Original subtitles

- From its barren beauty to lush landscapes,...

...the Australian countryside is as beautiful as it is breathtaking.

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.

www.able.co.nz Copyright Able

'Today we are in gorgeous Gladstone with Brad and Lehanne.'

Oh, I think a little camper would be very lost in there.

- You might need to buy a bigger boat.

'They're on the hunt for a house that is big enough for all of their toys

'and with enough space for their beloved fur babies.'

- Gotta look after our puddy tats. - Oh, absolutely.

'Now, I have lined up three houses that I think will, in some way, match their wish list.

'They all have something special to offer. Which one will it be? Stick around to find out.'

The region of Gladstone is a triple threat. You've got it all.

You've got these beautiful waterways, it's rural, and it has a booming industry area.

There are many people who are flocking here because the lifestyle is so darn wonderful,

including today's couple. They would like a home, with a shed, on flat land,

possibly an en suite and a pool, but they are not deal-breakers.

But what's interesting is they would like a few bedrooms, not just for guests but for their furbabies.

They have two beautiful cats. This is new for me.

I think you'll find this couple very interesting. You'll love them.

- I'm Bradley Kerkow. - And I'm Lehanne.

We're a couple that are moving from Maryborough, Queensland

and hoping to buy a house in Gladstone, which is about a three-hour trip from Maryborough.

Brad's work, he works in Blackwater, and to travel to Maryborough, it's a seven-hour trip.

At least if we move to Gladstone, he's only three hours.

- Yep, I gain two extra days in my day's off.

Oh, our delicious cats, delectable cats.

Don't know how they're gonna go with the change.

- Cos they're used to the 12 acres, and to go― they've never been on a suburban block,

they've always been able to roam, scratch in the paddock, that sort of thing.

So we have Munchkin, who is the youngest. He's nearly 10, and he's my baby.

And then we've got Chester. He's 10 now. He's more Brad's.

- Yeah. - He likes to sleep between Brad's legs, that sort of thing.

So, yes, it's gonna be interesting for them. It's gonna be a big change.

- Huge adjustment for all of us. - Yeah.

But being older, I think they'll sleep most of the time,

and I think they'll be fine. - Yep.

Uh, we have a Touroz trike ― three wheels, the only way to go.

- We came from a Spyder, so that's the two wheels at the front and one at the back.

- And the new trike we got has two at the rear, one at the front.

- And the reason we went that way is because I can actually see over Brad's head,

where, before, all I saw was the back of his helmet... - Melon. Yeah.

- ...and I'd have to go like that. Well, now, I can go like that and cop all the bugs.

- Oh yeah, eat as many bugs as I do. - And all the― Yep.

- Gladstone is located on the Queensland coast,

about halfway between Brisbane and Mackay.

Now, Gladstone boasts impressive lookouts, loads of nearby beaches, a beautiful botanic gardens

and offers easy access to the southern reaches of the Great Barrier Reef.

Our first house is this private residence.

It's so private, in fact, that I actually have no idea where Brad and Lehanne are.

Maybe if I call out to them...

Hello?

- There you are. - Hello. - Hi, Catriona.

How are you? Nice to meet you. - I'm very well.

Lovely to meet you too. Lehanne. - Yes.

- And to Brad. - Brad.

- So there's only two of you, but you wouldn't mind two to four bedrooms... - Correct.

- ...for guests... - Correct.

- ...and what else for? - Oh, our fur babies. - Yeah.

- Gotta look after our puddy tats. - Oh, absolutely.

And, clearly, the love of your life. - Yes. Yeah. They look after you. - OK. That's a beautifulthing.

- Uh, me too. - Absolutely. Absolutely.

How long have you guys been married for?

- Just celebrated 39 years about a week and a half ago. - What is the secret?

Don't know.

- OK. OK. - Enjoying life.

- OK. Enjoying life. - Mm. - All right. I love that.

And that is the essence of what we are going to achieve today,

because I am gonna show you three homes that all have something on the wish list.

- Definitely gotta have a shed, though. - It's gotta have a shed?

- Oh, most definitely gotta have a shed. - Right. We've got too much crap.

Well, I think I've got plenty of space for crap inside.

And it's a really beautiful house, this first one. Shall we go and check it out?

