Gympie is located on the Bruce highway, about 2 and a half hours north-west of Brisbane. Gympie is sometimes known as the ‘town that saved Queensland’. In 1867 Queensland was facing bankruptcy until James Nash found gold up the Mary River, this boosted the economy. There is plenty of history and heritage in the area.

Gympie is quite a rural area with many farms, however due its location on the highway there are plenty of travellers and tourists. The people are very friendly and always willing to lend a hand.

The quiet, laid back lifestyle is a large appeal of Gympie. The rural landscape and state forests make Gympie feel quite remote.

The main employment opportunities in Gympie are to do with agriculture and retail. The area is growing and there are always new stores opening up as the town develops.

Real estate in Gympie is very affordable. The houses tend be very spacious with a decent size yard. The average price for a three bedroom, two bathroom home with a DLUG and large yard is about $350 000. For a similar house, on a small amount of acreage it is only about $50 000 more. This area is fast growing and property prices are set to rise.

There are many schools in the area including seven primary schools, two state high and three private. The public school fees and uniforms are very affordable and the school fees for the private schools are all between $2000 and $3000 for a high school student.

Gympie is very spacious and there are many large parks for families to enjoy BBQs. Other tourist attractions include the museums on the town’s history in wood work, timber and of course the gold rush. One of the main historic attractions is the Mary Valley Rattler steam trains. Trains run every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday along a scenic route through the valley.

Gympie is located near many state forests, with camping facilities available and is about one hour from the famous Rainbow Beach. From Rainbow Beach it is a short Barge ride to Fraser Island.

Each year Gympie is host to the Toyota National Country Music Muster. This is the largest celebration of Country music anywhere in Australia, attracting people from all over. For about a week the Amamoor State Forest turns into a small town of its own, full of tents and campervans. There are many great new people to meet here.

Gympie is a great place for someone looking to live in rural Queensland while also being within and easy drive of Brisbane.