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SERA: Does anybody know what kind of bird this is?
NARRATOR: For more than a decade, zoologist Sera Steves
has had her eyes set on a singular goal.
I'm really passionate about crocodiles, reptiles, and birds,
and I'm moving to Australia
and getting to work with these beautiful animals.
NARRATOR: Now she's seeking a home
that will accommodate not just herself...
Kind of reminds me of a ranch house in Texas.
NARRATOR: ...but a roommate she barely knows...
SERA: I love this retro green.
It's different.
NARRATOR: ...and a full menagerie.
SERA: Wow.
Wildlife everywhere.
I have to say that Gail kind of read into my brain.
[ Chuckles ]
I just wish that we could pick it up and move it.
I can't get over these windows. I think they're the best.
It could work.
NARRATOR: "House Hunters International"
takes a walk on the wild side
in Townsville, Australia.
SERA: Yee-haw!
[ Doorbell rings ]
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
SERA: The bird that I have behind me
is a beautiful ibis.
It has this elongated beak, and that is a specialized tool
for eating crustaceans in a muddy environment.
I am a zoologist.
I specialize in birds and reptiles.
NARRATOR: After five years at the San Antonio Zoo,
Sera's passion for exotic creatures
is taking her around the world.
I found out about Billabong Sanctuary
while I was doing a search for Australasian zoo-keeping.
I applied right away, and then I got the call.
And without even thinking,
I agreed to move all the way to Australia.
WOMAN: Are you getting excited?
SERA: I am.
It's gonna be so cool
to work with these animals I've never worked with before.
But I'm super nervous, too, though.
Australia is a land with a lot of dangerous animals.
So, as a result,
the field of zoology is dominated with men.
Since when have you let boys get in the way of your desires?
I guess it's the consequences of failure, you know?
If I don't do well
or they question my ability
or -- I don't know.
I just don't have the backup I do.
I am putting a lot of things at risk by making this move.
I'm giving up my lifestyle, my friends, my family.
You're so amazing.
You're gonna do so, so well.
I've got to focus on that.
I'm gonna succeed, and failure's not an option.
NARRATOR: Set to begin work at the sanctuary
in just a few days,
Sera makes the 8,300-mile trek to Townsville, Australia.
Situated on Queensland's northeastern coast,
Townsville is surrounded by more than 30 national parks.
The region boasts a multitude of indigenous flora and fauna,
in addition to a buzzing nightlife.
It's a great city, really vibrant, very eclectic.
It's multi-cultural.
GAIL: Sera! Welcome.
Hi, Chrissy. How do you do?
SERA: Since getting the job in Australia,
I've been going back and forth getting things organized,
and I actually met a girl at my future workplace
named Christina,
and we've decided to start looking for a house together.
Chrissy, you're already living here, yeah?
I'm living here now, yeah.
CHRISTINA: I'm originally from the Gold Coast.
About a year and a half ago,
I moved to Townsville here in north Queensland.
My lease is almost up,
so we're hoping to find a place together.
I've only known her for a couple weeks,
so I'm hoping that our checklist matches up.
So what size property are you looking for?
Two bedrooms -- Three, you know, maybe --
but, you know, two, obviously, minimum.
We're really into the Queenslander style.
They're just basically houses on stilts
with a very alfresco feel.
Tin roofs and beautiful.
Yeah, they're full of good features.
Yeah, yeah -- Something kind of unique with character.
We have to have character.
Okay.
And pretty close to your workplace?
Yeah, about 15 minutes is really, you know, ideal.
I'm hoping we can stay, I guess, close to the city,
'cause I do like going out
and being close to everything, as well.
We need something pet-friendly.
I mean, my cat's coming from Texas.
A dog, yeah.
So a good, sturdy fence.
Yeah, yeah.
You know, a nice yard would be good, too.
That's a big priority for me -- having space
so that I could, you know, have some animals, perhaps.
And then, we'd like, ideally, like around $1,500 a month.
The rental market in Townsville fluctuates.
So some of them fall under that,
some of them fall right on that,
and some are a little bit over.
NARRATOR: Angling to make both girls happy,
Gail begins with a quirky Queenslander.
House 1 is under budget
and just 10 minutes from the city center.
GAIL: Lots of good restaurants,
lots of pretty funky people out there.
And they'll be part of it.
Hi, girls. This is the Queenslander.
CHRISTINA: I love Queenslanders in general. I love the look of it.
GAIL: It's $1,400, under budget.
It's 3 bedrooms, 15 minutes from work,
solid fence for the animals.
SERA: I guess the only con would really be
the proximity to that apartment complex there.
Multiple neighbors.
In here, it's got lots of really quirky rooms
around the place.
Oh, it's cute!
The first thing I noticed was the windows.
It's almost like a stained-glass,
Coke-bottle windows.
