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Fleeing Tropical Darwin For The Capricorn Coast Or, How We Escaped The “Build-Up” In Australia’s Sunshine State ~ By Brian Norris

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US$1 equals 1.52 Australian dollars Tropical Darwin has two seasons, “dry” and “wet,” and in between three to four months of what is unfondly known as “the build-up.” From September, imagine 90% humidity at 6 a.m. (and that’s the lowest it gets) with no rain relief until the monsoons hit in December/January. It’s like walking around with a 10-ton block of concrete on your shoulders, and even breathing is an effort.  With good reason, this is known as the suicide season. I said to Heather, my wife, “If I have to endure one more build-up, I’m liable to kill somebody—probably myself!” Through International Living, we started researching alternative location and lifestyle options. We looked at Europe and Central and South America, and it quickly became apparent that these were not really viable options for us. Housing and living costs in these places are no cheaper (and in some cases much more expensive) than what we enjoy in Australia. Add to that the sheer distance we would have to travel, the necessity to learn another language, giving up our careers, and starting from scratch…and it all seemed too daunting a prospect. The Sunshine State Make no mistake, one day we will live overseas, but the stunning region we’ve found in Australia (a region that also boasts good investment potential) is just too good to pass up right now. Look at any economic indicator (including the Big Mac Index), and you’ll find that the Australian economy is one of the most under-valued in the world.

A shot of the beautiful beach in Yeppoon.

Heather saw an ad for a contract position in a town called Yeppoon. Our immediate joint response was, “where the heck is Yeppoon?” We researched it on the Internet, found it on the Queensland coast, flew over for a look, and fell in love immediately. To cut a long story short, Heather got the contract, we sold our house and business, chucked the dogs in the back of the four-wheel drive, and did the 2,000-mile trip from Darwin to Yeppoon in three days. 

A sleep for 200 years

Yeppoon is in the middle of the Capricorn Coast in Queensland (Australia’s second-largest state) and is not well known, even among Australians. It’s been asleep for the last 200 years, but is waking up fast. The amount of development going on around the area is mind-boggling.

The mayor, an American/Australian dual national, told me that Yeppoon has the lifestyle of California (without the price tag) and sits on the same latitude climate belt as Rio and Acapulco. Suits me just fine. 
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The coastline around Yeppoon is breathtaking, hilly, and not just one endless stretch of beach. It meanders around little scalloped inlets and sandy coves and truly is where the bush land meets the beach. The native trees and vegetation sweep down almost to the foreshore in some areas and houses are nestled in amongst the trees, with panoramic sea views and kangaroos grazing on the front lawn. All land developments, old and new, have used the environment rather than destroying it. The native fauna is quite comfortable with human neighbors and on the Yeppoon golf course the major hazards are grazing kangaroos, low-flying pelicans, and cruising ducks—scoring a birdie can take on a whole new meaning! And just minutes away there’s the suburb of Emu Park, where the emus (Australia’s version of the ostrich) literally have right of way on the streets. A golfer’s paradise While we’re on the subject, this is a golfer’s paradise. In the Yeppoon area there are no less than four full-sized golf courses, with two more about to be constructed. One is being designed and built by champion golfer, Wayne Grady. He was here, recently, supervising the layout. His golf course will be the centerpiece of the Great Barrier Reef Resort Village, a several hundred-million dollar development at Zilzie, right on the coast, a couple of inlets down the road from Yeppoon. Apart from designing the golf course, Wayne Grady has also bought an investment property in the village—he just loves the place. The resort village is the brainchild of Chris Dadson, who made his millions building holiday resorts in England and came to Australia as a business migrant in the 1980s. He and his wife Rita are permanent residents and will become naturalized Australians this year. They came to Yeppoon on holiday a few years ago and never left. Chris has been all over the world but he reckons he’s never seen anywhere to compare with this region.

Three-bedroom houses start at $120,000. The main bedroom is ensuite and has a spa. The property is fully-fenced and landscaped. The house is insulated and includes a double garage. The views alone are worth the price.

For more details, contact: Great Barrier Reef International Resort (Chris or Rita Dadson), tel. (61)749-387-777; fax (61)749-387-888; e-mail: info@gbrir.com.au.

A Healthier And Happier Lifestyle

The Yeppoon area has a population of less than 20,000 people (and growing), but still has all of the amenities you’ll ever need. Lawn bowls, tennis and sailing clubs, public and private hospitals, doctors and dentists, major banks, a public and a private hospital, restaurants, a movie theatre, and a supermarket shopping center. And there’s a multi-million dollar, up-market shopping center about to be built on the edge of town—if you hunger for the big city lights, Rockhampton is just thirty minutes away.

