Izzy Coppo only intended to stay a few months when she first arrived in the tiny town of Ilfracombe in outback Queensland
"I remember flying in and thinking to myself, 'Whoa, this place is so empty, and hot'," she said.
The American backpacker, 26, moved to the town with a population of 259 to fill a requirement for the second year of her working holiday visa.
That was until she met Riley from Brisbane, who was working as an electrician in a nearby town.
"He came into my work several times during the week to have lunch, but was too shy to ask me out," Ms Coppo said.
"Eventually I said, 'You can just ask me on a date'."
Building a new life
Fast forward three years, the couple are married, own property and run two businesses including a popular bed and breakfast in Longreach.
Neither would dream of leaving the outback any time soon.
"But they're pleasantly surprised by what the town offers."
The Coppos had no experience running a small business before settling down in the outback but said the low cost of living meant they could take financial risks other young people only dreamt of taking.
"I don't think we could do what we're doing now in Brisbane," Ms Coppo said.
"It just wouldn't be possible."
Dwindling town populations
But despite the drawcards of lifestyle and low property costs, remote Queensland is struggling to attract and retain workers long-term.
Those who do make the move often stay no longer than a few months.
Longreach Regional Council's population was 3,386 last year, down from 4,217 in 2012, according to the Queensland Government Statistician's Office.
The number of people living in the nearby Barcoo Shire — home to the frontier towns of Stonehenge, Jundah and Windorah — has also dropped from 363 to 262 in a decade, and is projected to fall to about 171 people by 2041.
Regional Australia Institute chief economist Kim Houghton said there was a lot of mobility.
A lack of convenience and isolation are often cited as key factors behind the transient population.
Longreach is a 12-hour drive from Brisbane.
"People are often trading convenience with career opportunities," Dr Houghton said.
"But there's a lot of opportunity in regional places for people to be more creative about how they structure their income."
City-dwellers beckoned
A new campaign funded by the Remote Area Planning and Development Board is encouraging more city-dwellers to give outback living a go.
The Far Out campaign showcases stories of people who have chosen the bush over the coast and touts lifestyle, job opportunities and "red sand dune sunsets" as key attractions.
Development board senior regional development manager Morgan Gronold said the campaign was getting "the real stories of the region out there".
Mr Gronold said dire staff shortages in sectors like hospitality and tourism, as well as dwindling populations in some towns — in part due to previously closed state borders and a lack of backpackers — were key drivers behind the push.
"There are businesses on the main streets of all of our towns that want to expand, but can't find the resources to do it."
Accommodation roadblocks
A lack of long-term accommodation is creating problems for those who do make the move.
Outback Aussie Tours owner Alan Smith said he had recently renovated a former lodging house in Longreach to accommodate up to 12 people.
He did not believe there was enough infrastructure to support or retain workers long-term.
"There's been times where there's only three or seven rentals available in the whole town," Mr Smith said.
"We've got to talk about liveability as a town and region.
"It's about increasing the liveability of places out here."
Despite the challenges, Izzy and Riley Coppo believed more young people should take the plunge and swap the big smoke for the bush.
"It's going to give us a good head start in life being out here, because you can buy property, start a business and still do fun stuff with your friends and not have it completely destroy your bank account," Ms Coppo said.
