I chose not to take up Medicine at either Armidale or Newcastle simply because I've heard derogatory things from kids doing those courses and that facilities aren't all that top notch. I went to a rural school and would have been given the lower cut-off, but I guess it just didn't entice me.
@OP: It all comes down to personal choice; all degrees will be equal so it is entirely based on living costs and your perception of the university as a whole.