Original subtitles

- From its barren beauty

to lush landscapes,

the Australian countryside is as beautiful as it is breath-taking.

Many Australians are discovering rural life and making the move.

So I'm on the hunt to help everyday Australians find their perfect country house.

I am in Deniliquin, looking at country homes with Debi and Iain.

Something that I have never said before is ― along here we have a kangaroo super highway.

Now, they're wanting somewhere that offers peace and quiet,

and it has to have enough entertaining space for Iain's ever-growing collection of barbecues.

I could fit a few barbecues out here.

- I think you could put your plethora of barbecues out.

- We've got vintage cars, serene rivers, golf course views and crazy furnishings.

- Wallpaper is the...

- It has a personality all of its own. - Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely.

- So, join me as I try and find a keeper for Debi and Iain.

Welcome to the beautiful country town of Deniliquin, otherwise known as Deni,

where real estate is at an all-time high. People are flocking here, really, because of this ―

life spent around the gorgeous Edward River.

Now, our couple today, Iain and Debi, have come all the way from South Africa via Sydney.

They've recently bought a business in town, and they really wanna be a part of a caring community.

Let's go meet our couple.

With their adult son having recently left home, Debi and Iain have decided

that they no longer want to work in IT and they are looking for a change from the fast pace ofSydney.

- I think city living can sometimes become a bit soulless.

We've been living in our house for six years, and we don't know our neighbours.

We know them to go, 'hi.'

But we don't know our neighbours. I don't know if their children―

Well, I do know what their children's names are because I hear them being yelled quite alot.

But it's not because I actually know the kids.

And it's just― It's time. It's time for us to have something for us.

- We finally come to the realisation that small-town Australia actually has a lot more tooffer

than we ever thought or knew.

Through travels that we've done, yeah, we've finally made the decision that we wanna get out,

and that's how we've wound up here.

- A town like Deniliquin offers that rural aspect, but it still has a really good urban centre.

- So, the business we've bought is, surprise, surprise, a motel, which is an accommodation business.

Which is something completely foreign and new to us,

so that's gonna be an exciting adventure as well.

- Iain's after a space where he can comfortably entertain guests and indulge his passion for barbecuing.

And Debi is after a home where she can enjoy her gardening.

- I like getting my hands dirty, and I like watching things grow,

and I like reading about how to make them better, and I've learned how to propagate,

and it's all very exciting to me, and, you know, I saw something the other day that said,

'You know you're old when you can talk about your garden and your friends are enthralled byit.'

- So space for barbecuing, space for gardening, and somewhere around the $700,000 mark.

Let's see if we can find Debi and Iain's perfect new home in Deni.

Deniliquin sits in New South Wales, close to the Victorian border

and is a three and a half hour drive north of Melbourne.

Now, the town developed in the mid-1800s around agriculture and the wool industry,

and with its position on the beautiful Edward River,

the town offers fantastic swimming and fishing opportunities,

so it is no wonder that Debi and Iain have taken a shine to this country town.

Fingers crossed I can find them their perfect new home.

First property on today's tour is this three bedroom riverside home,

which is perfectly suited for gardening and barbecuing,

so let's just see what Debi and Iain make of this one.

So, where I've brought you to first is really all about life on the river.

Why Deni?

- We just got sick of the city. - Yeah.

- And as we travelled around Australia, getting to know a little bit more,

we found that there's real life in small towns, so after a long search for a country business

that we could sustain ourselves with, etcetera,

we just really stumbled across Deni coming to look at some places.

- He phoned me and he was like, 'This is it. This is it. This is where we're going to live.'

- Really? - Yeah. - What was it? What was the energy?

- I dunno. I think it was just― It was just the life, but peaceful, and it's pretty.

- I like gardening. - OK.

- So I'd like some space to do a bit of gardening. - OK.

- And we've kinda empty-nested, so at some stage I would maybe like to get a pet.

OK. OK.

- So, I will show you three very different places. This first one, the house was built in the 1980s.

It's a great solid house.

Really, the most wonderful thing is this. Where we are right now, just metres from the river.

Life is enjoyed right here, but let me take you inside, and let me know what you think of thishouse.

The style of the current owner is quite Bohemian, and what she was looking for was a place to house

all of her many different collections. You can see that... - Yes.

- ...in this living room here.

- It's got a lot of potential for... our things.

- That's great that you can see that, yeah. - Wallpaper is the...

- It has a personality all of its own. - Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely.

- Deni has true seasons. - Yeah. - You get very warm summers

and chilly autumns and winters, and just having the option of this fireplace is so lovely,

but the windows, the light that is drawn in here is incredible. - It's gorgeous.

