Gordon Walker is living the Australian dream. A year ago, the 46-year-old sold his house and waste-disposal business in Sydney and bought a five-bedroom home by the beach, 800km to the north on the coast of New South Wales.
'We see dolphins and whales almost every day,' he said, still dripping wet from a morning surf. 'It's a great life. Smell the air - it's so clean.'
Mr Walker is one of thousands of urban refugees who are flocking to the coast in search of their own little piece of paradise.
Nearly 70,000 Australians moved to the beach in the year to June 2003 - the highest number in 13 years.
Four million Australians, one-fifth of the country's population, now live in rural coastal areas - more than double 25 years ago.
They have been dubbed 'Seachangers', after a popular television drama about the phenomenon.