Culinary cachet and country vibes: Why Rockhampton's charm is wooing buyers

What do celebrity chefs Curtis Stone, Tarek Ibrahim, Jack Stein, Pete Evans and Matt Golinski have in common? They all love a great Aussie steak and they all travelled to Rockhampton last year for the triennial beef expo, a celebration of all facets of our multibillion dollar beef industry.

A gathering of more than 100,000 attendees and 5000 cattle, the week-long expo in Australia’s beef capital is a highlight in a busy calendar for the central Queensland region, which is a jumping-off point for the Great Barrier Reef and Great Keppel Island.

Denis Cox moved from Melbourne 10 years ago searching for better weather and hasn’t looked back. Starting out as head of the Rockhampton Jockey Club, he was then chief executive of Beef Australia between 2012 and 2018 and is now co-owner and manager of the Great Western Hotel.

Class acts

An iconic 1862 hotel where you can dine on a slow-cooked beef brisket, the Great Western has an arena with capacity for 3000 guests, which plays host to top music acts. Country music stalwart Lee Kernaghan and American rock legend Suzi Quatro are among the stars to play at the arena later this year.

“You’ve got a town with a very friendly, warm country feel with most of the amenities you’d find in a major capital city,” Cox says. “I love the weather and I love that it’s a little bit more laid back. You don’t have the traffic issues you have in major cities, everything’s a five or 10-minute drive away.”

Cox says while plenty of locals are employed in the beef industry, Rockhampton has major stakes in education, mining and health care.

Elders Real Estate Rockhampton agent Jess Cunningham moved to the area with her young daughter in 2013 after several visits to show cattle at the beef expo and says it’s a great place for families.

“I think it’s a beautiful place,” she says. “It’s situated by the Fitzroy River, which is very scenic and the surrounding region still has plenty of native vegetation.”

City delights 

Rockhampton plays host to a popular botanic gardens and zoo and the river is well-known for its barramundi.

Cunningham is a fan of the newly redeveloped Riverbank Precinct (where you’ll find Boathouse Rockhampton, pictured above), while Cox likes the architecture along heritage-listed Quay Street where you’ll find fine dining, cafes and bars.

For high-end property in town, Cunningham suggests The Range, a suburb that attracts doctors and lawyers, and for a true country lifestyle buyers head to Bouldercombe, Gracemere and Ridgelands.

Top home in the area

Set on 1830 square metres atop the Athelstone Ranges, this family home is well-equipped for both relaxing and entertaining.

There’s a broad verandah for lazy Sunday mornings, a choice of living spaces, landscaped gardens with a pool and a cabana with pizza oven and fireplace.

The listings is shared between Elders Real Estate Rockhampton agent Jess Cunningham and Pat O’Driscoll Real Estate agent Penny Keating, and has a price guide of $1.2 million.