Have you ever seen a King Parrot? Gone for a stroll in a rain forest just outside your door? Contemplated the far-away ocean during a sunset? All of these delights await you at Tamborine Mountain, less than an hour from Australia's famous Gold Coast. Can't get there? Just check out Helen South's Web site. South, an agent with Lane Realty in Queensland, Australia, features lush photographs of Tamborine Mountain on her enchanting Web site.
A.N.: Why are you called the Smiling Realtor of Tamborine Mountain?
H.S.: The Smiling Realtor comes from our Smiley that forms part of our logo. The Smiley was the brainchild of Ron Lane, who set up the business in 1983. Over the years, Smiley has had slight modifications but has remained our mascot. He does represent the office rather well. We're a close-knit and rather humorous crew.
A.N.: How did you become a Realtor?
H.S.: It's a long story. I first trained as a high school English and geography teacher, then went on to postgraduate study in political science and became a university academic in Australia's national capital, Canberra. But I became disenchanted with academia and Canberra, and headed north to Queensland 16 years ago and indulged in a long-held interest and entered real estate.
A.N.: What was the hardest knock you took on your road to success?
H.S.: Seven straight years of economic recession. Thankfully, the worst of that period seems to be over.
A.N.: For those of us who are unfamiliar with the Gold Coast, tell us what it's like.
H.S.: The Gold Coast is famous for sand, surf, sun, and the high life. When most people think of the Gold Coast, they think of beautiful, long stretches of golden sand, relatively gentle surf, and balmy, Caribbean-like weather. It really is Australia's most popular holiday resort, with good restaurants and some excellent tourist parks, of which Sea World and Currumbin Bird Sanctuary are probably the best. The Gold Coast was made famous in the 1950s by Paula Stafford's Bikinis, which created havoc when they first appeared on the beaches and at naughty pajama parties. Later, it gained notoriety for its "Meter Maids," shapely wenches in skimpy gold lame bikinis paid by the council to feed coins into parking meters so as not to upset the tourists if they overstayed their parking time.
It's a rich person's playground, with huge marinas and billions of dollars' worth of luxury boats parked around the Broadwater, a huge expanse of calm water at the northern end of the coast. While there are obvious poorer suburbs, the lasting impact of a visit is the size and opulence of a huge number of the private homes. Only the more adventurous have discovered the "other Gold Coast," the lush subtropical greenery in the hills that provides a backdrop to the Gold Coast's beaches. That's where you'll find Lane Realty, about 30 minutes' drive from the golden sands, up at nearly 2,000 feet altitude.
A.N.: What is your buyer profile?
H.S.: Our buyer profile includes 30 percent reasonably well-heeled retirees. We also attract a lot of younger professional couples and young families who want a quieter, more rural lifestyle. As we are only about one hour's drive from Brisbane, there are quite a few "weekenders" here. Brisbane can get very hot and steamy in the summer, so our cooler, less humid mountain air is very attractive. About 1 million people per year visit Tamborine Mountain, so it is a popular tourist venue. It also appeals to artists and craftspeople; we have painters, potters, weavers, and just about every other form of craft made and sold here.
A.N.: Any famous residents?
H.S.: Some well-known Queensland names have permanent homes or weekenders here. The head of Queensland's Criminal Justice Commission has a weekender here. One of the people jailed by the Criminal Justice Commission a few years ago for bribing police and running brothels lives here -- I sold him his beautiful property -- and a very well-known Australian singer and entertainer, Simon Gallaher, also lives here.
A.N.: What are holiday houses, and what is the season for renting them? Who rents them?
H.S.: Our holiday houses are most popular in summer -- our Christmas period -- for cooler holidays, and in winter, when people can enjoy the pleasure of fires and all the related wintery things that most Queenslanders miss out on due to the tropical climate. Our holiday tenants include "naughty weekends" (those couples are very obvious), families, members of religious orders, and just about any people you can think of who need a really relaxing break from a hectic life.
Agent News brings you Part 2 of our interview with Helen South on Tuesday.
Published: November 10, 1997
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