Is It Time For A Tree-Change To WA’s Lake District?
While the world is still struggling to come to grips with even reaching post-COVID status, Western Australia has (so far) done incredibly well.
So perhaps it’s time to start thinking about the future, and if that future could potentially involve a serious tree-change i.e. hittin’ the road, jack!
Over the past couple of months it’s been revealed that Australians’ are looking to regional areas to live, with the idea of a more relaxed, less densely populated way of life becoming even more attractive.
A recent report revealed millennials are one such demographic moving to regional areas, as working from home becomes the norm, housing affordability drops and a lack of commute prove increasingly attractive.
And if you’re one of those in the bracket of “considering a tree-change”, may we humbly suggest one town in WA we’ve been deep diving into lately – Collie, AKA WA’s Lake District.
In the past regarded as more of a mining town, in recent years they’ve turned their attention towards making Collie not only an attractive tourism destination, but also a potential place to live for young families.
In addition to an already dense network of bushwalking and mountain biking trails, the town’s incoming $10million Collie Adventure Trails initiative will see the area become WA’s Premier trail destination.
And if places like Derby in Tasmania, where property prices continue to rise sharply thanks to investment initiatives like the Blue Derby mountain bike trails are anything to go by, there’s no time like the present to get amongst it.
For now, Collie looks to be in a similar situation, with a median house price of around $150,000, and investment opportunities like this 1000m2 block for just $60,000.
Check out properties for sale in Collie here and here!
It makes sense too – a breezy 190km southeast of Perth and 50km east of Bunbury, the town is right on the Collie River and surrounded by stunning forests, rivers and lakes, all of which we’ve featured hundreds of times.
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Collie’s already extensive walking and mountain bike trails compliment a spectacular array of pools and lakes, such as Insta-faves like Honeymoon & Long Pool and Black Diamond Lake, and watersports enthusiasts’ havens like Stockton Lake and Wellington Dam.
The townsite itself is also the perfect home base for a young family, with a host of shopping facilities, markets and specialty services, along with medical practices, dental surgeries and other allied health services, plus five primary schools and a high school.
Along with the Collie District Hospital, an ever-expanding drinks and eats scene and a variety of sporting clubs and facilities, it’s essentially a quaint, welcoming country town with all the advantages of a larger city.
The government obviously sees immense potential in the area, recently announcing the $4.5million Collie Readiness Project, which will feature a huge mural on Wellington Dam, part of the incoming $1.5million Collie Mural Trail.
This is in addition to a huge new multipurpose bushfire facility, and the Collie Futures Fund, whereby the State Government will be making $20million available over five years to encourage business diversification in the area.
As the world continues to change daily one thing has become abundantly clear – getting in touch with your community and nature are more important than ever.
And you could do a lot worse than the humble little city of Collie, an area steeped in natural beauty, enticing investment potential and a potentially perfect destination for your next tree-change.
To discover more Collie for yourself, head to the Collie River Valley Website
Check out properties for sale in Collie here and here!