Mining industry jobs draw young couples from major cities to live in outback Queensland

Adam Vincer and Sarah Harris have found a new home in Clermont, in central Queensland. (ABC Tropical North: Hannah Walsh)

There are no traffic lights in the central Queensland town of Clermont. With just three stop signs and one main street, it is well off the beaten track.

But to Zambian couple Webby and Esther Vanda — who left a city of 3,000,000 people to live in a town of 3,000 — it has become home.

“I’m surprised that sometimes when I wake up, I think I’m actually home,” Mr Vanda said. 

They’re not alone in finding home in the “middle of nowhere”, with more young couples choosing to put down roots among the gum trees in the small town.

Mr Vanda, a 34-year-old mining engineer, said he was drawn to Queensland’s rich mineral industry and snatched an opportunity to help fill a critical skills shortage.

He had previously worked in Zambia’s copper belt region but saw greener pastures in Australia. 

He flew across the globe with wife Esther, 30, and three-year-old son Ethan from Zambia’s capital Lusaka to Clermont, four hours north-west of Rockhampton.

“The weather settings are almost the same, except we [Zambia] also have winter,” he said.

“Aussies have a different way of doing things but it’s been a very loving experience.”

No traffic, good pub

Melbourne might be closer to Clermont than Zambia, but it still feels like a world away for newly arrived couple Sarah Harris and Adam Vincer.

Ms Harris, 20, was working in hospitality in Melbourne when Mr Vincer, a 23-year-old surveyor from Newcastle, chanced upon a new career opportunity in the mining industry.

They packed up and headed north for the 2,000-kilometre drive to Clermont.

“My mates were like, ‘you’re crazy, especially in a new, long-distance relationship’,” she said. 

“Family were really supportive, they said do it while you’re young and you can always come back home if it’s not for you,” Mr Vincer said.

“But my mates were like ‘that’s the middle of nowhere’.”

The couple said they experienced a bit of culture shock as they drove into town for the first time.

“It’s very hot here,” Ms Harris said.

“And there’s no traffic lights and less shops, that’s for sure.”

“There’s one roundabout, that’s not even in town,” Mr Vincer said. 

But their initial scepticism disappeared once they found the local pubs.

They said the city’s hustle and bustle had since lost its appeal, with the tranquillity and lack of chaos in the bush opening their eyes to a different way of living. 

“Here you can sit at the back by the fire at night and you can’t hear anything,” Mr Vincer said.

Encouraging adventure

He said the community had welcomed them.

“You’re always getting invites left, right and centre,” he said.

“I’ve spent a couple of days with one fella who invited me back to his property, spend time with cattle, which I’ve never done much of. 

“You come here for one or two things and before you know it, you’ve experienced another two dozen.”

The pair have discovered the bush, camped under the stars and driven east to the Great Barrier Reef.

They said they could see themselves staying put.

“I’m really glad we did it, I wouldn’t change a thing,” Ms Harris said. 

“To any young couples or anyone who’s thinking of making a big change, looking at these towns or these jobs can seem pretty intimidating, but the people are lovely,” Mr Vincer said. 

“If you’re just willing to have a go and do something a bit out of the ordinary, not the straight and narrow, I would totally recommend it.”