Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
This is a dream job.
(Narrator) Craving a life outside her small hometown in Canada,
Mandy searched for something truly unique.
I applied online, boom, got the job.
I'm the events coordinator for this Australia solar eclipse event.
In addition to landing a new job down under,
she's picking an investment home her parents will buy.
Just don't make it too expensive.
The vendor's asking $430,000.
A little over price range, but, I mean, it might be worth it.
$30 grand over budget, I don't think your mom's gonna be happy with it.
Do you think you can jump off the rocks?
If you buy it, you can do whatever you want here.
Can Mandy find a house in Rocky Point, Australia
before the stars align?
There is the sun-- yay, the sun!
(doorbell rings)
Closed Captions Provided by Scripps Networks, LLC
This rain is just ridiculous.
I live in Abbotsford, British Columbia...
It's a little chilly out here.
It's typical Abbotsford weather though, Mandy, what do you expect here?
I was born to be in the sunshine and I'm finally getting my chance
to be reborn in Australia.
It's great that you're doing this, I wish I had done something like this
when I was younger.
I am nervous, but I'm also excited--
I'm scared, I have so many emotions running through me at once.
I'm going to be an events coordinator in Australia,
at Rocky Point, and it's completely new to me.
The event is cosmic and this new event producer is ecstatic.
It's people, literally, all around the world coming for this solar eclipse.
Only one place you can see it-- Australia.
And we're gonna party hard and work hard.
That one looks beautiful, do you see the beach?
I like the beach.
Super stoked to have a beachfront property.
Mandy's parents are investing in the house with their savings.
The demand for housing is pretty high.
It's a beautiful place so therefore the prices are gonna be pretty high.
You guys are doing an amazing thing for me.
The price range I'm looking at will be about $400,000.
Parents want to help their kids out as much as they can.
I will definitely send you photos
and you guys will be able to see what you're investing in.
Yeah, yeah-- should be mother and father approved.
What's to come and what's in store for me,
it's like unwrapping a present-- every day will be Christmas.
Yeah, it'll be good.
Mandy traces a path from Canada across the world
to grab a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
in Rocky Point, Australia.
The best spot on earth to catch the solar eclipse viewing
that Mandy will coordinate is Rocky Point, in Queensland.
It will be years before there is another one.
The region actually has been extremely excited for the last several years--
it's a massive event here.
Real estate agent Josh Mezger has been working
the northeastern corner of Australia for a decade
and has never seen the town so excited.
People are coming from all over the world to view this event.
The beaches will be packed, town will be pumping...
With the eclipse happening in a few days,
Mandy must find a home and a location for the viewing.
While getting a lay of the land, she catches the eye of Shane.
I'm Shane-- I've been a helicopter pilot for the last nine years,
mainly mustering cattle.
Mandy's just checking out the area for one of her events.
She's a ton of fun, very, very funny to be around,
and um, yeah, we've had a ball together the last couple of weeks.
Wanna help me with finding a house?
House hunting.
Have a seat, please.
I'm looking for a place that's close to the beach.
A beachfront view would be amazing--
that's one of the big selling points.
On the inside, I'd like to have one to two bedrooms.
So how much are you lookin' to spend?
Well, it's not necessarily my budget, it's my mom's.
$400,000.
Wow, that's very generous of her.
It's so sweet of her-- she's an awesome lady.
Um, I've got several properties that are popping into my mind right now.
Good-- I'll give Shane a call and I'll meet you this afternoon.
Okay, cool.
Josh takes Mandy and Shane to a home off the beach.
The location might not nail her wish list,
but Josh has a plan.
Hit below the budget and hook Mandy on saving her family some money.
So yeah, this is the 2-story townhouse...
It's a 2-bedroom, 1-bath.
It's pretty close to the beach, but you don't have direct access,
Okay.
All right, come on.
Hmm, this is nice.
I mean, it feels like home.
Honestly I was surprised about the price...
like, it's way under budget, which is awesome.
That's probably why there's no beachfront property.
It's got a nice vibe to it, it's got a good feel.
Yeah, I like it-- I think it's a bit modern, yeah, I like it.
Well, if you like this, let's have a look at the kitchen.
Let's do it, yeah.
Ooh.
Big fridge--
that's a selling point right there.
Oh, that's pretty, I like it.
It's clearly little, but yeah, it's good.
I don't really need a big kitchen.
(Josh) Out back here, there's a nice, private courtyard
with the washer and dryer.
Hmm, beautiful.
Those trees, got a cute little bed here,
I can read my book in the morning.
