The Weekly Real Estate from Coast to Country, March 7, 2024

Real Estate Estate

FROM COAST TO COUNTRY

Beautiful Cudgen set to boom

By Jo Kennett

THE CUDGEN plateau was home to the Goodjinburra clan, part of the Minyangbal (Minjungbal) tribe of the Bundjalung Nation prior to European settlement, according to The Fragile Edge, Michael DeGood’s brilliant natural history of the Tweed Coast. Their men were described by one early surveyor as ‘all friendly’ and ‘fine looking men.’

Cudgen is derived from ‘Goodjin’, meaning red, referring to the red ochre found there and ‘highly coveted for ceremonial Paint-Up.’

Ecologist John Hunter said in The Fragile Edge that before it was cleared, the subtropical rainforest on the Cudgen plateau “ would have been glorious, absolutely glorious”.

From 1929 timber cutters began moving into the area and within 50 years of European settlement an estimated 90 per cent of Indigenous Tweed and Brunswick people had died from diseases they brought such as smallpox and measles.

Vast swathes of land were cleared for stock and crops of the settlers, including the lush vine and flowerclad foliage filled with palms and hoop pines on the Cudgen Plateau which were targeted by timber cutters

when cedar stocks were exhausted.

William Julius arrived from the West Indies to farm cane and built the first commercial sugar mill in the Tweed in the late 1870s, which was located just near the Cudgen traffic lights.

After the British stopped sending convicts to Australia, the blackbirding of Pacific Islanders to work the cane fields began, with many of them escaping over the border from Queensland to work for farmers like the Julius family, who paid wages and provided decent working conditions. Many of their descendants still live in the area.

By 1891 Cudgen had a school, two hotels, a store, a police station, a butcher, and a baker. Only the school remains but the plateau now provides most of the nation’s sweet potatoes.

Right now there are eleven properties for sale at Cudgen, but most of them are residential blocks yet to be built on, in the Kingscoast estate, most for around the $700,000 mark.

There are three homes for sale, two on rural acreage and one a lovely historic home in the middle of the village (see Hot Property).

There were 952 people living at Cudgen in 2021 and that number will boom once building starts in

Open Homes

Saturday, March 9

JET

• 51 Hall Dr, Murwillumbah 9:30-10am

• 8 McPherson Court, Murwillumbah 10:30-11am

DJ Stringer Property Services

• 4/3 Island Drive Tweed Heads 10-10.30am NSW

• U2111 Tweed Ultima, Stuart St, Tweed Heads 1111:30am NSW

• 2 Bolwarra Pl, Bilambil Heights 11-11:30am NSW

• 23/14 Douglas St, Kirra 10-10:30am QLD

• 6/6 Merlot Ct, Tweed Heads South 10-10:30am NSW

• 9/15 Ivory Cres, Tweed Heads 10-10:30am NSW

• 1/231 Golden Four Dr, Bilinga 10-10:30am QLD

• 202/108 Pacific Parade, Bilinga 11-11:30am QLD

• 6/24 Dutton Street, Coolangatta 12-12:30pm QLD

Land for sale at 101 Cudgen Road

Kingscoast. According to PropTrack data there were only two homes available for sale in Cudgen in the last months and one unit, with hundreds of interested buyers. No doubt some of them will be staff with jobs at the new hospital. There is no data on prices as there weren’t enough sold to gather meaningful figures.

Rental yield for homes at Cudgen is 4 per cent and 4.4 per cent for units. It’s a beautiful area with some great views looking out over the valley towards the mountains or to the coast, and only five minutes from the beaches of Kingscliff and only 13 minutes to Coolangatta and Tweed Heads. With a boom in population expected once the hospital and Kingscoast open up you can’t go wrong buying into this lush, lovely part of the shire.

