If you’ve ever driven between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, you’ve probably driven right past Caboolture without giving it a second glance. And that’s ok. We get it. Although Caboolture is ideally situated for access to the M1 it is a little hidden from view, but imagine what that means for the community living here. It’s like Caboolture is South East Queensland’s best kept secret.
Well, this article is going to blow that secret wide open!
Here’s why we love living in Caboolture…
Caboolture at a glance
- Local Government: City of Moreton Bay
- Population: 29,534 people (2021 census)
- Location: North of Brisbane and west of Bribie Island
- Transport: The Bruce Highway (M1) and North Coast railway line
- Postcode: 4510
- History: Traditional home of the Kabi Aboriginal people, first settled by Europeans in 1841. Caboolture is derived from the Kabi Kabi words meaning Place of the Carpet Snake
- Shopping: Served by several large shopping villages, Caboolture Markets, and larger shopping centres housing the majors and mini-majors
- Schools: Selection of state and private primary and secondary and p-12 special schools
- Caboolture Real Estate (renting and buying): Options to suit all budgets. Strong growth forecast
Why you should move to Caboolture
Caboolture offers a perfect lifestyle for couples and young families who want affordable housing, good schools and facilities, tertiary education and abundant employment opportunities, plus the convenience of city access with the added perk of being close to the glorious wonders of the Sunshine Coast.
The lucky residents of Caboolture are shielded from the noise of heavy motorway traffic; those semi-rural properties on Caboolture’s outskirts can go on luxuriating in fresh air and pretending they’re miles away from densely populated areas of hustle and bustle; and those living close to the centre of town can enjoy all the big-city facilities of a train station, hospital, and major shopping centres and return home to vastly more affordable housing.
Whatever you are looking for, you can find it in Caboolture.
Shops and Restaurants
You won’t need to travel far for your groceries, markets, or fine dining. Caboolture has its fair share of large and small shopping centres, markets, and restaurants to suit all budgets.
Shopping in Caboolture
As with every growing community, Caboolture is rich with local shopping villages hosting convenience stores, speciality services, and takeaways. You will also find all your major stores, like Big W, Kmart and Target for when you need to shop for something special or indulge in a little retail therapy. For bigger shopping needs, head to:
- Caboolture Square: Home to Coles, a food court and over 25 specialty stores and services, Caboolture Square caters to your everyday shopping needs.
- Morayfield Shopping Centre: Just 2.5km from Caboolture Station (and on the bus route), Morayfield Shopping Centre has Coles, Woolworths, KMart, Target, Big W, and mini-majors including The Reject Shop, JB Hi-Fi, Best & Less, and Rebel Sports. There’s also a food court and Limelight Cinemas.
- Check out the Caboolture Made initiative to learn more about buying local.
Caboolture Markets
Open every Sunday morning from 5am, the Caboolture Country Markets is very well known for its fresh, local produce, second hand goods, plants, and its strong community. The kids will love the rides and the animal nursery!
Dining Out
Caboolture has many options for fans of Asian cuisine. Meekak Korean BBQ and Snook’s Thai Cuisine both have good reviews, while Gather and Feast is the perfect spot for breakfast or brunch.
Caboolture Sports Club offers a huge variety of dining options, from a relaxed, casual dining experience at The Mill Restaurant to all-day dining at Laneway Cafe, and rooms available for private functions.
Housing
Caboolture West is expected to become Moreton Bay Region’s largest emerging community over the next 40 years. Boundaries will be reshuffled, locality names changed, and several thousand new homes will be built. But all that is still to come.
The Caboolture that we know and love has seen strong growth in recent years with the median house value currently sitting at $669,000 – that’s a whopping $130,000 lower than the Queensland median value!
Rents are also great value. The median rental price for a home in Caboolture is currently at an affordable $520 per week.
Of course, that’s all subject to the type of home and lifestyle you are looking for.
Caboolture has a mix of housing, from cosy post-war cottages and old Queenslanders, to lifestyle living on acreage blocks. Upper Caboolture is green and peaceful, with acreage blocks going for the same price as small higher-density blocks in nearby North Lakes – perfect for those craving peace and room to breathe.
Alongside the Caboolture River you’ll find smart houses offering tranquil waterside living without being overshadowed by apartment blocks.