It's very homey and I'd like to have a place that feels like home.
I really like this stairwell.
(Josh) Yeah, it's daintree hardwood.
I like it.
Just in front of you there you have the toilet.
With a nice shower, toilet, wash basin.
Cool, I like the mirrors, different.
I like the spaciousness-- that's cool.
Just here, you have the second bedroom.
Oh, isn't this beautiful?
Look at the beds--
it's a nice little view of palm trees.
And the master bedroom.
Oh, this is spacious.
Oh, look at these blinds.
They're nice, and the mirror.
Again, all this stuff comes?
Yeah-- what you see is what you get.
Having all the furniture and everything that comes with it,
I love it, because I just came from Canada, right?
And I'd like to have a place that feels like home,
and this place does.
It's a big bed too, and a nice breeze coming in.
Is there no air conditioners?
No, unfortunately there aren't any air conditioners in here,
but you get a very nice sea breeze.
Yeah, I suppose.
Not having any air conditioning on the inside,
without the air conditioners, yeah, you're sweating bullets
more or less this time of year.
It's got a beautiful deck, though.
(Shane) There's certainly a good breeze out here today.
Yeah, there definitely is.
(Josh) It is cute, isn't it?
I think it's a shame they blocked all your sea view.
And that's why the current sellers are asking what they're asking,
and it's within your budget.
If it's under budget, Mom's gonna be happy.
But, I'm the one living here-- I want the view.
My big selling point is having a nice, big view of the beach.
I'll send Mom the photos and I think she'll be pleased with the price.
Josh loses the bedrooms...
Well I know you're looking for a 1-to-2 bedroom with 1 bath,
this is a studio with 1 bathroom.
But finds the view.
(Josh) However, it's got magnificent views.
(Mandy) We'll have to see how it goes, I guess.
One, two, three.
There you go.
Yeah, I feel comfy, yeah.
Moving to Rocky Point, Australia,
for her new job as an event coordinator,
Mandy scouts a location
for a very time-sensitive happening.
I have the eclipse coming up-- that's a huge event, as you can imagine.
I need to find a big, open area for it.
This is probably one of the best, I'd say,
between this and maybe the beach or something like that.
Yeah, it's huge, it's a beautiful area.
Yeah, it's my favorite.
Palm Beach is nearly the only place on earth to see the total solar eclipse
so Mandy has got to get it right.
That's what I want, I want beachfront, I want a beachfront view.
Yeah.
The sun dial is ticking,
so she's grateful her friend Shane is helping her find a house
before the moon turns day to night.
Cool, let's have a look.
The duo checked out a 2-bedroom townhouse off the beach.
Hmm... this is nice.
I mean, it feels like home.
It falls under the $400,000 her parents want to invest in a home.
If it's under budget, Mom's gonna be happy.
Big fridge, that's a selling point right there.
I like it, it's very homey, it's artsy.
That's a big bed, too.
And a nice breeze coming in.
But Mandy's biggest selling point didn't appear.
Shame, eh?
I just want the view of it, to wake up to everyday.
Yeah.
So Josh addresses Mandy's top wish
and finds a room with an ocean view
that's a short walk from the beach.
This is the pool view house... it's a studio.
It's got a pool, it's got magnificent views,
Um, and it's close to the beach.
The vendor's asking...
Let's check it out.
Oh, my God!
It's huge!
Wow, look at this place-- it's gorgeous!
(Shane) It is, you can see a lot from here.
You can see a lot of the ocean.
You've got Port Douglas just out there in the distance,
the cane fields here in the front,
and out to the west, you've got Mossman Gorge and the Tablelands.
It is, isn't it?
Yeah.
Very open-- it's got a pool table, it's got the pool,
it's got the view-- the view is directly what I wanted.
And you've got the pool just down below.
I love the pool.
The pool's nice and big...
If you buy it, you can do whatever you want here.
Yep.
But, you haven't got a private room, it is all open...
which is good, but what about if your family comes over.
If I had family coming from Canada, they could come party here.
Have some fun, jump in the pool.
I kind of wanted a 1 or 2-bedroom but it's kind of again,
opened my horizons.
And here's the bathroom.
Yep, and it's fully tiled.
Beautiful, I like it.
I see that.
I figured since you're an events coordinator,
you wouldn't be cooking or eating at home too much.
To be honest, the kitchen isn't the biggest selling point for me.
I wanted the view.
Well, it is pretty basic,
but I just wonder whether it's exactly what you want.
Like, there's no kitchen.
