Cap Coast house hunt goes global
TV show host and real estate agent Lucas Wilson settled in Yeppoon last year, chose his new neighbourhood for the next House Hunters TV special starring Canadian couple Jared and Brooke Runnels
Rockhampton
Don't miss out on the headlines from Rockhampton. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Seven-times host of the House Hunters, Lucas Wilson chose Yeppoon as his new home twelve months ago, so he didn't have to look far when choosing the hit show's next destination.
He began showing a loved-up Canadian couple around the Capricorn Coast's rental market and tourist attractions this week, accompanied by a crew from Leopard Films USA.
Locals will encounter the cameras filming Jared and Brooke Runnels walking along Yeppoon's main street, admiring the coast, inspecting three rental properties and jetskiing around Great Keppel Island over the weekend.
This episode, which will attract more than 10 million viewers in the US alone, will air during the North American winter three to six months from now, and also on Australia's Channel 9 Live.
"Everyone back home is going to be so jealous," said Mr Runnels whose sister moved to Yeppoon some years ago.
The Capricorn Coast is a far cry from the snowy province of Alberta where Mr Runnels grew up skiing among the Canadian Rockies.
He met his wife Brooke when she was waitressing at a local restaurant, and the couple first came to visit after their 2017 wedding.
"It was love at first sight," they said of the coast's small town vibe and beautiful weather.
"We flew into Sydney, visited Byron Bay and Airlie Beach, but when it came to where we wanted to stay it was definitely Yeppoon.
"Actually, it was jetskiing at Keppel that did it; the island is our favourite place."
The Runnels were tagged in a social media post from Mr Wilson, who works for RMW Property Agents, looking for the latest show's talent.
"We need more people like this to come to Yeppoon," he said.
"This is the last secret seaside town on the Queensland coast, and we want to unveil it for the world to see."
Mr Wilson said he would like to stick close by for the next few House Hunters episodes, filming in Rockhampton or other beaches along the coast.
"Maybe I can get a few million Canadians to come live on Great Keppel Island," he joked.
While the world will have to wait on the outcomes of the Runnels' search for a new rental, Jared is looking for work as a boilermaker and Brooke has her eyes on a shopfront on the main street.
She hopes to open the Bella Lash and Brow Room in the Sands Arcade on Normanby Street between the ice cream shop and the old Charlie's on the Beach cafe.
Minister responds to mayors’ waste levy concerns
As several mayors warn ratepayers will bear the brunt of a state government waste tax, the minister responsible has said he wants to help by investing in infrastructure.
Doomed pilot’s lifesaving act seconds before Taipan tragedy
A catastrophic Army helicopter crash that killed four men could have claimed more lives if not for the evasive action of one pilot, an investigation has found.