- I know that for you, your heart is by the hearth.

- Absolutely. - In this room here, so how about you lead the way,

and we'll check out what the kitchen's like.

- Thank you. - Thank you.

- That's beautiful. - I think I can see the flow from a dining area into the kitchen.

- Hmm. - Into a barbecuing area.

There's nothing better than when you're preparing food to be able to see outside,

but I would actually turn this into a dining area. - Yep.

- Because you then have the flow, you know, dining area, the kitchen there,

and you can be barbecuing outside, etcetera,

and you have the whole flow. - And everyone's together.

- Where does this love of barbecuing come from?

- It's in our DNA as South Africans, I think. From little, you know... - Hmm.

- You're carrying a little piece of wood to preschool just, you know, when others carry fluffy toys

- or stuff like that. - Really? - We just... Yeah.

- I know that you want to see the garden. - Absolutely.

- So just take your time to check out the bedrooms, the bathrooms,

and when you're ready, I can't wait to show you outside.

- Thank you very much. - Thank you.

Oh, wow.

Really nice space. - It's a good space.

And it'll be nice and warm because it's north facing for the sun. - Yes.

- When we walked in, I loved that front room. That is just perfect to me.

- Yeah. - I've always wanted somewhere that we can make snug and cosy.

- Yes.

- What do you think as you walk out here?

- It's so gorgeous. - It's absolutely beautiful.

- I don't know where to look first. There's just too much to take in. It's― But the lemon tree.

- This place was filled with love. Weddings took place underneath this tree.

They would wander up to the river,

and apparently when she passed away, they placed a chair looking out on to that river.

That was her favourite place to sit.

- You know, the soul of the property and the soul of the river join,

so that's beautiful. - It's so close,

and you know that in Deni, it's all about that river, isn't it? - Yeah.

- It really is.

- Have a whirl, what do you think this place is on the market for?

- I think this is at the top end of our budget, I reckon.

- You think that high? - Hmm.

680?

- It's actually on the market for 550.

Oh, wow. Yeah.

- I'm obviously still gearing my head to Sydney pricing,

so it was actually quite shocking that it was so inexpensive, really.

- Yeah, I think the price was really surprising.

- Coming up ― we will explore this tranquil property that is sandwiched between bushland and thegolf course.

And then later on, we will head in closer to town to check out a property that backs on to a beach.

Well, kind of, sort of a beach.

- I am Deniliquin in New South Wales,

helping Debi and Iain on their quest to get away from the city life of Sydney.

Now, we first explored this character-filled riverside home,

but now for our second contender, which has wraparound decks and golf course views.

- This is beautiful. - How's the serenity? - It's beautiful here.

- I know that you love your indoor-outdoor entertaining,

and so these decks really maximise that space.

What I want to see is your reaction when we get inside,

cos I think you're gonna like it, so you lead the way, Iain. - Thank you.

- So, I get the feeling you kinda like what you see.

- I love it. Absolutely love it. - It's got a very nice open feel.

Doesn't look like it needs any work at all.

- You're right. It is move-in ready. And the atmosphere here is just peaceful and beautiful.

There's a lovely flow to this space.

- The house has a good flow, yeah. - I like the way that...

you have a large living area, where you can do everything.

You can watch television, you can eat, and you can cook. - Cook.

- And there's a connection between everyone the whole time. - I really like the high ceilings.

I like that I don't feel like the fans are gonna take the top of my head off.

- I'm interested to know what you think, Iain, of that kitchen, because you love to entertain.

- Got everything there that I need. - The deck, obviously, you can put 400 barbecues if youwant.

Why do you need so many barbecues? - Don't tempt him.

- We found with entertaining, there's also, you know, some people are vegan,

some people are... maybe have religious things, etcetera,

so they gotta eat halal, so you need different barbecues to cook on. - OK.

- So that just makes me happy. - So he just needs them.

- OK. - I married a pyromaniac. - OK.

I'm just gonna go with it, but you have the privacy of the main bedroom on my left,

and this is a full guest wing on my right.

So how about you have a look at the guest wing, and when you're ready, I will meet you golf course side.

- Oh, wow. This is a beautiful little room. - I like that it is move-in ready.

There doesn't seem to be a garden, though. I haven't seen a garden.

- Oh, we've got the decks. - Hmm.

- I see that they've used the space, so... - I thought that― Yeah, yeah.

- ...we could always do things there, but there's a lot of ground around.

- Yeah, there is. - So we could probably create something.

- This is lovely, isn't it? - It's beautiful. - Absolutely beautiful.

