Country living near Cairns
Rural, tropical and close to the city
If the country or rural lifestyle is the change you crave, Cairns can offer you acreage less than 30 minutes out of the CBD in Gordonvale or the nearby Goldsborough Valley.
Beautiful rural locations for country living near Cairns include:
- the small country town of Babinda, which is famous for its rainfall and its Boulders;
- the tiny town of Mirriwinni;
- the oceanside Bramston Beach where you need to be on the lookout for cassowaries as you approach your destination;
- and localities like Aloomba, Deeral and Bellenden Ker, popular with anglers because of their easy access to the Russel and Mulgrave Rivers and offshore islands.
Some of these small towns have country schools, where students study in multi-age classrooms and total student numbers are below 100. Mirriwinni and Aloomba both have primary schools.
Median house prices in Cairns rural and semi-rural suburbs
| Suburb | Approx. driving time from Cairns CBD** | Median house price* |
|---|---|---|
| Gordonvale | 26 minutes | $449,000 |
| Goldsborough | 35 minutes | $732,500 |
| Babinda | 1 hour,10 minutes from Cairns and 25 minutes from Innisfail | $249,000 |
* source: realestate.com.au, September 2022; ** Google Maps
Fun facts
- Gordonvale has the highest proportion of tradies of any Cairns suburb at 28 per cent and also has lots of families.
- Babinda has a slightly older population than most of Cairns with a median population age of 46 years.
- Although Babinda is part of the Cairns region, many of the town's 4200 residents will be doing their grocery shopping or working in the nearby regional town of Innisfail, which is 25 minutes' drive away.
- Gordonvale: feels like a country town, but with an edge. It is in the shadow of the impressive Walsh’s Pyramid, known as ‘Djarragun’ by the local Indigenous people (meaning the mound of the scrub hen, Djarruga) - one of the highest freestanding natural pyramids in the world. Several private and public schools are in Gordonvale.
- Babinda: Just over an hour's drive from Cairns, (and 25 minutes from Innisfail) Babinda is known for its famous Boulders swimming hole. The town also has a (disputed) claim for ‘Australia’s wettest town’ and a bakery that many people argue has the best cream buns around. There's a country hospital too, and a growing number of newcomers moving in and starting businesses.
- Goldsborough Valley: Frequently described as 'tranquil', 'relaxing' and 'friendly' by locals who might also tell you that it's just over 30 minutes door-to-door if they work in the Cairns CBD. And, despite being rural enough to keep chooks and a pony, you can still get a pizza delivered from Gordonvale.
- Deeral and Bellenden Ker: Keen fishers will want to consider checking out these localities. Both quiet places are green and great for launching a tinnie into one of the rivers - the Russel River from Bellenden Ker and the Mulgrave from Deeral, which is also the launching point to get to the Frankland Islands Group National Park.
- Those looking for even more peace and quiet might consider localities further away from the city of Cairns (but not so far from the town of Innisfail) such as Bartle Frere, at the base of Queensland's highest mountain, or Mirriwinni, 'home of triathlete, Brad Bevan', as the sign into town will tell you.
- Aloomba
- Deeral
- Eubenagee
- Fishery Falls
- Goldsborough
- Mount Peter
- Mirriwinni
- Packers Camp
- Woopen Creek
Suburbs and localities where you can find a quiet life or acreage in the Cairns region:
What locals love about living in Gordonvale
It's the peace and quiet we like here in Gordonvale. And the people are friendly; there is a great community spirit. It's more like a country town, but we are just over 20 minutes drive from Cairns. The Atherton Tablelands are a short drive up the range and one of the ways you can tell the change of seasons is by the molasses smell in the air when the mill is crushing cane. Great fishing nearby too.
Dave, Gordonvale
Rural centres near Cairns
Cairns is part of northern Australia's food bowl with the rich agricultural lands of the Mareeba and Atherton areas just over an hour away from Cairns. Innisfail and surrounds are also just an hour away from Cairns. The drive from Cairns to Mareeba is less than an hour and Atherton is just over an hour to Cairns.
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