- Oh, please. - Oh, love to. Thank you. - Let's head on in. OK.

Well, come on through. - Ohh. Oh, nice. - Nice.

- I'm intrigued what you think, Lehanne,

because you will be spending the most amount of time at home in the house.

You can see that you look out to the garden. - Yep.

- It's got― - You plenty of power points.

- Oh yeah. Didn't think about that. - I can see that we've got a pantry and all that.

The laundry's close, by which is great.

- Oh, and this has got a dishwasher too. - I know, I see that.

- Oh, you don't have a dishwasher at the moment? - No.

- OK. So you've got four rooms, loads of space. - Nice. Nice.

- However, there's not an en suite. There's only one bathroom. - Oh, righto.

Don't do that. Don't pull that face. Don't pull that face.

So how about you have a look around the house, check out the shed,... - Mm-hm.

- ...and when you're ready, I will see you at the next entertaining space.

- Sounds good.

- Ohh. A nice size. - Ooh. Beautiful room, yeah.

- I wanna check the shed out. - Oh, I wonder why

- Yeah. - All right. - After you.

- Oh, it's a good-size shed. - Yeah, it's not bad at all, actually.

A little bit smaller than what I'm used to, but― - Just a bit smaller.

- Oh, yes, yes. - Yeah, you couldn't go―

- The best thing about it is our baby will fit in here perfectly. - Yeah, OK. Yeah.

Yeah. - Yep. Get that trike in here. That's all we need.

We're downsizing, remember? - That's true.

We gotta get rid of some stuff. - Yep, exactly.

- Oh. Oh! Oh, we got a pearl. - I know, that's what― - Oh, strewth.

- We got a pearl! - And a garden. That's lovely, isn't it?

- But low-maintenance garden. OK. - Yes. That's what we want. - It is, yes.

I was gonna ask you about the shed, but you're all about the pool.

- Oh, no, no, the shed is perfect. - Really? - Yeah.

- It'll do us good. - Is there enough space?

- We've gotta get rid of stuff. - The main thing is we can get the trike in there.

- If we were in Victoria or Tassie, it would be about heating,

it would be about indoor spaces. - Mm-hm.

- Here, it's all about life lived out amongst this glorious climate.

But what do you think of this undercover entertaining space? - Beautiful size, the whole area.

- Beautiful? - Love it, yeah.

And this one here too is a bonus. - Great. That's undercover too. - Yeah.

- Cos you do get a little bit of rain here, don't you? - Yeah.

- And I do notice the clothesline's undercover too,

so that's an even bigger bonus. - Just in case.

- Especially while she's working. - I can't believe you noticed that. - Oh yeah.

Keen eye. Keen eye.

- Have a guess what you think this house is on the market for.

- I'd have to say around the 450.

- OK. Right. - I would've said 430.

- It's a little bit above. It's actually around 489,...

- Oh, that's not too bad. - ...because it's move-in ready, you've got the pool,

and you've got the shed. Yes. - Got the shed. Yep. Yeah.

Well, when you put it that way, yeah, it probably is worth that.

- Kind of got all of those little cherries.

- Yeah, exactly. - That's it.

Yeah, the price ― that's the next question we've gotta ask each other. - Yeah. Mid-range of our budget.

I think it's quite workable.

- Well, I'm just looking forward to seeing what Catriona can show us with the others.

- Yes. - And that'll give us a comparison then.

- Yep, that's exactly right. - Um, but otherwise, yeah,

it's a bit more than what we were wanting to pay.

- Ready to have a look at house number two?

- Ohh, ready. - Oh, yes. - All right, off we go.

- Oh, awesome. - Thank you. Let's go.

- We're off to a flying start with a shed space in house number one.

But house number two comes with an even bigger undercover space.

You might need to buy a bigger boat. - Oh, definitely. Yeah.

- Today, I'm in Gladstone, in Queensland, with Brad and Lehanne.

They're on the hunts for a house with plenty of space.

Now, the first house that we had a look through ticked a lot of boxes, especially with the shedspace.

But I feel house number two is some pretty stiff competition,

with its incredible side area that could fit the Titanic.

So let's join our couple to see what they think.

Well, I'm not sure if this is your style,

but what I can say is that this is one of the original homes in Tannum Sands.

This is a true lifestyle property. We are 10 minutes from the beach, the supermarket, the pub.

