Paradise Palms is one of many great features of Kewarra Beach. Picture: Marc McCormackKEWARRA is an Aboriginal word meaning “at the foot of the rainbow”.And for many long-term residents like Shelley Gooding, Kewarra Beach has certainly been worth its weight in gold.Over more than 20 years, the beautician and her husband Stan have come to love the Northern Beaches suburb while living in their charming Chelsea Close home.“It feels safe here, you can walk around at night and it is a good, healthy environment in which kids can grow up,” Mrs Gooding said. “We can go down to the beach and enjoy a barbecue with friends.”Kewarra Beach is not seen by tourists in the same way as neighbouring suburbs like Trinity Beach and Palm Cove, but that’s just how the locals like it.At about $460,000, according to CoreLogic, the median house price at Kewarra Beach has risen steadily over recent years.More from newsCairns home ticks popular internet search terms3 days agoTen auction results from ‘active’ weekend in Cairns3 days agoBut the suburb’s laid-back lifestyle is arguably its biggest virtue, and the reason locals like Mrs Gooding are “not going anywhere”.“We built the house for our kids and now we’ve got grandchildren coming, so we’re not in a hurry,” she said. Panguna Valley residential estate has been a welcome addition to Kewarra Beach which, although about 20km from the Cairns CBD, is close to the shops and schools of Smithfield.Kewarra Beach selling agent Todd Hudson, of Cairns Beaches Realty, said the suburb attracted a “wide range of people”.“Kewarra Beach is one of the best price points for buying property and there are still quite a number of houses on big blocks,” he said.“We still get a lot of medium buyers, in that $400,000-$450,000 range, and also first-home owners and retirees. The level of inquiry so far in 2017 has been better than last year.” A five-bedroom home on Teewah Close, Kewarra Beach, sold in March for $490,000.Although seen as a more affordable alternative to Palm Cove and Trinity Beach, the suburb has recorded a number of property sales in excess of the $1 million mark. read more