Living south of Cairns
The south side of Cairns is a mix of suburban, family living and single person households. Living south of the city in Cairns, you will find more families and detached houses in Edmonton and Mount Sheridan, as opposed to White Rock, Woree and Earlville where there is a higher proportion of people living the single life or share-housing, particularly in apartments and rental properties.
New developments in the south side of Cairns, such as Forest Gardens and more recently, Mount Peter Estate, are home to many families. The southern suburb of Edmonton also houses our popular waterpark, Sugarworld, plenty of sporting facilities and shopping options.
Residents in the south side of Cairns enjoy easy access to the CBD via the Bruce Highway major arterial road, and convenient access to shopping precincts at Earlville, Mount Sheridan and Edmonton.
The southern corridor is home to a wide range of public and private education facilities from early childhood through to secondary school, Including several catholic colleges and the Trinity Anglican College in White Rock.
Median house prices in the Cairns southern suburbs*
Southern corridor suburbs are among the city’s most affordable.
| Southern suburb | Approx. driving time to CBD** | Median house prices* |
|---|---|---|
| Woree | 12 minutes | $410,000 |
| White Rock | 14 - 15 minutes | $400,000 |
| Mount Sheridan | 14 - 16 minutes | $450,000 |
| Bayview Heights | 14 - 16 minutes | $480,000 |
| Bentley Park | 17 minutes | $440,000 |
| Edmonton | 20 minutes | $435,000 |
| Mount Peter | 24 minutes | $465,000 |
* source: realestate.com.au, September 2022 ** Google maps
- Woree - affordable suburb hosting two primary schools (one State, one Catholic) and two secondary schools (one State, one Catholic) as well as the Cairns Golf Club, soccer and tennis clubs, and a public swimming facility with 25m and 50m pools.
- White Rock - affordable suburb with a high proportion of rental properties including units, duplexes and detached houses. The suburb hosts two schools - White Rock State School (primary) and Trinity Anglican School (Prep to Year 12) and is well serviced by public transport.
- Mount Sheridan - a relatively new, family-friendly suburb comprising primarily detached houses and featuring the leafy Forest Gardens residential estate with rainforest walking tracks, parks and sports oval.
- Bayview Heights - another family-friendly suburb with a mix of housing options including a retirement village. Hillslopes properties offer sweeping city and harbour views, and are more highly priced than the lower areas of the suburb.
- Bentley Park - fast-growing suburb featuring a mix of affordable houses and hillslopes properties with sweeping views. The suburb has a Catholic primary school and large State school (Prep to Year 12).
- Edmonton - the largest suburb in Cairns was originally a sugar plantation with its own mill and refinery. Today, the suburb features a mix of affordable residential properties (including a new retirement village), as well as commercial and industrial land, major sports grounds, the popular Sugarworld waterslide park and two State primary schools. It's approximately 10 minutes from the CBD with easy access via the Bruce Highway.
- Mount Peter - a new master-planned suburb featuring the new Mackillop Catholic College (Prep to Year 12 by 2025). The development will feature over 1000 home sites on completion, with future plans for the surrounding areas to include public schools, retail, sporting and community facilities.
What locals love about living on the south side of Cairns
There are lots of really good sporting facilities in the southern suburbs, bike paths and cycling tracks and we're close to the shops. It's a very easy commute to the city. The Sugarworld waterpark in Edmonton is a popular birthday party spot and hang-out for kids and families. Some great venues have popped up on the southside in recent times, which make the most of some of the retro accommodation sites in the southern corridor.
Lucas, Mount Sheridan