Moving to Kununurra

the town itself it really nice, one of the better to be found up north, it has grog problems and has had "restrictions" placed on hours and outlets in the last few years ...... nothing to stress about but you wont be in Cairns and have the access to drinks like there.........
It is hot n humid, hotter than Cairns but does get a longer dry spell with nice weather, cost of living is high as the income level is high... par for par .... schools i dont know about but i would assume to be excellent, it lives off the back of the mine....
Awsome place to live if you like to go see things, Kimberlys on your doorstep, and so much other stuff to see and do ...
You basically wont get half the stuff you can get in Cairns and you will pay a high price for what you can get so make sure your job pays well and be ready for that, Darwin is the nearest "shopping" for your """" stuff you dont need but want """""
Cheers and have fun, i would pick Cairns anyday but you wont earn the same $ there, that seems to be the problem these days eh

I would be asking your employer to assist with providing accommodation, or rental assistance, as costs as are high.
regards

Hi Tams, we live in Kununurra and apart from the beauty of the Kimberley, fishing and constantly camping there is not a hell of a lot more here.

The cost of living is high. $1.80 for diesel currently. I would say Coles prices are 30% more than elsewhere.

The 2 schools in town are average. Our daughter goes to the local catholic school and the teachers try very hard, but the learning difficulties and attendance rate of some of the local fellas holds everyone one else back. I wouldn't contemplate sending our kids to the local public school.

The rent is very expensive. For a good house you will pay $700-$800 per week. You are better off buying as you can get a reasonable house for $450000. Unless your housing is paid for or heavily subsidised I wouldn't come here.

There is a few social issues in town but it doesnt affect us and we dont see a lot of it.

The heat at this time of the year is just about unbearable, nearly 40 degrees everyday, (I am a builder though) and a lot of people leave town for 3-4 months and then come back.

There is alot of power outages at this time of the year from the electrical storms. Can get on your nerves but the lightning shows are amazing.

The majority of people that live and work here are travellers and foreigners. Very transient place. One minute your here the next you aint. A lot of foreigners get there visa by working here for a period of time as it is classed as a remote area.

It is difficult to live here with kids if both parents work full time. There is only one child care centre in town and about 3-4 family day care centres. All are currently full. Our 3 year old goes to the child care centre and it is well run. The biggest problem is for school aged children as there is no before or after school care and school holidays. Is a big issue for dual income families as you have no options of what to do with them. Some families in town have nannies for this reason.

The schooling and lack of after school care are 2 reasons my wife wants to leave the area. The only reason I want to live here is for the lifestyle of fishing, 4wding and camping in an incredible area.

Good luck with the decision. But just remember it is expensive to live here and unless your on great money and accomodation paid for, have a rethink.

Shane

I grew up in Wyndham , 100kms away.

Kununurra to us was were we went to do our shopping. For me, the cost of housing in Kununurra is a joke. You either love the place or hate it.

I hated it, but thats cause i grew up in Wyndham. Rivalry between the 2 towns has always been there. We wont go into that though.

Crime is high, lots of violence, kids wandering streets, drunks everywhere, but it can all be combated with living in the right area, and having a dog.

Wet seasons are hot, but awesome. So many places to swim and explore you will never be bored. I would live there now i am older, easy to get to Wyndham for real fishing. Partner will probably enjoy Argyle if he is on a decent roster. Great facilities and people. Pay is bit lower then other WA mines though, but they are increasing.

I thought the schools in Kununurra were ok, i would send my kids to the state school. Many tourists love the joint, and spend months there after only planning a few days.