- We've still got the birdsong. We've still got this gorgeous light coming through.

What did you think of the inside? - We absolutely loved the inside, I think.

It was ready to go. - Yes.

- The surrounding is beautiful, et cetera. But...

- There's no garden. - There's no garden. - I know. I'm so sorry to say that.

I know that that was really high on your wish list. - Yeah.

- This new passion of yours.

- You know, they've made a bit of an effort on the decks with pots and so on.

- Hmm. - But, yeah, I am a bit disappointed about the garden.

- Cos that was on the wish list. - Yeah.

- Something that I have never said before is ― along here we have a kangaroo super highway.

- Awesome. - You have got roos aplenty for dawn and dusk.

I know that you're used to large animals from South Africa.

Are you OK with roos joining you in the morning and evening?

We love kangaroos.

- I love kangaroos too. - They're so cute.

- What do you think this place is on the market for, because...

Well, just tell me, what do you think it's on the market for? - Your turn.

- I think this would be stretching our budget a bit. - Yeah.

- I reckon it could be overbudget. I would say...

Maybe...

750, 800?

Maybe more. - Well, I am amazed to report, it's on the market for 670,

and that could help you if you wanted to possibly have some fun with the garden.

- I didn't think this would fit in into our budget at all. - No.

- So, I'm pleasantly surprised.

- Next up ― I stop by the Depot to check out their impressive range of vehicles,

and then we tour a property that offers a beach lifestyle from inland Deniliquin.

and then we tour a property that offers a beach lifestyle from inland Deniliquin.

- Anyone who makes it to Deni

simply must stop by the Depot,

which has an impressive collection of vehicle memorabilia and a 1950s style diner.

I caught up with John Hay to talk me through some of the display pieces.

I suppose it seems appropriate... - Hmm.

- ...that in a town that is famous for its utes,

you have a car museum!

- But this is not just any car museum, is it? - Yeah. No, it's not.

- It's an experience. - It certainly is an experience, yeah.

- What have you got here? - We've got a bit of everything, really.

We've got some big heavy hitters that people know.

- We've got the DeLorean up the back, DMC 12, which obviously... - Back to the Future.

- Yeah. We do get people go, 'Is that the one from the movie?' And unfortunately, no, it's not.

But it's great because we get to educate people

they were an actual car that was on the road. - Hmm.

- You could buy in the States.

- Is it true that it began with one bus? - One bus.

It's behind us there. Rosie, our 1948 AB Bedford. Great working example of a bus.

At the end of 2019, we believe she was Australia's oldest registered school bus.

We could go and do a run. - And Rosie's quite famous around the town too.

- Hugely. Everyone knows Rosie. - There's Rosie.

I love the fact that this is a full-blown experience.

You can fill up your car. You can get waffles at the diner ― and great hamburgers as well.

And this is the cherry on top. - What we really like is when people are just driving past,

they may see the front of the shop ― as you would have seen looks a bit like an old servicestation.

They'll come through the door. They'll come and have a great time here.

And then we can tell them about the rest of the town, what other sites they can go and visit.

And we'll find people will stay a night or two after they've come here for the experience.

- Really? - Which is brilliant. Which is brilliant.

- That is incredible. - Yeah.

- So, are just living your best life here?

Pretty much. I'm pretty lucky.

- So, now let's check out our third and final Deniliquin home,

which is a five-minute walk to the centre of town. What will Debi and Iain make of this one?

Now, I know this place is very different to what I've shown you earlier.

But here I'm really appealing to the empty-nester in you,

and I'm going to say, with all respect, you are within walking distance to fantastic facilities.

- A different aspect to the others we've seen today, so...

- It is. It is. Are you worried? What? - No.

- What is it? - No. - Intrigued.

- I'm intrigued, yes. I can see close neighbours, which we haven't seen at the other two properties.

- Which is a little bit like your Sydney lifestyle, I suppose. - Yes.

- It's very low-maintenance. There's not a lot of garden. A little bit. Not a lot.

And still lots of birds. Lots of birds.

- But, but come and check out the inside, all right? - Let's go and do that.

- It's all about the outlook.

- Oh. - This is different to what I expected.

Look at the light. - It is lovely.

- You can see that this is a place that would be great for those who are downsizing.

- I'm pleasantly surprised. I like this area. I know immediately Iain's gonna say,

'The kitchen's too closed off.'

Cos he will be the one that's in the kitchen. - Yes.

- And it seems like it's a bit removed from where guests and where we would like to be.

- Yes. - I'm desperate to get outside and just... check out that deck,

and that view looks amazing. - Yes, because you can feel that beautiful light coming through.

