lunch at Mumma Dee's Cafe. I can't wait to be part of the community.
bobhatton, I visited Gympie with my daughter for the first time that I can remember last year and my experience was positive. I think it depends on many things. I know a lot of people down here praise the virtues of Wagga but in 8 years I have found very little to like about the place. When I leave Wagga I won't look back.
bobhatton , don't you live inToogoom, which is a fair distance from the Gympie Region? As mvs has stated, only positive experiences while visiting Gympie " TOWN" I have to agree with mvs on this one, for instance where else have you lived bobhatton..... I have lived in Melbourne, Perth, Gold Coast and not to forget Brisbane but have never experienced the genuine acceptance that this community has !! If you dislike Gympie so much you should leave Tin Can Bay & Rainbow Beach on your list of not to live places, as it is part of the GYMPIE REGION .....lol But then I have only lived here for the past 5 years and all the people that have followed behind me from the Sunshine Coast, Tamborine Mountain, Sydney, Victoria etc, think differently? These people are changing the demographics of this region for the better, Its a pity everyone doesn't add the positives instead of running it down. By the way the same could be said for Toogoom, I know some real rough types that live there, but, it is your peace of paradise is it not? Where ever you end up people - make it a place of peace and tranquillity for YOU !! Great News mvs - not far away now : )
I may LIVE in Toogoom but I WORK in Gympie for your information. Over my nearly 60 years I have lived in England, Wales, Canada, Hong Kong, Perth, Newcastle (NSW), Adelaide, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Townsville, Cairns, Darwen, Hervey Bay.....should I go on? I think I'm more than qualified to offer an opinion on Gympie; after all, that's what the original poster wanted: peoples opinions, good bad or indifferent.
Hi I need your advice please as my partner had an affair 8 months after I lost my Mum and she wants half the money from my amazing Queenslander house I just sold in Rothwell. I want to move on in life with my 2 amazing dogs that are my true family and if I get enough money I would like to buy in Gympie, why because I am over City Life, I knowRothwell is not the City but I was from a big City 2 years ago and I want to find a Country Lady with a good heart and just settle in and run a business its not much to ask I just want an escape and it looks like the right place, please give me advice about the great town, thanks Adam.
Hi Adam, you need to come and have a look for yourself. We moved here 5 years ago from Brisbane and have not looked back the people are lovely , it is quite and we find heaps to do around the place. As you can see from all the posts that people have written. We have a wonderful cafe scene popping up around the area, fishing swimming at Rainbow beach.
Gympie is totally safe. I've lived here for a year and a bit & I'm still blown away by how friendly everybody is. My partner works away, and I have NEVER felt unsafe being home alone. There are always kids out playing & people walking around the neighbourhood, I often walk my dog late at night & have never had any trouble.
Depends on what you want in a place to live. I've lived here for 3 years and am very unhappy here. Nothing to do, nowhere to go, buy a takeaway coffee and there's nowhere to enjoy it. Some locals are very narrow minded and unwelcoming of change. I find that most people here are here because they never left or moved back after they went to uni or whatever; due to the fact that it's a small town with one of QLDs highest unemployment rates few people move here for work. Subsequently people have their circles and groups of friends (often not changing since they were in school themselves) and are not open to making new frirnds.
Sorry to hear that pinkpanda , we find it friendly and welcoming with everyone we come in contact with . There are some amazing cafes popping up to have a coffee Farmer & Sun or www.facebook.com/EpiphanyCoffee/ . All people have their circles even in Brisbane where we lived , narrow-minded ,unwelcoming and not open to making new friends . As far as things to do you have to make your own fun - what do you like doing and what age group are you in if I may ask ?
I was about to ask a similar question @AhhYoda :) @PinkPanda - what was the reason for you moving to Gympie? Was it for work, returning home? Sea change? Also, I'm wondering if you have found that specific age-groups are fitting your experiences ... or it's across all ages groups? Finally, are you thinking/planning on leaving soon because of your poor experience in the area?
