There is a handful of individuals in a position to reside with waterfront views of a few of Australia's finest seashores, and so they do not must fork over an enormous mortgage or lease.
Zac Cracknell is one in every of few live-in caretakers left at surf golf equipment round New South Wales.
The 32-year-old trades his work for lodging at Bilgola Surf Lifesaving Membership on Sydney's Northern Seashores, which implies he will get to reside proper there on the membership.
"There's a rental settlement and I've to carry out the chores as much as that worth as a way to preserve the caretaker's place," Cracknell instructed 9news.com.au.
"Being proper alongside the beachfront is the superb half, the factor is, it is a job.
"You have to be there, you have to stand up to the features which are on, and the members are the vital ones.
"It is a fantastic place to reside but it surely's not concerning the cash."
He mentioned there's a draw back to residing on the sand of one in every of Sydney's most upmarket places.
"We will not go away for the weekend as there's a lot to do," he mentioned.
"When there is a operate or a marriage or an occasion you have to be there at midnight to ensure all the things's cleared up."
Then there's the noise from these events, which may interrupt his and his girlfriend's newest TV present binge-viewing, he joked.
His duties embody all the things from being on name for emergencies together with volunteering to assist in the NSW floods disaster, cleansing the membership and even pulling pints within the bar.
In return, he will get the condominium inside the membership he describes as "comfy".
"It isn't an enormous lodging, but it surely has a queen dimension mattress with a toilet, a small laundry, a kitchenette and a residing area, and a balcony you possibly can sit on," he mentioned.
The 32-year-old admits it is a fairly superb deal.
"You have to pinch your self," he mentioned.
There's so few gross sales in Bilgola Seashore that there is little information to check the condominium's price, however the common home worth in Bilgola Plateau is slightly below $3 million, based on Area.
A four-bedroom home near the surf membership simply offered for greater than $8m.
Celeb panorama gardener Jamie Durie and high-profile couple actor Richard Roxburgh and chef Silvia Colloca have additionally referred to as the realm house.
Nostalgic look again at Australia's seashores and beachgoers
Cracknell was residing regionally and was within the surf life-saving membership when the place was marketed within the e-newsletter.
"I did not get it the primary time. Members could not truly be caretakers on the time," he mentioned.
"They gave one other caretaker a go however they moved on. I came upon it was arising once more and mentioned, 'guys, give me one other shot. I am eager'."
Cracknell has a day job within the water business, which he does from house.
"I am unable to get up on a board," he admitted.
Grandfather Barry Osbourne, 61, reckons he is carried out round 50 rescues since he grew to become caretaker at Sydney's South Maroubra Surf Life Saving membership.
On one event he was even winched up right into a helicopter with the surfer he'd helped when he misplaced his board in massive swell.
For any sort of seashore emergency, he is at all times available.
"I get loads of surfers arising with cuts and children getting stung by blue bottles," he mentioned.
"I am going to come out and go to the primary help room and get the ice, ensure that they're okay."
Osbourne lives with associate Lesley Chidac, 67, within the surf golf equipment' small studio and juggles his membership duties along with his day job as a pool attendant at Maroubra Seals Membership.
His solely main residing expense is his Foxtel invoice, along with his work offsetting any lease.
Osbourne, who has been there for 12 years, mentioned it isn't as lavish a life as folks may assume.
"The membership's actually busy. Everybody thinks I've acquired this lifetime of Riley residing on the seashore," he mentioned.
"It takes a sure sort of particular person to reside in a spot like this."
He has a protracted record of duties corresponding to closing up the health club nightly at 9pm, and appearing as safety for the membership, calling the police ought to any suspicious varieties be noticed.
"It is fairly quiet so that you do get folks wandering across the membership in any respect hours, surfers come early within the morning, you see some fascinating eventualities," he mentioned.
With the nation's greatest Nippers membership gathering on the sand outdoors, there's little probability of a weekend sleep-in both.
Each Sunday at 7.30am a whole lot of noisy children flip up, and he is solely too completely satisfied to tidy up after them.
"It is so gratifying - I've seen so many children come by from Nippers after which they're on patrols after which they begin consuming within the membership bar," he mentioned.
Throughout summer season he is additionally round to assist the members on patrol.
"They're at all times knocking on the door, 'Barry have you ever acquired the important thing to this room?'"
He has no plans to depart his distinctive residing state of affairs for now, within the suburb the place the median one-bedroom unit worth is $741,000.
"It is a unbelievable life-style. I can simply stroll outdoors and have a swim," he mentioned.
Surf Life Saving NSW mentioned live-in caretakers, who're primarily there for safety causes, was much more widespread.
"Over time with expertise and safety programs, CCTV and so forth their function is changing into important and infrequently when a protracted phrases caretaker appears to maneuver on, they don't seem to be changed," a spokesperson mentioned.
"Apart from the safety side, they might additionally undertake roles corresponding to cleansing, garden mowing and upkeep for the membership.
"Every membership is completely different and a few cost a decreased lease for the roles the caretaker undertakes and in some situations it is a 'quid professional quo'."
Victoria additionally has a small variety of live-in caretakers at surf golf equipment, however they seem to be a factor of the previous in Queensland.