Yep I live here... but I might not be the best person to ask ...

its starting to grow on me a little but I would perfure to be back in Cairns, but thats just coz i love cairns as I think its so much bigger and better then here, but dont let me put you off...

lets see whats in Mackay, well apart from me they have 2 shopping centres but compare to Melbourne you might not call them that, but we do have almost all shops here you would normally expect to find in bigger town shopping centres, we have the big 3 ( kmart big w and target) but only one of each so if they dont have then you miss out, we are rummered to be getting a myer but I am still waiting to see where that will be...

as for cafes I would DIE for a good one... there isnt much of them here, but they do have a few in canelands and mt pleasent...

there is a free lagoon here which most people go too..

I find the rent up here $$$ but it would depend on where your renting now I guess as to weather you find it cheeper or not, we are paying $450pw to live on 18acres in seaforth about 40 min drive nth of mackay, but if we could live our time again we would choose to move into town, I like Blacks beach area, but even there you have to drive a good 15- 20 mins to get to you local food shop... Mt pleasent is a nice area, glenella is ok too, nice and close to everything, with with a teen would be helpful...

what year would your DSD be in next year as QLD does a year less here than vic so you might find she should have finish school when she gets up here lol, but that would only mean she will be older than everyone else so no biggy really... they only just brought in prep 2 years ago in QLD so 1st year used to be the year they turned 6 not matter when that was, if that makes it any easier to guess where he would be for school, I guess the best thing to do would be ring or email and find out, if you email let them know what year and month she was born so they will be able to give you a better idea...

Ummm what else what else, we are NOT Nth QLD or I dont think they are I see the North as townsville and Cairns well Airlie beach up... here I would say they are the north of the midcoast of QLD, but I am sure mackay born and breads would disagree with me, but then again they would disagree with alot of what I think lol...

by comming up in DEC/Jan will give you a good idea of the heat, I dont think its too bad but then I have lived in Cairns and Darwin which are much more sticky, so far ( we have only just been here sence june but it feels like forever )...

I have met a few ladies who meet up at the PCYC most weeks so if you do end up up here you will have to come join us...

If we had a choice I would move to Airlie beach I just love it there, but I dont know if it has a high school you would have to check it out, also some compaines ( like the one BHL works for ) wont let you live there as they say it too far to drive from the mines, so most people have to hang around Mackay...

Ummm most mines are about 2.5hrs or more from here, but to get houses out near site is next to imposible, plus are very clicky... there are few good places to see up here, I sure ( or I am hoping ) we have only just scraped the surface...

So I think thats about it, any questions please ask, I know how hard that type of money is to knock back, hence why we are up here, if it wasnt for the mines I couldnt be a sahm so for that I very greatful to mackay...

Oooo almost forgot one of the best things.... we get a local discount to the whitsunday islands which is pretty cool, but you have to book no more than 3 days before you want to go, but thats ok when your DH has 4 days off, just ring the week he is out see if there are any local rooms left, its that simple... we havent been yet, been waiting for the heat to get here as its been too cold for me to swim just yet, but in the last 3 days I think the build up has arrived ...

thats another thing it can flood here so have a look at where your house is when renting, as if its low laying or in reclamed flood lands, then expect to get wet feet if the huge rains come like they did at the begining of this year...

Ok ok I will shut up now