Thanks for your comments. Yes AhhYoda, Farmer and Son, Ephiphany Coffee and Emelia's are lovely little coffee shops but all closed up by 4pm and only open for a few hours on a Saturday morning. I miss the flexible opening hours. I miss shops and decent restaurants. My husband and I are in our mid thirties and we have primary school aged children. I love cooking (I struggle even trying to find ingredients I need here), good foods and wines, cinema, theatre, arts, beautiful places to lay down a picnic blanket... My initial comment should have included that if you are religious and involved in Church community, or enjoy playing sports teams you will probably enjoy being here but I personally have never felt so out of place anywhere. I grew up on the Sunshine Coast, spent time living overseas and in Brisbane. My husband and I moved to Gympie (his hometown that he never wanted to return to) after pressure for him to become involved in the family business. We never planned on this being long-term but are now feeling trapped due to work commitments. For several years we resisted living here and my husband commuted but too much time was spent on the road. I have been fortunate to find work in my profession here. I am very wary of saying too much about myself or family on this website as this is the town where everyone knows everyone... When we moved here I was very positive and open-mined, I am no longer feeling this way. Yes PureKrome, we will not be living here long term. I think it's hard for people who grew up with facilities and choices around them as there are so few here. Perhaps had I grown up and lived in smaller towns than this I would feel contentment here but I do not.
I must travel in different circles as most people that we know in the surrounding areas are not religious at ? We came here from Brisbane and all the people that we have met are from Sydney and surrounding areas . We actually don't know anyone that is from this region. But I understand what you are saying pinkpanda ....sometimes you have to look outside the square maybe start a Newbies group for the are on https://www.meetup.com that is what we did in Brisbane as we had the same problem not fitting in,lots of narrow-minded people . Sometimes we all can be just as narrow-minded as the next but don't realise it. Just live in the now moment and start something you may be surprised who joins your group if you started one take a look at what is on meetup already and model a group on something that is already there ...maybe that is what is needed here in Gympie . Work you are lucky as I have never been accepted here and cannot find employment.
Melbourne City ,Brisbane City is where I have come from ,I didn't choose to live here, it actually just happened not sure how ...looked at home outside of Gympie area next min, we were living here! Not the cafe scene here that I am accustom too , but it is changing for the better . Age group Mature aged. Now that we are here we have met heap's of outsiders if you choose to call them that, living on the outskirts of town.None of them come from this region as they have come from Sydney ,Melbourne, Brisbane and further afield . I still think it would be great to start a group on MEETUPfor newbies to the area you may be pleasantly surprised? Hope that answers all your questions
100% agree with the original poster. Its a dead end town. The ONLY reason its still alive is that its on the highway. But come November next year when the highway thankfully totally bypasses the town all together, there wont be a reason to go there. I say this partly sad as ive got friend and family there and we live nearby, but being brutally honest, anyone moving from somewhere established ie melbourne regional nsw or regional vic is in for a big shock and thousands of kms on their car just to get out of the place every weekend.
Hervey Bay is now more of a helltown than Gympie ever was, all the ferals have moved there for the cheap rent and water views, where as everyone else is moving to Gympie for its laid back country atmosphere, I was born here and lived in a few other places but I always come back to Gympie, I have heard so many people that come here comment on the friendliness of the people here
John, I certainly don't fall into what you have quoted above, and nor do any of the people that I associate with here in the Gympie region, we have all moved here from Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney etc ....we are not from a low socio-economic place and have not come from that kind of background. We are employed and there are some wonderful people in this area! I have come across just as many Feral, socioeconomic areas in all major cities. There is a diverse range of people arriving in the area and bringing a new lively upbeat side to the area
Hi I'm originally from Melbourne, have lived around the world and bought my own very affordable house in Gympie in 2011. I struggle to find work in town, so I continue to travel for work. I either work part-time in Brisbane, which is a long commute, or I do contracts interstate and overseas for several months at a time. I would prefer to be able to stay home with my garden and cats, but as I'm single, this is the only way I can support myself. I struggled to find like-minded (progressive/radical, cultured, intelligent, broad-minded, educated) people for quite some time, and there is definitely a conservative right-wing bent to the town, but honestly, I'm starting to meet cool people all the time. It seems new people are moving in and I'm also encountering people just by getting involved in various things, such as the amazing gallery, local growers' groups and greenie stuff. I'd love for more progressive, creative, eco-minded folk to come in and continue the rejuvenation of this place.