I think they're the best.
This could be a bedroom.
Yeah.
You know, I kind of like this.
I like cozy spaces.
Check this out.
Ooh.
And that's all closed-in next door,
so the neighbors can't really see much.
CHRISTINA: I really think Sera will like living here,
just as long as she can have some of her animals with her.
[ Laughs ]
The only thing that I wasn't jazzed about was the carpet.
I really want to do some wildlife caring,
and, you know, if I've got animals,
we're bringing them in and out,
carpet is the worst thing in the world.
We've got the hub of the house here.
CHRISTINA: It's so open.
It is. I like that.
There's the kitchen.
So, it doesn't really come with appliances, then.
It's got no furniture other than the stove.
I didn't really rate the lack of the appliances
or the fridge and the dishwasher.
SERA: So, this would be another bedroom, then.
Well, it could be, or a sitting room.
It could be our exercise room,
or, like, our dance-theater room.
[ Both chuckle ]
This is the other bedroom.
Hey, look.
You can open up and see the yard.
Oh, I like that.
Oh, I can feel the breeze.
That's nice.
GAIL: Bathroom, recently renovated.
Oh, that's interesting.
CHRISTINA: What is that?
[ Dramatically ] It's a hole to nowhere!
Kind of like a cockroach entry point.
No.
You might get a gecko or two.
No cockroaches.
Yeah, they can't climb.
No.
Do you want to have a look downstairs?
Okay.
The Queenslander, it's always up on stilts,
just for that airflow.
Great functional space -- Cool.
Great for your animals.
It's very pet-friendly.
Lots of really good, cool space down there for them.
So, what do you think, girls?
SERA: Well, I really like that it's fenced in like this.
I love the quirky character of it,
and the windows.
I'm crazy about the windows.
I loved it, to be honest, when I first looked at it.
It's close to the city, too, which is what I wanted.
Not a huge fan of being so close to an apartment complex.
That's like several neighbors you have to contend with.
It'd be really great to find a house
that's also close to a park,
because I'd love to see some wildlife nearby.
GAIL: I think the girls like it.
Whether it's going to be for them remains to be seen.
Hey, girls!
Look at all of this!
NARRATOR: To get Sera closer to the animals she adores...
SERA: Wow.
...Gail takes the house hunt off the grid.
I think the biggest issue
is if we wanted to go out at all at night.
CHRISTINA: So, this is Bowling Green Bay National Park.
And it has Alligator Creek
running straight through the guts of it, really.
NARRATOR: Sera Steves has always wanted to be where the wild things are.
Wow. This would be great for spotting birds of prey.
Yeah, there's birds galore out here.
SERA: I am moving to Australia
to work with some of the most fascinating
and beautiful wildlife in the world.
Oh, look!
There's some swifts right there.
They're collecting the insects as the light fades.
NARRATOR: Now she's exploring her new surroundings
with soon-to-be roommate
and fellow animal enthusiast Christina.
CHRISTINA: I've always had animals, since I was really little --
horses and dogs and things like that.
What kind of wildlife's out here?
Oh, there's heaps.
What are pademelons?
It's the same family as a kangaroo.
They're marsupial.
My goal with zoology is basically to be better
with the maintenance and care of animals.
NARRATOR: Eager to develop her skills,
Sera's planning to bring her work home with her,
so she's seeking a house
that will accommodate a host of critters.
I've got animals.
We're bringing them in and out.
Carpet is the worst thing in the world.
While house 1 wasn't ideal for animals,
Christina was thrilled with its central location.
I love that it's close to town.
It's sort of two, three minutes to everything.
But Sera had second thoughts about its proximity to humans...
SERA: That's like several neighbors you have to contend with.
NARRATOR: ...and its distance from the great outdoors.
I'd love to see some wildlife nearby.
NARRATOR: So Gail decides to take a risk.
House 2 is located in the nearby town of Alligator Creek,
just outside Bowling Green Bay National Park.
They really like animals,
and so this sort of fit that scene for them.
Hey, girls!
Look at all of this!
SERA: Oh, it's beautiful!
Uh-huh.
Abundant space, wildlife everywhere,
2 1/2 acres down there come with this lease.
Wow, 2 1/2 acres.
Yeah.
It's 3 bedrooms, $1,580 a month --
A little bit more than your budget,
but, you know, all this space.
I have to say that Gail kind of read into my brain.
We mentioned that we work with animals, we love animals.
It was like, "Here, check it out.
Live with some animals."
I think the biggest issue
is if we wanted to go out at all at night,
it's an expensive taxi ride home.
Do you want to have a look inside?
Absolutely.
Look at this space.
Wow! Huge!
[ Laughter ]
It's like a whole separate house in that one room.
GAIL: Look at this kitchen.
Wow.
