How renters turned a destroyed beachfront house into their dream family home

A beachfront home that was completely rebuilt after Cyclone Tracy is changing hands for the first time in 70 years – and it’s owned by the same family who rented the house before it was destroyed. Original owners Joan and Garry Halvorson rented the home at 25 Banksia St, Nightcliff, from a Bureau of Meteorology scientist, and went south with their children when the cyclone hit Darwin. The home at 25 Banksia St, Nightcliff, was built by its former renters after their old home was destroyed by Cyclone Tracy. Their daughter, current owner Jacqui Langdon, said the family returned to find nothing but the property’s original floorboards left. “Dad bought the wreck, then we rebuilt it from there,” she said. “I guess it’s been the family playground – having access to the Nightcliff foreshore, just being able to roam around in the 70s and 80s.” The nine-person family turned the beachfront property into their dream home, just steps away from the open ocean. The Halvorsons got to work turning the property into a dream home for themselves and their seven kids. By 2026, the five-bedroom house had become an entertainer’s dream, and had seen seven weddings take place on the tropical property. Wit...