• 2/144 Kennedy Dr, Tweed Heads West 1-1:30pm NSW

First National Murwillumbah

• 1446 Kyogle Road, Uki, 9:30-10am

• 4 Ted Brown Close, Kunghur, 10:30-11am

• 438 Mount Burrell Road, Mount Burrell, 11:30-12noon

Schmith Estate Agents

• 9/44 Coolangatta Rd, Coolangatta, 10-10.30am QLD

• 15/7 Barrett St, Tweed Heads West, 11-11.30am NSW

MANA

• 3 Kallaroo Circuit, Ocean Shores, 9-9.30am

• 2/1 Durroon Court, Ocean Shores, 9.30-10am

• 2/5 Canowindra Court, South Golden beach, 1010.30am

• 119 Commercial Road, Murwillumbah, 10-10.30am

• 1/9 Boondoon Crescent, Ocean Shores, 10.30-11am

• 24 Gloria Street, South Golden Beach, 11-11.30am

• 14 Spring Street, Murwillumbah, 11-11.30am

Hot property

SINCE WE are already up on the lovely Cudgen plateau, we thought why not feature an absolute gem of a home for this week’s Hot Property.

Number 4 Collier Street is a six bedroom, two bathroom home set on a 722 square metre block in the heart of Cudgen village and it is really something special.

This bright, airy Queenslander is over 100 years old and believed to be one of the shops of the original 600 acre sugar plantation established in 1869.

The properties on the plantation, including this one, were built of fine timbers growing on the plantation such as cedar, teak, rosewood and beech.

This house oozes history and beautiful workmanship, with timber French doors and timber features.

The kitchen has beautiful hardwood benches with modern appliances and there’s a huge entertainment deck overlooking the garden and another looking out to Cudgen’s landmark memorial pine trees.

Our Community Comes First

Hardwood floors, a giant stunning bath in the main ensuite, a teenage or grandparents downstairs retreat, high ceilings, unique light fixtures, rooftop solar, gorgeous light fixtures and modern touches next to original vintage features are just some of the drawcards that bring warmth and charm to this lovely home.

This gem is just minutes from Kingscliff and ten minutes from Tweed Heads, making it a pretty unbeatable place to hang your hat.

• 2431 Coolamon Scenic Drive, Ocean Shores, 11.3012pm

• 241 Middle Pocket Road, Middle Pocket, 12-12.30pm

LJ Hooker Kingscliff

• 236 Old Lismore Road, Byangum, 10–11am

Tate Brownlee

• 12 Amaroo Drive, Banora Point 9-9:30am

• 29 Bimbadeen Ave, Banora Point 9-9:30am

• 27 Hibiscus Parade, Banora Point 10 -10:30am

• 38 Curtawilla Street, Banora Point 10 -10:30am

• 10 Bushranger Road, Terranora 11-11:30am

• 8/185 Kennedy Dr, Tweed Heads West 11-11:30am

• 8/11-13 Kingscliff St, Kingscliff, 12-12:30pm

• 3 Paperbark Court, Banora Point 12-12:30pm

• 11/39-45 Tweed Coast Road, Bogangar 12-12:30pm

• 19 Birkdale Court, Banora Point 1-1:30pm

• 13/3-19 Amaroo Drive, Banora Point 1-1:30pm

• 81 Jacaranda Avenue, Tweed Heads West 2-2:30pm

• 1/53 Charles Street, Tweed Heads 2-2:30pm

• 34/22 Binya Avenue, Tweed Heads 3-3:30pm

3

Dual Living Country Style

236 Old Lismore Road, Byangum NSW

Open Home Saturday 9th March 10 – 11am

A great home with multiple extras including separate living for the extended family.

The property has valley, river and Mt Warning views and is situated in a quiet, low traffic area only minutes to town, schools and shops.

A long front verandah, ultra modern bathroom and light filled kitchen with modern appliances and super storage.

Four bedrooms, three bathrooms, study, media room, lock up garage and undercover parking for 10 vehicles.

• Mancave

• chicken shed

• Town water

• Aircon

• 8 minutes to Murwillumbah

• 30 Minutes to Gold Coast Airport

• 30 Minutes to new Tweed Valley Hospital

• 30 Minutes to beach

4

For Sale

$1,550,000 - $1,600,000

View

Sat 9th Mar at 10-11am

Bernice Melnikas

0408 088 262

BerniceMelnikas@ljhkingscIiff.com.au

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2/144

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23/14 Douglas Street Kirra

• Open plan air-conditioned living & dining

• Well-appointed modern kitchen w/ dishwasher

• Master bedroom w/ ensuite

• Main bathroom w/ combined laundry facilities

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6/24-26 Dutton Street Coolangatta

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