It's still just a little bit... it's not quite a house.
If we wanted to, we could put an oven there.
You could get away with a microwave.
Mandy thought the kitchen was fine...
a 10-minute walk to the beach definitely made up
for the lack of an oven in the kitchen.
Look at this pool!
It's beautiful.
Cool.
And a rock feature, which is also a waterfall.
It is.
I reckon it's really good--
I just still wonder whether you need a second bedroom up there.
And it is a basic kitchen, and I reckon we can put an oven up there,
but it's pretty basic, it's pretty open.
This is the, um, beachside bungalow I was telling you about.
Josh finally meets Mandy's must-haves...
It's literally beachfront.
The house is a 2-bedroom, 1-bath.
Oh, that's what I was looking for.
It's a little over your price range.
(Narrator) Mandy's mom has let her daughter go free to Australia
for her new job as an event coordinator for the total solar eclipse.
Love you, bye.
Her parents are buying an investment property for her,
setting a $400,000 budget.
It's beautiful, people want to live there, the demand is high,
places are more expensive.
So she's relieved she's got a Rocky Point native for relief.
I thought I'd come down and give her a hand.
House 1 fell $40,000 below her parents' budget...
This is nice, feels like home.
(Shane) It's a bit modern, yeah, I like it.
If it's under budget, Mom's gonna be happy.
I like it, it's very homey, again, it's artsy.
But the ocean view is out of sight.
Shame, eh?
I just want the view of it to wake up to every day.
Yeah.
Josh found the view with House 2.
Wow, look at this place-- it's gorgeous!
It is-- you can see a lot from here.
Yeah.
Do you reckon you can jump into it?
Yeah.
But there's a trade-off.
I just wonder whether it's exactly what you want.
Like, there's no kitchen, you haven't got a private room,
it is all open.
Josh thinks he's found Mandy a little piece of perfection--
a beachfront home with a surprise.
This is the beachside bungalow I was telling you about.
It's literally right there.
Right there-- You're 50 meters from the ocean.
If you want to see the solar eclipse, this is the place to view it from.
The house itself is a 2-bedroom, 1 bath.
The vendor's asking...
Little over price range, but I mean, might be worth it.
Oh, wow.
That's beautiful.
As you can see, the kitchen's directly in front of you.
There's a full-size refrigerator.
Beautiful.
You've got your oven, your cooktop,
the washer/dryer is just over here on the other side.
Oh, wow.
And then you've got a lot of benchtop for workspace in the kitchen.
No, that's brilliant.
It's also really good for entertaining.
You've got this large benchtop here and then you've got the living area,
so you know, when you're having parties and so forth,
everyone kind of congregates around the kitchen and living area.
It's got that nice beach house feel.
Oh, nice.
Beautiful.
Does the furniture and the kayaks come with this one too?
Absolutely, what you see is what you get.
Beautiful, it's very spacious and it's got the beautiful ocean view
right in front of us-- I like it.
I could definitely see myself living here,
walk out into the veranda...
the ocean-front view is lovely.
And just to the left here, we have the master bedroom.
Oh, my God-- it's massive.
Oh! It's long.
It's very long-- lengthy.
Oh, so cool.
It's a nice bed too, I like this.
There's also a large second bedroom.
My mom's gonna like the house, I know she will.
This house does has a spare room, so she doesn't have to stay in a hotel,
it's a plus for her.
(Josh) Mandy loves the house-- Shane was impressed as well.
I think this one could be the one.
Girl's best friend.
You've got the shower to the left,
toilet to the right, and then you've got a door
to the outside here.
Kind of a weird place to put a second door in the bathroom.
So on one side you've got a pool,
on the other side, you've got the ocean.
That's really cool, I did not expect this at all.
It's pretty astounding...
it's got 2 bedrooms, it's got a bathroom,
it's got the ocean view, and on top of it all,
it's got a pool-- how good does that get?
I'm really confused right now.
(Narrator) There's an unknown in orbit... Mom's approval.
Well, that's why I'm calling you because...
So it's Rocky Point and Palm Beach?
Yeah.
(Josh) Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg did a mini series a few years back,
and they nicknamed Rocky Point "Palm Beach,"
and the locals have since adopted that name.
What a good spot, here, to have an event.
Yeah, for the solar eclipse.
The total solar eclipse has drawn Mandy from Canada
to northeastern Queensland, Australia.
She's brought Shane on another scout for a viewing location.
Oh, I reckon it'll be ideal.
You've got Port Douglas just there,
the solar eclipse is gonna happen straight over the top of
that big cruise ship.