- The light is gorgeous. - Floor to ceiling windows. - Beautiful.

- I know that you wanted a good bookcase cos you love your books.

So there's plenty of storage, so just have a quick look at the bedrooms.

They're up the hallway. Everything's along that side.

And I'm gonna chase the light and see you outside when you're ready. OK. - Thank you.

- Oh, this is a nice spacious room. - Yeah. And again, it's the light, and it's beautiful.

- That's a very key feature, I think, all these big windows to the outdoors.

- Yes. - Floor to ceiling, it's really good.

- I find it a little bit small, though, for, I think, this aspect of our lives.

It's a place that I would probably love in a few years time. - Yeah. When we...

- But I'm not so sure now. - When we retire maybe. - Yeah.

- # Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree. #

Isn't he gorgeous?

It's not often that I show a country town and reveal the beach that is absolutely the biggest drawcard

of this particular location. You are right on the edge of where everybody loves to gather,

and you can have your little quiet abode right here, but you're still on the edge of everything.

- That outdoor space is actually phenomenal.

It's a good size. I think you could put your plethora of barbecues out and still have space for more ―

not that that's an invitation for you to buy any more.

I could fit a few barbecues out here.

- God, seriously. - Yeah, yeah, you could. - That's my life.

- So, what do you think it's on the market for?

- Let's go― Because it's smaller, let's go...

500.

- Well, it's actually going for 525,

so that's around 200 grand underneath your budget.

I'm thinking European river cruise. What are you thinking?

- Can buy a boat. - Hey, a boat's better than another barbecue.

Well, there is that.

- I'd need a barbecue for the boat. - Oh, yes.

- I mean, I know you were joking about the boat, but, you know, a little...

down the river every now and then wouldn't be terrible.

I think we need to consider all aspects, because there were good aspects of each.

- Of each house. - And see what will fit best into our lifestyle

and where we want to see ourselves in the next number of years in Deniliquin.

- I think our buyers found something to like in all three of the properties that we showed them.

Debi loved the garden on house number one.

Iain was in barbecue heaven for house number two.

And for house number three, I think they kinda liked the fact

that the home was in the middle of the community that they can't wait to immerse themselves into.

Debi and Iain have had a chance to think over the three homes that we toured in Deni.

So, let's check in again to see what or if they settled on one.

I tell you what, they don't call this place The Crossing for nothing.

- We are in the heart of town here, aren't we? - We really are.

- So perfect that we're here now. - Yeah.

- And also that this place honours the heritage of wool

that Deniliquin is also famous for. - Yes. - Correct.

- That I'm so proud of. - Well, that's interesting too,

because the start of the wool industry was very much centred around Deniliquin,

and it's merino sheep which were brought from South Africa, where we're from.

So we sort of have ended up where things started for the wool industry.

- It's meant to be. - It is. - South Africans have returned.

Now, let me know how you felt about those three homes,

because I was picking up that you liked something about each of them.

So, with that first one that was right on the river, that one did have your garden.

- That had my garden. I loved that garden so much. - Yeah.

- The house is really warm and inviting.

- Current owner ― very eclectic tastes, et cetera. Not our taste. - Yes.

- But the bones of the house... - But you could work with that,

couldn't you? That's right. - ...were beautiful.

- With the second one, plenty of space for barbecues. That one didn't have a garden, though,

but I heard a big wow from you.

- Absolutely. You know, if you're sitting anywhere, all you see is nature.

Even though part of the nature is obviously cultivated.

- The ceilings, that feeling of height and space and the light that came in because of that.

- Yes. - Apparently, the wildlife and the bird life there is just stunning.

And that's me. - In regards to house number three, we're not ready for that stage,

is that right? - I think that's the...

The space as lovely as it is, and that outside room with the deck is just magnificent,

and the home itself is lovely and warm and welcoming,

but I think maybe a little bit too small for the way we're still living.

- So, what do you think you'll do? - I think we will definitely go for number two.

- Really? - Yes. - I knew it!

- Beautiful space for entertaining. - Yeah.

- But it's the nature. It's really... - Yeah.

- It's that feeling, as I said,

that I have of glamping, you know, so I could have my outdoor experience every day

from the comfort of my home.

- And that's why you're moving to the country. - With Debi.

- That's exactly right. - With Debi. - Yeah.

It's nice that you add your wife.

- And a spring mattress. - And a spring mattress. - I don't even have to leave home.

- Debi and Iain made a successful offer on the house by the golf course.

I wish them the very, very best as they enjoy entertaining on their barbecue-filled deck.

Well done, guys. We're proud of you.