- Oh, good. - Ooh, yes.

- You're in the heart of everything here.

The house dates back to around about the 1970s. Is it your kinda style? What do you think?

- They've done a good job, but, I mean, look at the side.

- What do you think of that area there? - Oh yeah. Oh, that's―

Well, I think a little camper would be very lost in there.

- You might need to buy a bigger boat.

Yeah. - Oh, definitely. Christmas is coming up soon.

Christmas is coming. OK, put the wish list in.

Would you like to take a look inside? - Oh, yes, please. - Oh, love to.

- Oh yes. Now, we'll go to the upstairs bit first.

- OK, OK. - No worries.

Hardwood floors. - Ooh, that's pretty. - Yeah.

- They're nice. - And you notice that straight away, and, of course,

that's indicative of the area, because we're close to the beach.

These prevent the sand getting stuck here. It's very easy to clean.

How do you feel about the size?

- Well, if there's another area, it'd be fine, cos you're just either watching TV,

or you go downstairs, and that's where you entertain your guests. - Exactly.

And I'll let you have a look downstairs,

but I would like to mention that the kitchen here is brand spanking new. It's got brand-new appliances.

It's got the stone benchtops and the two-pack cabinets. - Oh, nice.

- What would you do to it? Would you change it at all?

- No, cos I love the plantation shutters.

- They're a nice feature, aren't they? Saves curtains. - Yeah.

Just don't know about dusting but, you know― - Oh, that's easy. That's easy.

- Just don't do it. - Yeah, just don't. - Excuse me.

How about you check out the bedrooms. The main bedroom is just here,

and then if you'd like to have a look downstairs, and when you're ready,

come and meet me outside in the garden, OK? - That'd be great.

- Sounds great. - All right.

- What a lovely sized room. - Yeah.

- Um, can you feel the breeze? - Yeah, I can. That's the beauty of a corner room with all thewindows.

- Have to be careful, though, because, um...

- Yeah, privacy, yeah. - Yeah.

They've got the floorboards again, which I like. - Yes, I like that, yeah.

- Beautiful. OK, where to now? - Oh, we'll head out, go downstairs. - OK.

- Oh, wow, this is nice. - Wow, what a green wall.

And a pool table. That'll be nice. - Yeah.

Not sure about that green wall. - No, a bit bright. - But the bar ― beautiful.

- It's got potential. - Too right it has. - Yeah.

- So you can get rid of the green with a coat of paint.

- I hope you like the green. - Oh yeah. - It was bright. It was bright.

- You might need sunglasses for that green. - Yeah.

- I think it might need a coat of paint.

- So that leads me to...

this area here. - Ooh, the shed.

- So you've got a shed. Of course, we've got all that space on the side for toys as well.

How much do you think this one is on the market for?

- 480. 485.

- 510. - They are open to offers around mid-fives,...

- Oh right. - ...because, once again,

it's a slightly bigger house, but also it's the 10-minute thing.

- Yes. - 10 minutes to beach, park, shops, pub. We've got a school nearby.

- What do you think of the price? - A little bit high.

- Yeah. - I know it's a bigger house, but― - It's the top end of our budget.

- Yeah. - It's got possibilities.

- But we'll see what this third house is like. It might be the better one or the other one.

- That's right.

- Can you see yourself just sitting out here having a cuppa?

- That's right. - Yeah. - Oh yes. Or a frosty.

- Or a frosty from your own bar right there. - Oh yeah. Exactly right.

- Yeah, OK. Well, look, guys, I have one more house to show you,

which I know that you'll love, but I think we're doing pretty well. I've got a good feeling about today.

- Oh good. - But let me just show you one more, OK?

- Awesome. Look forward to it. - OK. Right. For you. OK. - Let's go.

'Coming up ― I visit the Japanese Teahouse that is set in the most beautiful surrounds.'

- And the frogs love it too. - They do. You can hear them.

- Gladstone offers an array of beautiful places to visit,

but one hidden treasure is the Japanese Teahouse.

Would you say that most people come here for work and end up staying for the lifestyle?

- Absolutely, yes. It's a bit of a hidden space,

because we've got such beautiful places to visit.

We've got pristine waterways. We're a gateway to the reef.