Well pippil , You are correct on the people they are starting to arrive and the vibe is starting to change in the area we were blessed yesterday with attending an amazing workshop on growing/cultivating your own food from a young man named Kane that is moving to the area with his family from Tamborine GC area , we have a great permaculture group and the list goes on, we just need the negative people to move over and let the newbies be more progressive in/for the area it is being rejuvenated pity we could change the name of the town as I feel that has a large part to play .....lol
I would think that would be hard to change the connotation of the name as it has had a reputation that was endorsed by the right-wing here in Gympie. Let us hope, as it is nothing like people proclaim it to be? They should have left it as the aboriginal word "gimpi gimpi" sounds better than GYM-PIE ....lol
I have lived here for 20 years and I have found the folk here are really friendly. When we walk our dogs, most people stop their cars & tell us to walk across the road! You wouldn't get THAT in a city. I think Gympie should have the name "Friendly town" because we have always found people friendly.
My partner and I have just put a contract on acerage in Curra.
I'm nervous as I've travelled A LOT and moved A LOT, and this time I'm very keen to stop, find some good connections. And feel at home. We are early 40's, both musicians and creatives. I sure hope Gympie is friendly and that I can find some good connections (and good coffee). It's a compromise as neither of us like heat, but heck, what great value for money property is. Hoping that does mean new interesting folk arrive... and that there are events and venues to find them. :-)
Hope country music is your style. Lots of people come here for the cheap land but it's cheap for a reason. Many people who move here are unable to find work, Gympie has one of QLDs highest unemployment rates. There are 2 or 3 places where you can get a coffee, but not on Saturday afternoon, Sunday, or after 4 on a weekday. The other day is was 40 degrees here, the Sunshine Coast had a top of 29 degrees in the same day. It's very hot here due to the fact that Gympie is literally built in a hole and the air gets trapped. Regional small town creative avenues cannot compare to what is available in an urban area. Sorry to sound so negative but I wish I'd read honest review before moving here. I can't wait for the next few years to pass so we can really start putting down our roots somewhere we want to be. I hope that you are happy here though, everyone's different.
pinkpanda thanks for your honesty as I am looking at moving somewhere near Gympie next year to be closer to my daughter who lives on the Sunshine Coast. Would you know which areas outside of Gympie may be cooler than Gympie itself? I am thinking that Curra and places west of Gympie, Widgee, Pie creek etc, would be hotter places than Cedar Pocket, Mothar Mountain? Unfortunately the closer to the Sunshine coast I look, the dearer the prices and I can't afford the areas. I may be able to find an affordable place in Traveston, Cooroy, Pomona but not sure. All the nice greener places like Tinbeerwah, Doonan etc are so expensive! Any ideas? Anything you can give me would be much appreciated! Thank you!!
Hi MariaL6 - I have just asked my husband about temperatures - he grew upon here, I grew up in Noosa. Temperature wise he says that Curra, Widgee, Pie Creek would be similar to Gympie, "no cooler". Cooroy and Pomona would be cooler, as they are much closer to the cost. Cedar Pocket, Traveston and Mothar Mountain may be "marginally cooler". Just his opinion, he knows the area well. Hope that helps.
