Not many first-time home buyers make an eight-hectare regional property their first acquisition.
A nomadic career saw Sahara Dry leave her affluent childhood home in Zimbabwe for university studies in Australia and subsequently led to stints in Launceston, Byron Bay and the Gold Coast before settling in regional Queensland.
The 35-year-old paramedic tried her hand at as many jobs as towns before finding her dream career and “forever home” in Charters Towers, population 8,120, 135 kilometres southwest of Townsville.
Ms Dry told API Magazine she knew her first home would always be her permanent home as soon as she drove through the small town.
Within a few years of settling in and becoming a local, Sahara spent $390,000 on a large rural property with a four-bedroom home and powered shed.
The affordability, sense of community and career progression are just some of the many reasons Sahara decided to call Charters Towers home.
“I was always set on making my first home my forever home,” Ms Dry said.
“As a horse lover, that always meant looking to buy acreage.
“Although I was always putting savings away for my future home, the first time I felt the urge to look at property was when I moved to Charters Towers; it just felt right.”
Recent data shows Sydney first-home buyers, as couples, take eight years to save for a deposit. The Melbourne median house price has moved past the million-dollar mark, while Sydney and Brisbane house prices continue to reach record highs.