I have been in the finance business for more than 28 years. As the principal mortgage broker, I opened The Mortgage Gallery Rockingham in 2003. We became Smartline Rockingham in 2014, with the same great people, backed with the resources of industry giant Smartline.

We handle home loans for the Rockingham area. Often, clients ask me “Why should I move to Rockingham?” or “Will I like living in Rockingham?” The short answer: because Rockingham is a great place and you will love living here. Here’s the longer version.

Rockingham: An Original Seachange Destination

Rockingham could be called one of the original seachange destinations. People who were tired of being in or close to Perth moved to our sleepy fishing town to get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. While some see seachange as something that doesn’t exist anymore, a 2015 study by CoreLogic called “Is sea change making a comeback in WA?” featured Rockingham as one of the modern seachange destinations.

While the housing market and population in other parts of Perth stagnated, Rockingham was still growing. According to the study, areas with the most growth were almost all seachange or “tree change” destinations. Places with the most population losses and slowest housing markets were mostly in regional WA, while Perth and the inner rings were mostly around the “break even” point.

Why are People Attracted to Rockingham?

The obvious seachange attributes are proximity to the ocean and the resultant tourism and water sports. Another factor is lifestyle. People in Rockingham are friendly and not in a hurry. Those who want to commute to the Perth CBD can find easy access by train or by expressway. However, because the population in Rockingham has grown over the years, there are also plenty of jobs and infrastructure here.

We like to think that Rockingham provides the best of “both worlds.” You can find work as easily as in Perth and you can even work in Perth but you can come home to an oasis of serenity and friendly neighbours.

Family Friendly

Rockingham and two nearby suburbs, Kwinana and Baldivis, are some of the most family-friendly places in Australia to raise your children. Baldivis has consistently been rated at or near the top of “hot suburbs” for family dwellings in the Perth area. We have plenty of family neighbourhoods, great schools and great infrastructure for children, such as libraries and recreational facilities.

Things to Do in Rockingham

There are so many watersports opportunities in Rockingham that we could write a book about them but here are a few highlights.

Shoalwater Islands Marine Park

This is a series of limestone islands with bays and white sandy beaches and vibrantly coloured corals. There are more than 1,200 penguins, 150 bottle-nosed dolphins and a large number of sea lions among the abundant sea life at the Marine Park.

They offer a dolphin interaction tour that allows you to swim and interact with numerous bottle-nosed dolphins who welcome human contact. If you feel like paddling a kayak, you can take a 45 minute wildlife safari expedition. It takes you from Penguin Island to Seal Island and back. There is all sorts of wildlife among the cliffs and coves. You can also watch injured and sick penguins being hand fed by park personnel.

Watersports

You can find a place for pretty much every watersport you can imagine: boating, sailing, fishing, windsurfing, jet skiing, jet packing and paddle boarding. You can try your luck at wakeboarding in Perth Wake Park, which is Western Australia’s only cable wakeboarding park.

Rockingham Beach is a wonderful family beach for those who just want to relax at the beach, swim a little bit or maybe just stick their toes in the water from time to time. It also offers an environment that is safe for snorkelling.

More experienced divers and snorkelers love the West Coast Dive Park. There are numerous wrecks and abundant coral, with fish swimming all around.

Food, Wine and Other Activities

Rockingham has numerous restaurants, cafes along its foreshore. There is also a winery nearby. There are also numerous heritage trails, drives and walks around and throughout Rockingham. You may also like to try the recreational fishing, historical sights and world class championship golf courses.

Call a Mortgage Broker at Smartline Rockingham Today

For more information or to enquire about a home loan, call Smartline Rockingham today: (08) 9527 1800.