Imagine a place with a wonderful lifestyle, idyllic climate, low cost of living, and incredibly safe. A place where few people bother to lock their homes or their cars and it’s perfectly safe to walk the streets at night. That’s Yeppoon!

I’ve never been a morning person at the best of times, but now we all hit the beach (dogs included) every morning at daybreak for an hour’s body surfing and running. We’re fitter, healthier, and happier than we’ve been for decades.
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The fruit and vegetables here are so fresh they almost scream when you bite into them. Just up the road is Byfield, one of Queensland’s major salad bowls. Every Saturday at 6 a.m. the growers set up produce stalls in the Yeppoon Showgrounds. The prices are ridiculously cheap—lettuces—three for 50 cents; avocados—25 cents each; and the sweetest sugarloaf cabbages—two for 50 cents. Speaking of cheap, the local beachfront hotel offers amazing counter lunches, from a pizza with your choice of toppings and big enough for two people for about $8 to the Ploughman’s Lunch for about $7 that features three meats, cheese, and chunks of bread and pickles. For the same price the Fisherman’s Basket is a huge plate of fries and assorted seafood nibbles—so fresh they try to swim off the plate! And let’s not forget the steaks for about $8—the plates are big, but the juicy steaks still manage to hang over the edge, with fries and salad piled up. According to the local real estate agents, now that the rest of Australia is starting to discover the Capricorn Coast, something unexpected is happening in Yeppoon and the surrounding area. The biggest influx of people used to be retirement aged pensioners, now the swing is to professional people (accountants, lawyers, industry CEO’s etc), who have discovered that they can operate from anywhere as long as the electronic communication infrastructure is in place. And it definitely is in place at Yeppoon. Aside from the normal phone and fax services, the area has complete mobile phone coverage and high-speed broadband for e-mail and Internet.

The area around Yeppoon is also rich in wildlife.

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Australians have always been quick to embrace new technology—we boast the world’s fastest uptake of mobile phones, e-mail/Internet, and electronic banking. 

It’s this use of technology that has helped the Capricorn Coast to become the third fastest growing area in Australia’s fastest growing state, Queensland. With nearly a billion dollars in developments happening now, the region is predicted to be number one in growth within two years. The population is growing over 3% annually and the property boom is just beginning.

Property Picks - What’s On The Market In Yeppoon

The property prices are accelerating, but Yeppoon is awash with bargains. 
A two-bedroom house, close to a school and shops. Price: $50,000. This would make an ideal investment property. At the moment, it has a tenant and rents for $70 per week.

Central Yeppoon, a three-bedroom fully furnished unit with magnificent sea views from two balconies. The house also has a swimming pool, lockup garage, and currently gets $220 per week holiday rental. Price: $75,000.

A three-bedroom house with separate lounge and dining areas. Price: $45,000.

A three-bedroom brick home, only ten minutes from Yeppoon. Raked ceilings, covered verandah, and both rural and sea views. The block is 19 acres, with lush volcanic soil. Price: 172,000.

A three-bedroom brick house, just minutes from town and beach, with separate lounge area and a fenced back yard. This is an ideal rental property or a comfortable first retirement home. Price: $107,000.

A three-bedroom brick home, only 10 minutes from Yeppoon. Raked ceilings, covered verandah, and both rural and sea views. The block is 19.42 acres with lush volcanic soil. It also has two 5,000-gallon rainwater tanks and a dam with a six horse power pump. Extras are three machinery sheds, a workshop, and a greenhouse. Price: $172,000.

For details on these properties and many more, contact: 
Elders Real Estate Yeppoon, tel. (61)749-395-599; fax (61)749-394-992; website: www.eldersyeppoon.com.au. 
Cedar Park Realty, tel. (61)749-395-522; fax (61)749-395-555; e-mail: cedarpark@tpg.com.au.

Summary Of Options For Immigration To Australia

Australia ranked fifth in the 2002 IL Global Index. It was stated that it would have ranked higher but for the high cost and difficulties involved. I beg to differ. In this life one should accumulate wealth or skills and hopefully both. There are over 40 visa sub-categories in Australian immigration and if anybody cannot find one to suit, then they really need to review their life achievements! 

The biggest mistake most people make is to try and go it alone—that’s literally walking blindfolded through the minefield of bureaucracy and red tape. There are many professional immigration advisory companies in Australia, who specialize in tailoring the correct visa category to the individual’s circumstances. The Migration Institute of Australia website contains a full listing of immigration advisers. For more information, tel. (61)292-793-140; fax (61)292-793-172; website: www.mia.org.au. 

