Coast and country property: the best beach and bush listings including Apollo Bay

1 Johnson Street, Ballarat 
$780,000-$830,000
3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1 car space

More than 40,000 people visited Ballarat Art Gallery for its recent exhibition of the Archibald Prize nominees. According to the gallery, many were daytrippers from Melbourne and, on the packed day I visited, these art lovers were filling the streets, eyeing over the old gold town’s architecture, antique shops, cafes and micro breweries.

Ballarat is the ancient grand dame of Victoria that had lain forgotten for ages but is now being rediscovered. For real estate buyers, it offers incredible value for some quite spectacular mid-late Victorian and Edwardian architecture. Think Armadale at one third of the price.

This chocolate-box beauty is an ornate weatherboard that has had an extensive and well-executed internal renovation while retaining the beautiful lacework-edged exterior. Original fireplaces, high ceilings and wide polished floorboards give a period backdrop but contemporary light fittings and sophisticated joinery give a modern splash.

There are three bedrooms, the main with white timber shutters and smart en suite, and a formal living room that could be a fourth bedroom if needed. The main open-plan kitchen, living and dining room at the back of the house is a fabulous space with double doors on two sides and opening to a deck and garden. 

Biggin and Scott, 5331 3991, Francesca Nicol, 0412 276 899, RT Edgar, Glen Coutinho, 0409 779 399 

28 Metung Road, Metung 
$1.2 million-plus
3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 car spaces

A sandy beach, a deck and mooring  are just outside the door of this unexpected offering in Metung: an apartment. Part of the Bancroft Mews development, this ground-level, north-facing apartment is low maintenance with a large, tile-floored open-plan kitchen, living and dining room overlooking the water. Sliding doors lead to a terracotta-tiled dining terrace with views of lawn, palm trees and the water. There are three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a good-sized laundry. The apartment could be suitable for permanent living as well as a holiday getaway and there are two car parks. It is a short walk to the Metung pub and shops. 

Kay&Burton,  8862 8001, Tim Picken, 0419 305 802

10 Ferndale Road, Warburton
$290,000-plus
1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 2 parking spaces

No one builds one-bedroom houses any more. In today’s real estate thinking, singletons are expected to live in apartments in the centre of cities. Well, here in rapidly gentrifying Warburton, this 1920s cottage allows a lone ranger, or a contented pair, to sit in their little abode surrounded by just over 2000 square metres of garden and bush. Nicely updated, the 60-square-metre house has timber floorboards throughout and freshly painted white walls. The property is down a country lane and entry is from the sheltered verandah and directly into the living room. It’s true almost every centimetre of the house is viewable from the living room – the kitchen connects at one end and the bedroom at the other – but it’s all nicely done. 

Bell Real Estate   5967 1277, David Carroll, 0419 539 320

405 Tuxion Road, Apollo Bay 
$1.25 million
4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 4 car spaces

Tuxion Road is the route to the hilltop above Apollo Bay where there are spectacular sea views. Here, four kilometres up the hilly road, this modern corrugated iron house has unobtrusive lines that allow Bass Strait to be the star. On 2.6 hectares, the L-shaped house has a large deck and pergola near the meeting of the two sides and a gallery-like corridor defining one side. The large house has  a flexible floorplan that offers either four bedrooms or three and two living rooms. The main living room is large and open plan with timber floorboards and sliding doors from the dining area opening to the deck.  Sea views on two sides are available from the sitting area, which is warmed by a wood heater. 

Great Ocean Properties, 5237 7366, Gary Van Soneren, 0418 550 049