There's lots of nice beachfront properties here.
If you could get a house right here somewhere, it'd be good.
And with hundreds of scientists and sightseers already arriving,
she needs to get moving on finding the right spot and the right home.
This is a perfect place.
I'm really confused right now.
If we start at the first one...
One big thing about it, it's well under budget.
Okay.
It felt like home and being so far from Canada,
I want to feel like I'm at home.
It's got a good feel, a nice vibe to it.
The only thing it didn't have though, was the beachfront view.
I just want the view of it to wake up to everyday.
Yeah, and that's why it's within your budget.
If it's under budget, Mom's gonna be happy.
The vendor's asking $400,000.
Oh, my God, it's all packed into one.
I love it.
It's a bit different, it didn't have 1 or 2 bedrooms.
There's no kitchen, you haven't got a private room,
it is all open-- what about if your family comes over?
And then, there's the beachside bungalow.
It's $30 grand over budget.
But it's so beautiful-- it literally has everything.
It's exciting.
It's massive.
So on one side you've got a pool, on the other side, you've got the ocean.
That's really cool, I did not expect this at all.
$30 grand over, we can budget.
Mom wants me to be happy, so...
Mandy, you got to rule one out and the 2-story townhouse,
there's no pool and there's no view at all.
It's a shame that they built right in front of the balcony
because you can't see anything.
I'd say goodbye to the 2-story townhouse.
The other two are gonna be hard to decide,
but which one of them do you like the best?
The beachside bungalow-- it's literally right in front of the beach,
and huge living room and it has a pool as well.
The only thing, it is $30 grand over the budget,
I don't think your mom's gonna be happy with it.
The pool view house, it is spot-on the budget,
and million dollar views.
I might have to ring Mom, quickly.
Can you put her on speaker phone, I'd like to hear what she says.
Hello?
Mom, it's Mandy.
So Mom, did you get all the photos?
Yes, I did, I got all the photos-- they're really good.
How do you feel?
Well that's why I'm calling you because I need you to help me to make a decision.
The pool view house, you remember those pictures?
Yes!
But it was an open flat and I don't feel at home there.
The beachfront house, though, the other one,
that's the one I feel at home at-- I really like it,
but again, it's... you gotta help me because it's $30 grand over budget.
That's-- that's-- that's too high.
But you saw the pictures.
Really?
But Mom-- Mom...
I gotta stand firm.
The views are amazing, I think you should take that one.
Really?
Then I guess I have to take that one.
Love you, too.
Bye.
I think you'll love it.
Okay, I guess that's it-- Mom's happy, I'm happy.
I got the view so I'll never be wondering.
With her mom's help, Mandy buys house 2.
Finally, she can focus all her attention on the total solar eclipse
which occurs in just a few days.
Okay, what needs to be done?
We're having a breakfast, so we're gonna need tables, we're gonna need chairs.
This new job has opened my horizons to what I'm able to do...
Yep.
Being events coordinator, you're under pressure-- you gotta get it done.
Anything bad happens, you're the one at fault.
Tomorrow we have huge event, the solar eclipse..
We have 160 people coming down.
It's gonna be epic.
The eclipse watchers arrive in the wee hours of the morning,
to stake out prime spots.
Everyone's really excited, but they're kind of quiet in the moment.
They're just waiting for it to all arise.
As the sun begins to rise, so do the pulses of all
the astronomers and sightseers.
Everyone's got their solar eclipse glasses, we handed them out.
The lighting's good, the clouds aren't too bad,
the weather's looking up.
The birds having just gotten up and started going about the day's business,
are gonna get neurotic because, "What's this? We gotta go to bed again, it's getting dark."
And true to form, this first-time event producer
has risen to the occasion.
Here is the sun, yay, the sun!
And all of a sudden, the clouds just moved at the perfect moment.
We saw everything-- we saw the whole total eclipse.
Everyone's clapping, everyone's happy, everyone's just joyful.
Man, it was so cool.
The event went absolutely amazing, I couldn't have asked for anything better.
Hey, how are you?
I haven't seen you in a while.
Give me a hug.
It's cute, eh?
My place is amazing... I think I decorated quite nice.
My friends love the openness of it.
It's just something I didn't expect and it's perfect.
Yeah, it looks unreal.
It's really special, I like it, it's really homey too.
Every day it astonishes me, honestly,
and I just love it here.
I know, it's spectacular today.
This place is just, it's meant.
To move from Canada to Australia is the best move I could have done.