Home-buyers struggling to cut into the market in the capital cities might like to consider a rather left-of-field alternative that has just hit the market.
A motel with a difference is for sale in outback NSW – expected to fetch “the same price as an average house in Sydney or Melbourne”.
The White Cliffs Underground Motel, in the far-western NSW opal mining town of White Cliffs, is on the market for the first time in nearly a decade.
With 48 underground rooms, the White Cliffs motel is the largest of Australia’s three “dugout” motels. It is being sold by outback NSW hospitality group, Out of the Ordinary Outback, which bought the unusual property in 2016.
Out of the Ordinary Outback owner Scott Smith said the sale offered a lucrative investment or lifestyle opportunity for a new buyer with vision to take the famed destination motel to a new level.
“For the same cost as a house in Sydney or Melbourne, an inspired buyer seeking a new investment prospect or an adventure-filled life in the outback can own this famous motel and craft a new vision for it,” Smith said on Wednesday.
“Approved development plans offer a clear path for enhancing the property including a possible new future as a desert wellness retreat. This distinctive and exciting property offers endless opportunities.”
Smith wouldn’t disclose what he wants for the motel. But, the most recent median property price in Melbourne (according to CoreLogic) was $776,949, and $1,196,809 in Sydney, giving potential buyers quite a range to consider.
Among its facilities, the motel offers a licensed restaurant, café, bar, underground conference facility, museum and accommodation for the owner/manager and staff.
The opal mining township of White Cliffs is in outback NSW, 1025 kilometres from Sydney and 781 kilometres north-east of Adelaide – according to the selling agents, that makes it “far enough away to offer the raw allure of an outback road trip but close enough for easy access, with a sealed road all the way”.
With a population of just 150, the town of White Cliffs is described as having “raw, raffish charm and colourful characters in abundance”.
“[It is set in a] lunar-like landscape dotted with thousands of opal diggings made by treasure hunters seeking their fortune ever since opals were discovered here in 1884.”
The outback town is also surrounded by ancient rock carvings from the traditional custodians of the nearby Mutawintji National Park – the Pantjikali, Wanyuparlku, Wilyakali and Malyangapa people.
The underground motel dates back to the early 1900s when opal miners sought sleeping quarters away from the heat.
It later became a family home and opened as a motel in 1989, attracting guests from across Australia and around the world who enjoy a constant, underground temperature of 22 degrees year-round. Temperatures in the NSW town can soar close to 50 degrees during summer.
The White Cliffs Underground Motel is for sale through Tourism Brokers.
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