I love this retro green.
CHRISTINA: It's different.
Do you want to have a look at the bedroom?
Holy cow! It's huge!
A great size in here.
Tile floors.
I was kind of worried that, you know,
I'd find carpet in the bedrooms.
No carpet in this house.
That's nice.
I'm not a huge fan of the besser blocks.
It just seems like a nightmare to decorate.
Bathroom there.
Oh, a bathtub! Sweet!
GAIL: You liked the color of the other room?
Oh, awesome. I love that.
CHRISTINA: I wasn't a fan of the bricks at first,
but then we went into every room,
and every room's a different color,
so it sort of doesn't stand out that badly.
Oh, wow, purple. [ Laughs ]
Another color.
[ Laughs ]
Do you want to have a look at the deck?
There's a deck?
Check this out.
Oh, wow.
SERA: Yeah.
That's the 2 1/2 acres we were talking about before.
I might be able to have a horse again.
Oh, that would be awesome!
I hate not having a horse. I've had one my whole life.
What do you think, girls?
The house itself kind of lacks character.
I like the accented walls,
but I'm just not a big fan of, like, besser blocks.
I love this part.
[ Laughter ]
GAIL: It's a bit further out of town than they'd have liked.
Christina's been living in the city,
and she's used to that lifestyle.
I've always wanted to do some wildlife caring,
so it'd be nice to have some space to actually do that.
Yeah.
What do you think?
I just wish that we could pick it up and move it
a little bit closer to the city.
[ Both chuckle ]
But I don't know. It could work.
So, this one's a Queenslander, which was on your wish list.
NARRATOR: To get the girls back near the action...
It's pretty close to the city.
NARRATOR: ...Gail sacrifices acreage but loads up on charm.
Aww!
CHRISTINA: So, this is Castle Hill.
This is probably the best place
to show you the view of Townsville.
NARRATOR: Sera Steves left everything familiar behind
to plant new roots as a wildlife ranger
in the land down under.
SERA: It's not easy to move to the other side of the world.
And I'm hoping
that I can put all of my life back together again.
Where I'm currently living is just over the other side of that hill just there.
NARRATOR: And after years spent living alone,
she's becoming reacquainted with the art of compromise.
So, down the front here, you've got the Strand.
So, all the way along, you've got hotels or motels,
cafes, bars -- things like that.
The main thing for Christina
is she wants to make sure that she's close to town.
And the nightlife's pretty good there
on the weekends, as well.
While Christina is determined to stay near the buzz,
Sera's priority is finding enough space
for a trove of animals.
SERA: Oh, it's beautiful!
GAIL: Isn't it great?
Abundant space, wildlife everywhere.
NARRATOR: Christina loved
the possibilities the space afforded...
I might be able to have a horse again.
Oh, that would be awesome!
...but bucked at living so far from the center.
I just wish that we could pick it up and move it
a little bit closer to the city.
[ Both chuckle ]
Hoping to strike the perfect balance,
Gail opts for a larger home in the heart of Townsville.
House 3 is a perfectly appointed Queenslander
with space and style.
SERA: This is a nice area here.
And it's close to the Strand, hey.
Yeah, it's really good.
It's pretty close to their workplace.
CHRISTINA: Hello.
Easy enough to find.
Yeah, it was, actually.
Really easy, yeah.
So, this one -- really secure, really pet-friendly.
Three bedrooms.
It's a Queenslander, which was on your wish list.
It's $1,600 a month.
Yeah.
But it's fully furnished.
Do you want to have a look inside?
Aww!
What are you thinking?
I love the interior.
This all comes with it.
Everything that's in here right now
Wow.
Where are we gonna put my stuff?
See, that's great for me, but not so great...
GAIL: How much have you got?
I've got pretty much a fully furnished house at the moment.
I love the furniture, but now we've got double furniture.
Come and have a look at this.
CHRISTINA: Wow. It's a huge deck.
Good space.
It's such a great space for entertaining out here.
This is the master-bedroom suite.
CHRISTINA: Wow.
Is this a closet, as well?
Is that a walk-in?
Oh, and, Sera, you have windows in your wardrobe.
Ha! That's a view. [ Chuckles ]
Very spacious. I like that.
And the kitchen.
Everything comes with this.
It kind of reminds me of a ranch house in Texas.
Well, it's not really a house, is it? It's a home.
This is sort of a slice of where I'm from, too,
on the Gold Coast.
It's sort of tastes of both.
And the second bedroom,
and you could write your memoirs.
Oh, I love it! Antique desk!
It's so cute!
[ Laughter ]
It just has so much character,
and that's really what I love about it.
GAIL: The third bedroom.
CHRISTINA: Oh, this one has a wardrobe.
SERA: I like that.
And carpets.
Don't love the carpets.