Overall, for anyone looking for a lifestyle opportunity between the city and the Sunshine Coast, or for young families looking for an affordable step onto the property ladder, Caboolture is definitely worth a look.
Employment
If you are looking for work, there’s never been a better time to move to Caboolture!
The local government is investing in housing and infrastructure in the Caboolture area, which is great news for labourers and trades people. With planned growth out to the west of Caboolture, those five new localities will offer employment in retail, education, hospitality, medical and other services necessary to a thriving community.
A quick look on any employment website will show you that opportunity abounds, with a range of full time and part time jobs across all skill levels and industries.
City slickers can take advantage of cheaper housing in Caboolture and still enjoy the hustle and bustle of Brisbane by day with an easy commute by road or rail.
Education
Families moving to Caboolture can rest assured that there is an education facility to suit their child’s needs and their family values. State primary and secondary schools are well established and parents can choose from many good quality Prep-Year 12 private schools. Caboolture also has P-12 special school facilities, with Caboolture Special School servicing Early Years to Grade 6, and the Lee Street State Special School catering for students in Years 7-12.
Public Schools in and around Caboolture
- Caboolture State School: Primary, Co-Ed
- Caboolture East State School: Primary, Co-Ed
- Pumicestone State School, Caboolture: Primary, Co-Ed
- Tullawong State School, Caboolture: Primary, Co-Ed
- Minimbah State School, Morayfield: Primary, Co-Ed
- Elimbah State School: Primary, Co-Ed
- Caboolture State High School: Secondary, Co-Ed
- Tullawong State High, Caboolture: Secondary Co-Ed
- Morayfield State High: Secondary, Co-Ed
Independent and Catholic Schools in and around Caboolture
- Caboolture Montessori School: Primary, Co-Ed
- St Paul’s Lutheran Primary, Caboolture: Primary, Co-Ed
- Bellmere State School: Independent, Primary, Co-Ed
- St Michael’s College, Caboolture: Independent, Primary, Co-Ed
- St Peter’s School, Caboolture: Catholic Primary, Co-Ed
- Australian Christian College, Caboolture: Prep-Year 12, Co-Ed
- St Eugene College, Burpengary: Catholic, Prep-Year 12, Co-Ed
- Grace Lutheran College, Rothwell: Secondary, Co-Ed
- St Columban’s College, Caboolture: Catholic Secondary, Co-Ed
If you are looking to buy a home in the area, check the catchment area of that house for the local schools.
Tertiary Education in Caboolture
For anyone looking to further their high school education, Caboolture TAFE offers training courses in a variety of industries, as well as offering Years 11 and 12 to high school students looking for an environment different to regular high school senior years.
The University of the Sunshine Coast has a Caboolture campus with a focus on degrees in nursing, whilst their nearby campus in Petrie offers a broader range of subjects including law, engineering, biomedical science and education.
Weather
Caboolture is sub-tropical and nestled between the Moreton Bay coastline and the hills of the national parks. Residents of Caboolture agree, the weather here is pretty good all year round!
Caboolture is fairly sheltered from hot desert winds that can sweep in from the west, and you will enjoy just the hint of the sea breeze coming up the Caboolture River from nearby Beachmere.
Average temperatures in summer reach a high of 30°C from December to January, dropping to a balmy 20°C at night. February is the wettest month for rainfall when you can enjoy some of those famously refreshing Queensland summer evening storms.
In winter you can still enjoy the great outdoors without shivering your socks off. The coolest average ‘high’ is a comfortable 22°C, but you might need an extra blanket and a hot water bottle as the night cools to an average 9°C.
Getting there and around
Wherever you live in Caboolture, you have easy access to major highways and there are lots of public transport options. Caboolture even has its own train station to make commuting a breeze.
By Road
- To Brisbane: Once you are on the Bruce Highway, the Brisbane CBD is a straightforward 50 minutes’ drive.
- To the Sunshine Coast: Heading for a day out? All the attractions of the Sunshine Coast are within easy reach and signposted from the M1. It will take you 45 minutes to get to Caloundra and 75 minutes to get to Noosa.
- To the Gold Coast: It’s 130km away but doable in under 2 hours if you fancy a weekend break amongst the glitz and glamour.
