"Just Do It"

Like the Bishop family you met last week, the Knuckey family has made the move to the district for an improved lifestyle. Both families had toyed with the idea of moving and, while we would rather COVID-19 never existed, it had a part to play in both families choosing to settle here.

Craig and Lauren Knuckey have chosen Leitchville as their new home. They had been living in Bendigo for the last 10 years and the Sunshine Coast before that. Along with their children, Jamie, Mikayla and Alana, they made the move late last year.

Craig and Lauren both worked full time, Lauren commuting an hour each way to work. Traffic was getting worse each year and parking was always bad. They were usually busy before and after work with children’s activities. “We always seemed to be doing something and a lot of the time those things felt unnecessarily complicated,” Craig said.

In a quest to slow down and spend time with each other and their children, they looked at possible locations. Regional Queensland was originally on the cards, but COVID-19 restrictions put a halt to that, and the Knuckeys turned their attention to Victorian border communities.

“The ability to have such amazing places at such a close range was a turning point in our decision to buy a home up here,” explained Craig. Kerang was also a contender, but the Knuckeys could not go past Leitchville. “We looked at Kerang but fell instantly in love with the Leitchville area, it was just perfect for us and what our family needed. The convenience of amenities to the area, the beautiful rivers and lakes in the area; and the community of Leitchville are just beautiful people and we wanted to be a part of that and have our kids grow up in such a lovely place.”

The vicinity to neighbouring towns was also key, said Craig, with Leitchville being close to Cohuna, Kerang, Koondrook, Barham, Echuca, Moama, Deniliquin and Swan Hill. “We love the chilled out relaxed atmosphere and all the recreational facilities and activities that our communities put together! There is always something to do.”

Like the Bishops, the cost of housing was a factor. “Here we were able to buy a lovely four bed, two bath, two living area home on 1200+sqm for a really great price. If we had purchased the same house on the same sized block in Bendigo, we would have been looking at well over $750,000. Our previous home was in an older area of Bendigo, so blocks were larger, but most neighbours were subdividing their blocks into smaller lots and cashing in on the housing boom. That just wasn’t what we wanted for ourselves.” They added that rates are less here, and they get more for their money.

Leitchville might not appeal to everyone, but it was the small-town vibe that attracted the Knuckeys. “The feeling of being a member of the community and not just another face in the crowd has been huge. Our neighbours have welcomed us with open hearts and arms, and it’s been absolutely amazing. We also love the way our kids’ education is catered to each individual child and not based on the class average – everyone gets exactly what they need and seeing our kids all excited for school every day has been heart-warming. Having been involved in school programs in Bendigo and Queensland, I can confidently say that we have never seen anything as outstanding as Leitchville Primary.”

The Knuckeys enjoy bushwalking and fishing with the kids and their small dogs, and are besotted with their new lifestyle. “It’s the ability to have the active lifestyle that we desired but always seemed too busy for before,” said Craig.

Craig and Lauren have no regrets about their move. The kids can play freely around town, and they run a small business from home. No commuting. No bad traffic. No parking hassles. They are here for the long-term. They encourage anyone thinking of a ‘tree change’ or slowing down to, “just do it.”

We welcome the Knuckeys and all the newcomers to our neck of the woods. Neighbourhood House invites all new residents to a barbecue at Apex Park, Cohuna, at 6pm on March 26.