There's that much to do recreationally around the place,

like the harbour, the inner islands that offer much fishing and camping availability.

And we've got places like Tannum Sands to the south of us and pristine beaches.

- Yeah. - So it's all on your doorstep if you want it.

- I did not expect to find these beautiful gardens. This is a credit to you, isn't it?

- This is. This is a hidden treasure, and you'll find most people that live here,

if their families are coming, they'll come out and show them what we've got.

I mean, this is only just a small part of it we're standing in today,

a beautiful Japanese teahouse. - From under shelter.

- We offer scenic tours and walks, and we have a cafe that's just been refurbished.

- And the frogs love it too. - They do. You can hear them. - Love them. I love them.

Gladstone's been good to you. - It's been very good to me, yes.

Our final home has a view like no other, though, to enjoy it,

you will have to brave a little bit of a hike, but, trust me, it's worth it.

- Now, I know that we're huffing and puffing, but the view is worth it. - - Thanks for that

- What do you think of the view? - Oh yes. Cardio workout's worth it.

- Oh. - Oh, that's a workout and a half, that is.

- Can you imagine walking down there to get the mail every day?

- Uh, no thanks, no. - You'd be stopping there to pick up the mail on your way up.

- Definitely there, definitely. - Yeah.

- At the moment, this is your shed. - Yep.

- This is your carport as well. - Oh, only car parking, yep.

- No separate shed, just car park. - Yeah, this is it.

The house itself, that's only 10 years old.

So I've taken you from a 50-year-old place. - Mm-hm.

And this is on a quarter-acre block as well.

Would you like to go and have a look inside? - Oh please.

- Oh please. - Oh please.

- OK, we can go and calm down inside. - OK.

- # Come on through. # - Oh-ho-ho-ho. Oh-ho-ho! - Oh yeah.

- Pretty clean, pretty neat, pretty new.

What do you think of this kitchen?

Oh-ho-ho-ho. Divine.

- Oh, wasn't that to die for. I've never had a kitchen that size. - Oh, I know.

- You know, you could chase me around and round the island and never catch me.

Oh, we can't have that.

- It's clean, smooth lines, and there's plenty of bench space.

The island bench, I like the two-tone.

- And there's just so much storage. You've got three pantries here. - Wow.

- The built-in microwave. - Yeah.

- There's more cupboards on the other side of that island bench.

And then, as you can see, there's beautiful airflow through here. - Yes.

- Have a look at the three bedrooms. They are quite large. And best of all, you will get your en suite.

- Oh, beauty. - Oh, ripper.

- Oh, look. - Oh, this is lovely.

- Oh. - Oh wow.

Very nice. - Nice size.

- Huge, big walk-in robe, sweetheart. Go on. - Oh, is it? Oh good.

- Gimme a look. - That would nearly fit our clothes - Oh, almost.

- Nearly. - Yeah.

Love the en suite. Love it. Great space. - Yeah.

- Beautiful space, the master bedroom.

- Could've been a little bit bigger, to be honest, for a master.

- The en suite was great. - Yeah.

- That was a great space. - Yeah.

- You've always wanted a door outside from the master bedroom. - And you can see the mountain view.

- Oh yes. Beautiful. - You get a lovely cross breeze. - Yep.

Shall we use the door? Right. - That'd be nice to use the door. Thank you, sir.

- Come and join me out by this gorgeous jacaranda.

I love a jacaranda. - Oh yes, lovely. - Lovely.

- I also heard a lot of really crazy sounds happening in there.

I don't know what was going on.

Was it good? Was it bad? What was happening?

- Because they've got a door to come outside, and I've always wanted a door from the bedroom!

- I did not know that! - And I still don't have one!

- Does that mean you really like it? - Yes.

- The door here that comes out

and takes in this incredible view. - Oh, doesn't it what. - Yes, it does.

- Now, that was spectacular. Yeah. - Yes, most definitely. Yeah.

- I enjoy the mountain views,

cos you can see the storms rolling over the hills and all that sort of stuff.

Yeah, they were lovely. - I can imagine the lightning show over nighttime with the storms.

- Mm. Yeah, great. - It would be spectacular.

- Have I thrown you a curve ball? - You have, but it all depends on the price.

- Oh, listen, you're gonna hate this. Have a guess. Have a guess first.

