Leaving the country can be a difficult decision for primary producers, but for some in drought-affected western Queensland, last season's late summer rain has presented an opportunity to sell.
Ann Ballinger has been on Stockholm Station south of Muttaburra for three decades, and has managed it by herself for the past 18 years.
For Ms Ballinger, the decision to leave the outback was not one she made lightly.
"It is a bittersweet decision and feeling," she said.
"Someone asked me the other day if I was excited. I said, no I'm not at all excited."
Saying 'goodbye' to the outback
Selling the property was not just difficult for Ms Ballinger; it was also painful for her family, including her son, Rupert.
"I've got a lot of great memories here, I did my primary school here via correspondence, I did it on a VHF radio in a cottage [on the property]," Mr Ballinger said.
But for Rupert Ballinger, returning to take over the family business was not in his plans.
"It obviously was a bit sad when we decided to sell Stockholm and put it on the market, but we've been speaking about it for some time," he said.
"[However] I probably made my mental choice not to come back to the land when I first went to boarding school — that really opened my eyes up to the city and the rest of the world."
Summer rain provides options
Property and stock agent Tom Brodie said despite the ongoing drought in inland Queensland, for some, it was a good time to sell.
Following late summer rain, some properties in the central west have built up enough grass to present an incentive for buyers wishing to feed their livestock.
"From a vendors' point to view, they can sell them now that the buyers have seen there's feed there."
Not only are there properties moving on the market, but prices are averaging higher post summer rain.
Mr Brodie said vendors were choosing to buy properties with feed rather than sell their livestock.
"I'm not saying it's going to go through the roof but I think if you've got feed, you'll get a good solid market," Mr Brodie said.
For Ms Ballinger, the preparation to sell involved moving almost all livestock off the property to take advantage of the grass growing after the rain.
"The plan was to allow the property to grass up, fortunately we've been able to take advantage of that, because with every little bit of rain we haven't had any mouths on there nipping it off," she said.
"I've never seen the place look better — it has a magnificent body of feed, and we've been able to capitalise on that."
From the outback to the coast
For Ms Ballinger, retirement from the land meant shedding the responsibility of running a business, and the uncertainties of the changing seasons and markets.
But moving from Muttaburra to the Sunshine Coast would bring its own challenges.
"I'm not a bridge player at all and I don't play golf, and I'm not even mad about coffee but I do like the smell. So I don't know how I'm going to go with it," she said.
"But my heart will always be in the bush I'm sure, with the people."