I'm a bird nerd.
I'm gonna have birds, I know, eventually.
And carpets and birds are a no-no.
Yeah. Carpets come with a vacuum, though, so...
It's all right.
Or at least they do in the bedroom.
And the bathroom.
Oh, a bathtub. Sweet!
So, here...
Lots of shade and space for the animals.
So, what do you think?
I love it.
[ Both chuckle ]
Yeah, no. Um...
It's a bit over budget.
It is a little bit over budget,
but you've got all that furniture
that comes with it.
I do like the furniture.
I mean, I've already got everything, but...
You've got a great, big storage shed there.
Whatever you don't want --
Yeah, that's true.
It's close to the city, too, which is what I wanted.
There's really not a whole lot wrong.
I mean, I really could see myself here.
Yeah.
It's a home.
We've got a big decision to make.
NARRATOR: Sera and Christina
debate city life versus country life.
Okay, okay.
Let's make a hard call, here.
NARRATOR: After a move to the opposite hemisphere,
Sera's anxious to begin her new job
as a wildlife ranger.
But first, she and Christina
will have to find a home they can both live with.
We've got a big decision to make.
I know. Gail has not made it easy.
At $1,400 a month, house 1 is under budget
and full of quirky character both girls love.
I can't get over these windows. I think they're the best.
But Sera is wary of the wall-to-wall carpeting
and curious hole in the bathroom floor.
It's like a cockroach entry point.
Situated next to a national park,
house 2 comes with 2 1/2 acres of extra land...
I love the life up there.
I love the wallabies, the birds.
...but it's slightly over budget at $1,580 a month.
And Christina isn't thrilled with its distance from town.
I just think it's too far from the city.
Right in the heart of Townsville,
house 3 exudes warmth and charm.
It's, you know, got that feel that I love so much --
that, like, I'm out on my, you know, Texas ranch.
It is a very quaint little house.
It's over budget at $1,600 a month
but comes fully furnished and impeccably decorated.
It's really got the whole character package.
Okay, okay.
Let's make a hard call, here.
The quirky Queenslander --
I liked the rooms,
but it wasn't as well set out
as, you know, the other Queenslander.
I got to say that
Yeah.
All right.
So, quirky Queenslander -- gone.
Eliminated.
So, all right.
I'm leaning towards
Alligator Creek and that country acreage.
Really?
I don't know.
I don't think I could live half an hour from town.
I think that's too far out.
You know, the Queenslander is so practical, really.
You could have a lot of animals there, anyway.
It is close to everything, and you wanted character.
It's true! It's true!
That was, like, my thing.
I think the Alligator Creek house,
it just didn't have the same vibe.
You're absolutely right there.
The only thing I'm gonna really hang on to, though,
is I just think of the potential of that acreage.
I mean, think about what else could be in that paddock --
I know.
I know.
I really do miss having a horse.
It does.
I feel like I've left half of me on the Gold Coast.
[ Chuckles ] I hate it.
I mean, I'd be willing to give up "character."
Maybe. Okay. I think so.
I think so.
Yeah.
[ Squeals ]
[ Both laugh ]
Sera and Christina rent house 2
for $1,580 a month
and begin cultivating their menagerie.
SERA: Who I have on my hand right here
is a little cockatoo chick.
[ Bird chirps ]
His name is Alamo.
My job is awesome.
Being able to interact
with so many unique and special animals --
it's like I'm not even working.
So now Alamo knows that Crystal is pretty awesome.
You see a child's life change,
and you really see conservation in action that way.
Thank you, Crystal.
Let's give her a nice round of applause.
She's done a fantastic job.
MAN: Morning. Here you go.
Morning, Chrissy.
Living with Christina is awesome.
She is such a fun-loving person.
Well, I was hoping that maybe
you'd go for a ride a little bit later.
Could be fun.
What are you feeding him today?
Black seedless grapes and blueberries.
One of the biggest benefits of living where I live is the land,
so that we can have all the critters that we do.
[ Chuckles ]
I really like the open-plan style.
The house feels nice and breezy.
Tried to give my house a bit of character.
It's difficult to work with when you've got besser blocks.
By adding little decals and making it our own,
it brightens the place up,
makes it a little bit more cheerful.
ROBBIE: Righty-O. Good afternoon, folks!
Welcome to our crocodile show today.
My name is Robbie,
and backing me up today, we have Sera.
Leaving Texas was probably
the most difficult thing I've ever done, because, I mean,
it's really hard to find a place better than Texas.
There she is. There's the little girl.
But somehow, I did.
Now, guys, the Australian crocodile
is actually the largest-growing
and the most aggressive reptile in the world.
I love it out here,
and this is definitely my element.
Yee-haw!
Yeah. Cool.
This is where I've wanted to be for over a decade,
and I guess I was right.