- 510 for that one. - Right, OK. - I'll go 480.

- OK, get ready to freak out.

It's 450. - Oh, strewth.

I couldn't believe it was below our budget.

- And I think it's really on par, cos even though it's got no extra shed, really, and nopool,

I don't think it's a bad price, cos you've got your view, it's a newer house,

there's nothing to be done. Yeah, I think it's quite a good price. - I think it is too.

- Yeah, it's a real contender. - Yep.

- Sunsets from here are gorgeous,

and you just sit down, and you'd have your G & T ― whatever's your tipple. - Yeah.

- Frosty. Yes. - Frosty. You have your frosty.

Talk to your fur babies and have a think about where they would be comfortable,

what you would like for them, where you can envision them. - Yep.

- And then when you're ready, come and let us know if you would like to make a decision.

- All right, thank you. - Is that OK? - Sounds good.

- All right, I'm excited for you. - Yep. Got a lot to think about. - I know, but I'm feelinggood.

I think we've had a good day, haven't we? - Oh, we have. Excellent day.

- Yeah. We always do.

I love throwing people a curve ball. It kinda spices things up a little bit.

And for me, I was quite challenged today as well.

I've never had to consider a home from the perspective of a cat.

I think that we actually have two standouts.

I think that the two levels of house number two may have ruled that one out,

and that one and three, they're pretty even. What do you think?

I cannot wait to catch up with our couple to see if they have found their perfect country home.

I think they have.

- Brad and Lehanne have a pretty tough decision to make out of house one and three.

So let's get out of the rain and grab a little bottle of red

and join our couple to see which house, if any, they have finally settled on.

Are we having coffee or wine? - Oh, wine, please. - We'll go with the wine.

- I think we should. We could be celebrating. - I think we could be.

- So, tell me, were you having a chat to Munchkin and Chester? - Yep.

- Where do you think they would be happy of those three houses?

- Oh, we had a fairly lengthy discussion with all four of us,... - Right.

Yes. - ...yes, and I think we've made a decision.

- Really? So with those three houses, I think that of the three, tell me if I'm wrong,

I think that we could rule out number two. Is that fair?

- Yes. Yeah. - Yes, definitely. - Cos there were two levels?

- Yes, that was the off-putting part of it, yeah. So... - Yeah.

- Yeah, Dad just wouldn't be able to climb those stairs too much.

- Yeah, because you're hoping that your family will visit, and for your dad,...

- Yeah. - ...he needs to be comfortable. - That's right. Yeah.

There's no sense in him being downstairs, and I'm upstairs.

- Yeah. - You know? So...

- That's a fair one. That's a fair one.

So that leaves us with one and three.

Now, there was so much oohing and aahing over number three.

- Oh, there was a lot of stuff on Lee's long-term wish list ―

mountain views, all that sort of stuff. Yep. - With house three, yeah.

- What about the bedroom door that you lost the plot over? - I know, I know.

Can you imagine laying in bed and seeing that view? It'd be wonderful. - Yeah.

- But, practicality, with that steep driveway. - Oh, right.

And for us to store our furniture, it― there's just― - All that stuff.

- Yeah, it just wasn't in the cards with no shed.

- So that leaves us with house number one. - Number one.

- How did it feel? As you walked in, how did that feel?

- The double door entry and then looking straight out on to that piece of grass

and seeing the trees at the back, it was just...

- Just a straight-through flow to the backyard. It looked perfect.

- I know that when you walked through those doors, you weren't so much even looking at that main living room,

you were just directed straight out to the garden. - Yeah. Yeah.

- And the cherry on top was definitely the pool.

- Oh, I didn't even talk about the pool. - Mm.

- Yes. And you love your swimming, don't you? - Yeah.

- But, yeah, we'll definitely be putting an offer in on number one.

- Really? - Definitely. - I'm so excited.

Let's have a little toast. - Thank you.

- To your new life and your new home with your beautiful fur babies in Gladstone.

Let us know what happens, OK? - We will. Cheers. - We will, darling.

- So lovely to meet you. - Thank you. - Thank you very much. Here's to us.

Thank you. - I told you we'd have a good time. We always do.

- And we did. - Cheers.

- Well, I guess the shed space and the pool were enough to win them over.

Brad and Lehanne, congratulations and all the very best.