Unlike New Zealand, Australia actively welcomes older retirees. The following are examples of some immigration categories that may be of interest to you. Like any other country, the immigration laws of Australia are diverse and complex—expert advice and assistance are essential. However Australia does now allow dual citizenship.

Temporary Residence-Retirement

Increasing numbers of people are retiring to Australia. To meet eligibility criteria you must:
*Be 55 or over.
*Have no dependents including dependents of spouse.
*Have capital/income of $427,000 (discounts apply if a non-dependent child resides in Australia) or $132,000 and pension or other capital for investment, which provides annual income over $29,500 (discounts apply if a non-dependent child resides in Australia).
*Have no intention of working in Australia.
*Be of good health and character.
*Have adequate health insurance.

Conditions

1. A temporary-residents visa is valid for four years initially, after that you can apply for further stays ad infinitum for two years at a time (no upper limit).
You cannot rely on any Australian Social Security Benefits for your income. You can buy property.

2. Migrating as a business person
· Business skills migration aims to attract business people with a proven record of business skills and expertise. In particular, it looks at the level of experience of a successful business or investment owner or senior executive. Eligibility is based on a points system. There may be some potential for sponsorship with an Australian business.

3. Skilled migration
· The skilled stream of Australia’s migration program is specifically designed to target migrants who have skills or outstanding abilities that will contribute to the Australian economy. Eligibility is based on a points system.

4. Special migration categories
· Special migration caters for people who fall into one of four migration categories: 
i. Close ties with those either in Australia now or who have been in Australia previously for an extended period.
ii. Distinguished talent (exceptional or outstanding record of achievement in your chosen field or profession, the arts, or sport).
iii. Former resident.
iv. Prospective marriage spouse.

The Capricorn Coast boasts one of Queensland’s most delightful climates
These statistics are representative of Yeppoon and The Keppel Islands, averaged over the last 90 years.

*MONTH Low (degrees Fahrenheit) High (degrees Fahrenheit)
*January 74 85
*February 73 84
*March 71 83
*April 66 80
*May 60 75
*June 53 71
*July 51 70
*August 54 72
*September 59 75
*October 65 79
*November 69 82
*December 72 85

Average 64 78

A Resort Bigger Than Some Towns

For a place to stay while visiting, I recommend Rydges Capricorn Resort. The resort complex is nestled amongst a whopping 22,000 acres of sprawling tropical landscape, with its own rainforest and wetlands. Guided tours are operated three days a week, where you’ll see up to 50 different species of birds in just over three hours, including majestic black swans and huge white bellied sea eagles. 

The resort also has 10 miles of sandy beachfront, one of the largest freshwater swimming pools in the South Pacific, shops, and several top-class restaurants, including Tsuruya Japanese. And this is traditional Japanese cuisine, prepared by authentic Japanese chefs. 

There is also two 18-hole golf courses and a diverse range of water sport facilities. The resort also has a gymnasium, lawn bowls, tennis courts, guided horse riding tours through bushland, dunes and surf, archery, and massage. Most of these activities are free to paying guests and better yet, there’s also a free kid’s club.
There are a number of special packages available: 

Golf Getaway Package—$70 per adult per night, which includes full buffet breakfast and 18 holes of golf with a motorized buggy.

B&B Package—$45 per adult per night, which includes full buffet breakfast and transfers from and to Rockhampton Airport.

Rydges Capricorn Resort, tel. (61)749-252-525; fax (61)749-252-526; e-mail: capricorn@capricornresort.com; website: www.capricornresort.com.

Cane Toads On The Rampage

The cane toad is one of Australia’s biggest environmental disasters. In 1935 some “rocket scientist” decided to import it from South America to eat the cane beetle, which damages the sugar cane plants. The idiot overlooked one tiny but very significant detail—cane beetles can fly, but cane toads can’t! It has had no effect on the cane beetle, but a devastating effect on the native fauna. 

The cane toad is big (up to three pounds), ravenously carnivorous, breeds prolifically and constantly; and thrives in hot humid climates. In the wet season the roads in north Queensland literally become a seething mass of cane toads on the rampage. To make it worse, the top of their bodies is covered with virulent poison sacs, so they have no natural predators—anything that tries to eat them dies agonizingly in a matter of minutes. On a more positive note, some of the native fauna are starting to fight back. The native crows are learning to flip Cane Toads onto their backs and feast, while avoiding the poison sacs.

The horde of toads has now crossed the border into the world famous Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory. So if you want to see Kakadu, do it soon, in a decade or so it may not be worth it.
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