Almost overnight, it seemed the whole world was at the doorstep of an otherwise sleepy tiny South Otago town. South Otago reporter Samuel White takes a look at Kaitangata and the year it "went viral".
Known as Black Gold Town for its coal-mining history, Kaitangata is a sleepy little town sitting beside the Clutha River southeast of Balclutha.
Its population was dwindling, so one man had a brainwave this year which he believed could bring people back to the district.
In May, Evan Dick and the Kaitangata Promotions and Clutha Development Group revealed a "Land and House Package", put together by
Big River Homes, Bank of New Zealand, Downie Stewart Lawyers and Hoamz Ltd, that included a section and a newly built three-bedroom house in Kaitangata priced from $230,000.
Mr Dick, Kaitangata Promotions’ media facilitator, said he believed Kaitangata, with a population of about 800, had a lot to offer young working couples.
A third-generation dairy farmer from the area, he wanted to help ease lower-income families into the housing market and reckoned Kaitangata was a "hidden gem".
"People haven’t realised it yet."
He likely got more than he wished for.
After the story popped up on New Zealand TV it was picked up by international media outlets, from the United Kingdom, to the United States, Dubai and Australia.
Mr Dick believed part of the reason it was such a popular story was because of the present state of the world.
It struck a chord with those affected by inflated house prices, a tough job market and the "desperate situations" some people found themselves in both nationally and internationally.
No-one was expecting that amount of "crazy" attention, he said.People were envious of what Kaitangata and South Otago had to offer.
On top of the low house prices, the peaceful and beautiful environment and the welcoming community were also big drawcards.
People fell in love with the place and could not believe they could buy a new house and section for such a low price, he said.
"The Kiwi dream to own your own house is disappearing in all these big cities."
Clutha Development chief executive Linda Moore, who helped put the package together, said it was a perfect example of a community solving what it saw as a problem and finding an attractive way to get people to move to Kaitangata.
"The whole world was at our doorstep overnight."
It appeared people were emailing Kaitangata as soon as they woke up and read their paper.
"We followed the sun around the world."
As the story spread, so did misinformation and facts became blurred.Some media outlets wrongly claimed the Clutha District Council was willing to pay people to move to the district to fill vacant jobs. Within a few days, Clutha Development, the council, the local mayor and Hoamz Ltd received "thousands" of inquiries from all around the world.
Clutha Development was quick to respond to the international attention.
Emails were sent to overseas inquirers advising them to contact Immigration New Zealand for more information on moving to New Zealand. Eventually, an exasperated Clutha Mayor, Bryan Cadogan, issued a message for people to stop calling him.
Property consultant Margot Berney said the package was intended for those who wanted to live and work in the area.
It was difficult filtering through the queries and identifying which ones were serious. Locals were also concerned property developers might buy the house packages for a quick profit, she said.
The interest and concerns prompted those involved to draw up a contract so interested buyers could declare their intentions.
The purpose was to assess how people intended to live in the area, if they had children who would go to the local school and how they intended to find work or give back to the community.
It reduced the risk for the vendors and allowed them to "hand-pick" who was moving into the district.
Clauses were also added so those who wanted to build had to do so within a set time period.
"It’s not a fast process and we don’t want it to be a fast process."
Mrs Berney said the package drew people to the area who then looked outside Kaitangata to see what else they could get for their money.
"These were people who probably never would have thought about coming to this part of the country ... it had a very widespread positive effect."
There was still slow interest in the land and house package even almost six months after the "tsunami" of attention.
The groups were still dealing with inquiries on a regular basis.
Additional support came from the council, which approved a fee reimbursement scheme for those connecting amenities under the land and house package.
It also agreed this month to build a "spec house" to help streamline a buyer into their first home.
The house, built on council land in Kaitangata, will be used to show potential buyers what they are in for and also reduce the risk for banks.
"People are visual and they like to see what they are buying," Mrs Berney said.
As the year drew to close, it was time to "roll with the punches".
"We want the ball to keep rolling at a nice wee pace and, more than likely, it will continue to evolve."
Mr Dick said the council’s support was a huge bonus.
While the purchasing process was slow, it was never intended to be a quick fix for the district.
"It’s a long-term, five-year or a 10-year plan that is not going to happen overnight."
Ultimately, he wanted to see the town grow and prosper.
And with six houses confirmed to be built in the coming months, Mr Dick said it was already a sign the group had succeeded.
