A laid-back coastal town with stunning beaches, luxury accommodation and quirky cafes is experiencing a surge in popularity among travelers and homebuyers alike.
Bargara has long been a stopover for those exploring Queensland’s south coast, but rising property prices show Australians are taking the leap and making a radical shift to this little-known hub.
This dream hideaway is located a 15-minute drive from Bundaberg and 280km north of the Sunshine Coast, at the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef.
Australians are realizing the relaxed lifestyle that Bargara offers with its idyllic beaches and easy-going pace.
Stunning beaches with bright blue waters, rocky edges and palm trees line the eastern end of the city. The other offers all kinds of extravagant accommodations, like the Absolute Ocean Front Tourist Park, which has pretty kaleidoscopic beach huts.
Bargara has long been a stopover for people exploring Queensland’s south coast, but increases in property prices suggest Australians are making a radical shift towards this little-known centre.
This dream hideaway is just a 15-minute drive from Bundaberg and 280km north of the Sunshine Coast, at the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef.
The current median property price in Bargara is $747,500 with 79 homes sold in the last month, 174 sold in the last few years and a whopping 1,871 interested buyers.
Australians are realizing the relaxed lifestyle that Bargara offers with its idyllic beaches and easy-going pace.
The aptly named Windmill Café is a favorite coffee spot among locals and those passing through.
Bargara has a variety of casual dining options and pubs, from the Beach Mill cafe, where punters like to have a drink on the grass and look out to the ocean, or the recently refurbished Sandhills Sports Club, which has a bar, bistro and bowling .
A little further out of town, halfway to Bundaberg, is Robertson Flower Farm, which comes to life when its field of sunflowers bloom between April and November.
The east side of the city features stunning beaches with rocky edges and palm trees.
There are a variety of dining options, such as the Beach Mill café, where punters can have a drink on the grass and look out over the ocean, and the aptly named Windmill Café.
Home prices have soared 19.2 percent in the past year, but are still well below the million-dollar mark.
The current median property price in Bargara is $747,500 with 79 homes sold in the last month, 174 sold in the last year and a whopping 1,871 interested buyers.
A suburban record was set after a waterfront mansion on Woongarra Scenic Drive fetched a price tag of more than $5 million, and more homes have appeared in the $3 million to $4 million range.
However, there are still plenty of affordable options as new developments are popping up across the coastal city to meet demand.
A little further out of town, halfway to Bundaberg, is Robertson Flower Farm, which comes to life when its field of sunflowers bloom between April and November.
A suburb record was set after a waterfront mansion on Woongarra Scenic Drive fetched a price tag of more than $5 million, and more homes have appeared in the $3 million to $4 million range.
However, there are still plenty of affordable options as new developments are popping up across the coastal city to meet demand.
Coastline Real Estate owner Charlie Winten, who has been selling homes in Bargara for 15 years, has seen an increase in Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast buyers interested in his small town.
“We are very popular and people say the town has the same vibe as the Sunshine Coast used to have,” he told mail.
‘You can live on the beach and work in Bundaberg. We’re not Noosa, there’s no traffic and you can still get parking.’
Charlie said the market is “solid” and “strong.” He believes that if interest rates are lowered, prices could rise, but if not, the market will stabilize.