Since she was a child, Inga Stallan had always wanted her own shop.
"It's been a lifelong dream," she said.
"I've been wanting to do something like this for a long time."
So when a shopfront became available in the regional Queensland town of Childers, about 300 kilometres north of Brisbane, in mid-2022, she leapt at the opportunity.
Inga, who had lived in Childers for more than a decade, thought "it was the right time to give it a go", and opened her homewares store last June.
Inga said she didn't even consider the difficulties of opening a store amid poor business conditions like rising costs, labour shortages and other pressures driven by a global pandemic.
"People were saying that I was a bit crazy doing it right away, but I just thought I'd give it a go," she said.
"Build it and they will come."
But she was not alone in her "crazy" decision to set up shop in Childers during the pandemic.
Childers Chamber of Commerce president Margaret Smith said 21 new businesses had opened in the town and the surrounding region in the past 18 months.
She said rather than hinder local commerce, the COVID pandemic had heralded the beginning of a business boom in the small town of 1,500 people.
"We've always been a busy little town, but COVID made us you know, a really busy and exciting place for people to be," she said.
"There's a lot more people, a lot more tourists driving through and there's a lot more people realising this is a great little spot for them to move to.
"Then they've decided that this is the place that they want to start their business and people just see opportunity with our small town, we're the gateway to Bundaberg and the Great Barrier Reef."
The 2022 Regional Movers Index showed the Bundaberg region, including Childers, was the most popular area for people to relocate to from other parts of regional Australia, and had the fifth-highest internal migration in the nation overall.
Friendly environment
Just down the main road from Ms Stallan's shop, Sandy Tyas makes and sells dog treats, biscuits and meals.
She said when she first moved to Childers 18 months ago, the town was so busy that she struggled to find a shopfront.
But Ms Tyas said Childers' "welcoming" atmosphere played a major role in encouraging business and visitors to the region.
"It is a real community town," she said.
"People are really friendly and very supportive.
"The travellers I think just love the atmosphere, it's a country town and a really friendly environment, you know they just feel welcomed."
The country living
Ms Stallan said a major driver of business growth in the region was an influx of new people moving to Childers.
"In the last probably three years, I've seen huge growth and a different type of people moving to town," she said.
"I think just the whole cost-of-living down south, people look to the country living.
"They've got a cheaper lifestyle in housing, and because they've got more time and more money that they're willing to spend, business is big."
Ms Smith said Childers' unique location on the Bruce Highway meant it was always on the map for tourists and travellers.
"I've spoken to a lot of people that said, 'Look, we've been coming up this way for years, and we've thought, 'Where do we want to retire? Right here,'" she said.
"We're on the highway, we've got Bundaberg, it's got an airport, Brisbane is just over three hours away, we are so central here.
"People just love the community, and they really enjoy coming into Childers to be part of the little vibe that we've got going on."
Ms Smith said business had ramped up significantly as more people put down roots.
"We've only got two shops in the main street that are vacant, and one's only been vacant a very short time," she said.
"We've got shops that are putting a lot of money into refurbishments, they're completely refurbishing, adding products and things into stores."
Ms Smith said the ultimate goal was for people to never have to leave.
"We're looking to create that business that keeps people here and they don't have to go anywhere.
"We work to keep our workers here, we keep people living here, spending their money here and ultimately, keeping this fabulous community that we have, sustained around itself."
'Always welcome'
It's not only the Childers township that's reaping the rewards of a business boom.
Less than a 15-minute drive north, the town of Cordalba has also experienced a rush of newcomers.
Psychologist Vikki Walters, who moved to Cordalba from the Sunshine Coast in March 2021, said she had been "swamped by clients" from across the region.
"When I first let the doctors know I was opening, the receptionist nearly leapt over the counter to cuddle me saying, 'Thank you, we've needed this for some time,'" she said.
"The community is just so accepting of everyone and always willing to help out."
Ms Walters, who is also an experienced wedding celebrant, said the region's "open-arms" attitude was what had seen business flourish.
"Everyone loves to shop local, and people will go to a local place rather than travel to Bundaberg or further afield," she said.
"I think everyone who comes in, who's got that business they want to open is adding to what our community has.
"So new businesses are always welcome because they add to the diversity of what we've got here."
