Regional Australia Institute survey insights revealed

His plan was simple - don't stay long, work the mustering season and figure out what next.

Fast forward three years, the now 22-year-old is head stockman at Anna Plains station, 250 kilometres south of Broome, and says: "They won't be able to get me out of the pastoral industry, until I die."

New research commissioned by the Regional Australia Institute has shown one in five metropolitan Australians want to move to a regional area, drawn by the sense of space, affordability and improved overall wellbeing.

According to the study, the top three reasons to leave the city were reduced cost of living, to avoid traffic and to minimise stress.

Mr Holt was one of 70,000 people who moved to regional Australia in 2020-2021.

And despite a small uptick of city returns, regional migration was still up 16 per cent this year, on pre-pandemic levels.

While his motive to escape the hustle and bustle may have been different to other city-dwellers, Mr Holt was quick to call the bush home.

"I tried a few different things after high school, but none of it took my fancy," Mr Holt said.

"We were family friends with the Stoate family, who own Anna Plains, and we used to visit the station every now and then when I was a kid.

"I decided to move out for a season, rethink what I wanted to do and see how it turned out.

"I wasn't expecting to stay very long."

Mr Holt started as a general station hand and was given jobs fencing, working cattle and bore running.

Unexpectedly, he loved it and decided to stay over the wet season - and he hasn't left.

"I like the isolation and living without the daily stresses you have in the city,'' he said.

"There's also variety in the work, you aren't doing the same thing day-in, day-out.

"It's nice to spend time with cows and I've found them enjoyable to work with."

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Appointed head stockman last year, Mr Holt's role and responsibilities have changed over the past four years.

Mustering season is in full swing and he is overseeing about eight people in the stock camp.

A normal week involves moving cattle into the yards, processing and drafting, as well as trucking, fencing and general maintenance jobs.

"I enjoy working with the cattle (12,000 breeders up to 18,000 Brahmans in the entire mob) and leading a team," he said.

"Before starting, I didn't understand how much work and thought goes into all the management.

"The deeper you dive into it, the cooler it gets - there's so much to it.

"I very rarely return to Perth, I haven't been in a long time.

"It's kind of like a stopover flight if I'm heading elsewhere - I say hi, stay a couple of days and then carry on."

Sonya Vinen is another city slicker who moved regional about three years ago, and has not looked back since.

Living in Bullsbrook and working at a stock saleyard, Ms Vinen found herself facing homelessness with four children, having endured a string of hardships and trauma.

During the particularly tough time, she found a silver lining through her boss' friend of a friend.

This was an offer to rent a small farm house in Gingin.

"I took it up, as you can imagine," Ms Vinen said.

"We live on about 660 acres (270 hectares) with sheep and cattle up in Beermullah, north of Gingin.

"I absolutely love it here, my landlord is amazing and taught me so much about farm life."

Despite growing up on farms and stations, Ms Vinen has learned more about agriculture in the past two and a half years.

She lives and works on the property, and helps out with feeding livestock, cleaning troughs, driving tractors and general maintenance jobs.

"I also lend a hand during lambing season, checking ewes daily, marking lambs and giving them needles, ear tags, docking tails and castrating rams," Ms Vinen said.

"Calf marking is a huge event two to three times a year - it is very hard and everyone gets involved."

For Ms Vinen, the move has been life-changing and potentially lifesaving, giving her family the fresh start they deserve.

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She has no intention of returning to the city and wants to avoid it entirely if she can.

"It is noisy and intrusive - it was never my lifestyle," she said.

"I thrive on the farm, it is my dream.

"It is peaceful, less stressful and - like me - my kids have also thrived, exploring the land and looking after orphaned baby animals."

Ms Vinen said some days seem never ending and "all I do is farm work day-in and day-out".

"I feel like I burn the candle at both ends, but while it makes me exhausted, I couldn't think of anywhere else I'd rather be," she said.