I was born here too so know the area well, areas to the west are a bit hotter. Look for something on the east side for areas greener and cooler. Cedar pocket is a nice area, Goomborian would also be a higher rainfall area than say Widgee, Curra, Glastonbury. I've lived in Gympie, Cedar Pocket, Mothar Mountain and Widgee.
My son and his wife have moved from NSW to Curra and simply love Curra.It gets a bit hot though .And hello to raA1.My son is a drummer and you say you are musicians.sounds interesting as he wants to start a band.Nothing much around and brisbane is far away for bands.could you send info about what musicians you are and you never know you could start a band in Curra. [email protected] get in touch if interested.
I've never lived in Gympie, but I've visited there a number of times - and it ~seems~ like a safe place to live. My folks live at Noosa, which is why I sometimes head over to Gympie. To help with your question, are you referring to the township itself ? Or do you think you'll be living outside the township?
nope move to toogoom gympie used to be reffered to as hell
If you looking at buying check out Toogoom queensland you can buy a houses with everything
cheap as chips...
and every houses is 1klm or less to beaut white sandy beaches
I have only lived in Gympie for 7 months, and I love it!!
Like many others have mentioned it is so friendly, and it's like good old fashioned "values" from 30/40 years ago.......
I am an ex-pom and have lived in Australia for 18 years, I herald from a very tough working class town in the North of England, and I tell you, if you think Gympie is "unsafe" or "risky" you ain't seen nothing!
Within a week of moving in as a single bloke, I had met 6 sets of neighbours, was invited to BBQ's and footy drinks, and it was wonderful and so welcoming.
I do get the levels of unemployment though, as it is a country town, apart from the hospital, the local abattoir, Laminex and Council, all the other businesses are small businesses, so not heaps of opportunity for the younger end of the employee spectrum.
I have very good friends that live 45mins South in Peregian Springs, they have a 4x2 on approx 750m2, no change from $1 Mill, they have a Coles and some small speciality shops, a golf course, and only 4 coffee shops.......Gympie has way more to offer than that, and for half the price tag!
Of course they are only 15 mins from Coolum Beach, which is fine for the beach lovers, but for anything else like Harvey Norman, BCF etc etc, they have to travel to Maroochydore. So I think people should give Gympie a fair go, yes it has had a "stigma" for years, but when you take a step back and look at what is available in the town, you will be amazed.
Also have lived in SA, WA and QLD as well as UK!
If you are a cafe scene, left leaning, free thinker who is used to nightlife, health food options, sea breezes, etc, this place is purgatory. If however you are looking for cheap land or rent, good fishing/camping options and are not bothered by 40 degree heat in summer and single digit cold in winter, then it may well suit you....Lucky we have the freedom to choose in this country......
Gympie area is lovely,we can't believe the amount of people from Brisbane,Gold Coast and Sydney that we have met here . Everyone just loves the friendliness of the place and that you are so close to the sunshine coast, rainbow beach and surrounding areas . Safe new vibe comjng into the area the shops are lovely down Mary Street . Certainly not the hell town people thought it was changing for the better mind you we hve Hell town onthe bruce highway as you head towards Gympie on the right hand side ,they restore old cars have a great collection of motorbikes in the cafe worth a stop and a look at if you are passing by? Southside has a great organic shop and cafe called Farmer & Sun and lots more cafes on mary street.
Its getting less and less desirable and rents are spiking thanks to all the idiots moving for a seachange. But they dont realise that its a place of climatic extremes. The other day we were talking with a real estate agent and she had over 130 applications for an old house thats at least 110% over the rent price it should be thanks to all the idiots moving away from the sunshine coast.
Gympie town is a lovely friendly place, however do not buy a shop in Mary St. There is still a redneck element in the way of one franchise, whose owner believes he is so rich he is above the law and can do as he pleases. He practices this daily by bullying surrounding businesses... just this one rotten apple who seems to have the support of the people who can make a difference. Such a shame, as apart from this one arrogant egotist, the local people are great.