Public Transport
- The Caboolture Line: It can be just as quick to get the train into Brisbane as it is to drive, and you save on the coast of parking, too! The Caboolture Line can take you all the way up to the Sunshine Coast, and south-west to Ipswich. Connections in the city can take you to the southern suburbs and down to the Gold Coast.
- Bus Lines: Get to shops, schools, work, or your connection at the train station easily with the busses that service the Caboolture.
Find out more about the Caboolture bus and train services at Translink.
Things to do and see around Caboolture
If you love history, great scenery, festivals, beach days, boating, camping, mountain hiking… there’s all that and more within easy reach of Caboolture. Check our events calendar to find out what is on locally for you.
History buffs rejoice!
- Caboolture Historical Village: You will love this! Over 70 historic buildings have been relocated to the site and staged as historic shops, industries, homes and several mini museums. There’s even a little train that goes around the village and several places to eat.
- Caboolture Warplane Museum: Not just a museum of static displays – you can actually book a flight to the Sunshine Coast in a historic plane!
- Abbey Museum of Art & Archaeology: Our favourite local museum, The Abbey Museum of Art & Archaeology hosts several events throughout the year, including Picnic at Pemberley, Victorian Christmas, school holiday archaeology camps, and the famous weekend-long Abbey Medieval Festival, which is a huge event attracting visitors from all over Australia.
- Bribie Island Seaside Museum: Located close to the waterfront and overlooking the iconic Pumicestone Passage, this museum celebrates the rich and fascinating history of Bribie Island.
Family-friendly Festivals
- The Caboolture Show: Held every June at the Caboolture Showgrounds, the show promises a fun-filled weekend celebrating everything country. You’ll see farm animals, wood chopping, agricultural demonstrations, daredevil displays, amusement rides and a sideshow alley – plenty to keep the whole family entertained!
- Woodford Folk Festival: Just a short drive north-west of Caboolture, experience 6 days and nights music, performers, craft displays and the showcase Fire Event.
- Abbey Medieval Festival: The Abbey Medieval Festival has been a highlight of the Caboolture calendar since 1989, and it keeps getting bigger! It’s an incredible weekend full of pageantry, displays, jousting and hands-on activities that everyone can get involved in. It’s our favourite festival of the year – come along and you’re almost guaranteed to bump into us!
Out and about
- Australia Zoo: This world-famous attraction needs no introduction. Home to the Irwins (and you might just see them popping up to talk about the animals and chat to the visitors), Australia Zoo is a dream destination for anyone who wants to get close to diverse range of exotic and native wildlife. It’s just a 30-minute drive from Caboolture.
- Sheep Station Creek Conservation Park: With 3 walking circuits classified as easy, the longest of which is a 4.4km loop, this park offers a quiet escape with the opportunity to see plenty of birdlife.
- National Parks: If you fancy a day exploring the exquisite sub-tropical terrain of the Moreton region, you are spoiled for choice. The mountainous D’Aguilar National Park has hiking trails of various difficulty but the lookouts are well worth the effort, and then there’s nearby Bribie Island National Park, Freshwater National Park, and the Glasshouse Mountains to explore.
- Theme Parks: You could hop on the M1 and make the drive down to the Gold Coast theme parks, but why would you when Aussie World is only 30 minutes away? Aussie World has thrill rides and chill rides, entertainment and activities, and hosts special events throughout the year.
Thinking about other places near Caboolture?
We are locals, so we have insider tips on all the suburbs in our ‘hood. Come and see what we think of our neighbouring areas.
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Caboolture Has So Much to Offer
Caboolture, often overlooked in the shadow of its bustling neighbors, emerges as a hidden gem of South East Queensland. With its strategic location, rich history, and vibrant community, it offers an idyllic blend of rural tranquility and urban convenience. Whether you’re drawn by its affordable housing, diverse educational opportunities, or the promise of abundant local amenities, Caboolture proves to be an enticing destination for families and individuals alike. From its thriving markets and shopping centres to the myriad of recreational activities and employment prospects, Caboolture is a community that promises growth, opportunity, and a quality lifestyle. If you’re looking for a place that combines the charm of country living with the benefits of city access, Caboolture is undoubtedly worth a second glance.
