One couple's journey to buying a holiday houseboat on Lake Eildon

Life on a houseboat – at least on Victoria’s Lake Eildon – can be a social, dynamic, awe-inspiring affair for the uninitiated.

In the summer there are parties and water sports; in the winter there is fishing and the quiet beauty of the water.

Brad and Brooke Attard fell in love with the houseboat lifestyle after spending time on Brad’s parents’ houseboat over the years.

They now have a two-bedroom boat that accommodates their family of four. It is fitted with air-conditioning, heating, ceiling fans, heated electric floors, an electric oven and gas cooktop, a large fridge and a dishwasher.

However, procuring a houseboat on Lake Eildon is no easy feat: boat owners require a permit to keep their boat on the lake, and only around 700 permits are available at any one time.

Also, a basic houseboat can cost around $300,000, while luxury houseboats sell for millions.

The Attards wanted luxury and convenience, but their budget was “almost non-existent”.

So, they got to work finding what’s known as a “permit boat” – a virtually worthless vessel except for the permit that comes with it.

“We looked at about three or four boats and said, ‘Nah, this isn’t happening, this isn’t for us’,” says Brad. “And then … the agent called and said ‘There’s one more boat over there, do you want to have a look at it?’”

Brad knew straight away it was the boat for them: it was built in the 1970s but was 16-foot wide (a decent width for a boat of that time); the cabin was above water level (a prerequisite for Brooke); and it had new pontoons.

“If you know what you’re looking at when you go and buy a houseboat, those are the things that you look at,” says Brad.

Over two and a half years – taking breaks to get married, go on a honeymoon and have a second baby – the couple transformed the vessel into a glamorous, floating holiday home.

“It just grew and grew and grew from this little project to rebuilding the boat from the ground up, and the only thing left was the original pontoons and the subfloor, essentially,” says Brad. “We built it to suit us, I guess, with two little kids… Our plan was to put everything that big boats have in a little boat, to enjoy the luxuries of it – but obviously at an affordable price.”

To keep costs down, Brad, who works as an electrician, performed much of the work himself, calling in favours from friends and family and spending most weekends at the lake working on the boat.

First, there were multiple tip runs to clear out the furniture and everything else that came with the boat (houseboats are sold with their contents, right down to linen and cutlery).

Brad ripped up the flooring, had the asbestos roof removed and demolished the place until only a shell remained.

He also widened the boat by adding gunnels, meaning it’s now 18-feet wide and allows passengers to walk down the sides.

He then installed a brand new plywood and fibreglass roof, replaced the internal floor and set up services like gas and electricity.

After

Before

There are electric blinds around the boat’s perimeter to keep it cool, and a good quality filtering system so the family can drink the water from the lake.

The place is powered by 4.8 kilowatts of solar on the roof, 9.6 kilowatts of batteries and a 5000-watt Victron inverter.

“We did wing it a little bit,” says Brooke. “We just had a plan in our head and kind of went with it.”

The couple also had to take special precautions to ensure the safety of their kids, who are both under five.

While most boats have opening windows to encourage ventilation, Brad and Brooke’s boat has no windows that open. Instead, they have ceiling fans, air-conditioning, an exhaust fan in the bathroom, and child safety gates at each sliding door.

“We just said, ‘You know what, we can’t sleep on this boat knowing the kids are going to be able to go anywhere. We’re not putting opening windows,’” says Brad.

While Brad worked on the boat, Brooke looked after the kids at home, two and a half hours away – a period she describes as “tough”.

Since the boat was finished in November 2024, the Attards have finally enjoyed the fruits of their labour.

Slow mornings are spent waking up and enjoying water views, and afternoons are spent fishing, swimming or paddleboarding.

Brad and Brooke explore the lake by taking the boat out of its pen each visit, pulling up to different banks for a night or two at a time.

As winter gets closer, the family looks forward to venturing to nearby snowfields, nature walks and waterfalls.

The best thing about their houseboat, Brooke says, is the quality family time.

“It’s the dedicated time together with no interruptions. Knowing that when we’re up there, we’re just doing our thing, and you’re not worrying about anything else. Nothing else consumes your mind,” she says.

“I think it’s better than any kind of holiday.”