Not too long ago, in the hinterland behind Victoria's famed Great Ocean Road, houses withered on the market for years.
Dairy farmers had been forced to amalgamate or sell up and the small town of Forrest was importing its team's footy players to stay afloat.
Surrounded by tall timber, Forrest was also losing what was left of an industry it had nurtured since colonisation as native hardwood logging was phased out.
