Living in the rainforest: a Cairns tree change
If a leafier life is what you are chasing, Cairns has many options for a tree change
You can live in the rainforest in the Redlynch Valley and still be close to the city. You can also choose to get away from it all, or settle in your own 'treehouse', which is still a quick drive to the beach. (If this sounds like your kind of lifestyle, you could try the higher parts of Smithfield.)
Another popular area with nature-loving types and families are the suburbs of Stratford and Freshwater, where you'll find a mix of older-style, high-set Queenslander homes and landscaped townhouses filling the spaces between the trees, parks and creeks.
Median house prices in our leafy and rainforest suburbs
| Rainforest / tree change suburbs | Approx. driving time to Cairns CBD** | Median house price* |
|---|---|---|
| Redlynch Valley | 15 minutes | $546,000 |
| Kanimbla | 11 minutes | $570,000 |
| Kamerunga | 15 minutes | $562,000 |
| Stratford | 11 minutes | $687,000 |
| Freshwater | 14 minutes | $658,000 |
| Smithfield | 17 minutes | $474,000 |
| Caravonica | 18 minutes | $570,000 |
| Bayview Heights | 13 minutes | $446,000 |
* source: realestate.com.au, December 2021 **source: Google maps
- Aeroglen is at the foot of one of the most popular walking track series in Cairns - the Arrows. Opposite the airport, it is home to many families as well as some industrial businesses, services and cafes.
- Stratford is one of the 'character precinct' areas in Cairns, where protections exist to maintain the Queenslander look and feel of the area. The village at Stratford has an impressive and popular combination of cafes, deli, restaurants and specialty shops like homewares.
- Freshwater homes and apartments have been built alongside paddocks of sugar cane, creeks and seasonally, fields of sunflowers, which are planted seasonally by cane farmers.
No matter where you live in this leafy little suburban cluster, you’re no more than 10 minutes from anywhere. Stratford Village is a popular spot for foodies and for locals to catch up.
These suburbs are close to the city, and have a good mix of housing options, families, couples, young and old. A ‘fun fact’ about this area is that it home to Cairns’s highest rate of university-educated residents at 29 per cent.
Parts of nearby Brinsmead, Kanimbla, Bayview Heights, Whitfield and Edge Hill are also great options for the rainforest lifestyle. These suburbs are home to dozens of sporting clubs, small shopping precincts, parks and are a short drive to the very popular and multi-use park, Goomboora, which has a large dog-off-lead area, a winding creek to swim in, and an adventure-style, natural playground with flying fox under massive shade trees.
The Redlynch Valley in the city's west is (arguably) our best- known 'rainforest' suburb. Families with children make up more than 44 per cent of the population in Redlynch (and in nearby Kanimbla), making them the most popular suburbs in Cairns for family living.
Many waterfalls, creeks and bushwalks are scattered throughout the Redlynch Valley and surrounds, with Stoney Creek and Crystal Cascades popular locals' swimming spots and Goomboora Park in Brinsmead a great place for a park play and creek paddle. Goomboora also has dog-friendly areas for a run or a swim.
Cairns's western rainforest suburbs are
- Redlynch
- Caravonica
- Kamerunga
You will also find rainforest living options in the suburbs of
- Brinsmead
- Kanimbla
- Whitfield
- Edge Hill
- Mt Sheridan
- Forest Gardens
- Bayview Heights
A quieter rainforest life further from the city is a half-hour to one-hour drive south
- Goldsborough
- Mirriwinni
- Babinda
A local's perspective of living in Freshwater
I like the old suburban feel; its wide streets, bigger blocks and parks, the still visible cane fields makes it feel rural, but only being 10-15mins from either the city, the beaches or the Redlynch valley. We have all the convenience of being close to schools, the hospitals and various shopping centres, local pubs and restaurants in walking distance but the Whitfield range makes it feel like a satellite suburb where there are still horses and cane fields.
Lia
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