GROWING up in the eastern suburbs of Sydney in a family whose business is synonymous with Bondi, Murwillumbah would seem a lifetime away.

But for Michael and Rae Schlederer, a pub nestled alongside the Tweed River provided every bit of that sense of community, and more.

"Christmas Day a year ago, we first drove through, it was pouring with rain and there was no one here because it was closed,” Mr Schlederer said.

"We stopped in the carpark and looked down the river and thought 'this is just amazing'.”

That pub was Murwillumbah's Riverview Hotel, which the Schlederers heard could be available for purchase.

With its standing overlooking the lengthy expanse of the Tweed River, the Schlederers saw potential.

"We were on holidays on the Gold Coast for 10 days and we were told about this place possibly being available,” Mr Schlederer said.

"We were driving home to Sydney and thought we'd take the New England Highway and head inland.”

First impressions last and, while the Schlederers had a good feeling about Riverview, they went back to their lives in Sydney, where Michael, an accountant and, Rae, a dental hygienist and office manager, have a standing in the local community.

Mr Schlederer's family is as well known locally as the famous beach just a stones-throw away, for their business Dobinson's Cakes - an institution in the Eastern Suburbs.

It was that family business that led Michael to pursue accountancy, so he could handle the business' tax.

Rae, who has an athletic background, won a state trampolining medal and juggled her time between her two jobs while looking after children, Zara and Ryan.

The impression made upon them by their first look at Riverview captured the couple's interest, but it would be a second trip that proved crucial in taking the next step in their subsequent tree-change.

"We had no idea of the pub's (viability). Then a couple of months later we started talking and we decided to come up and meet everyone and it was open and customers and staff were here,” Mr Schlederer said.

"We fell in love with the people and the place. The sun was out and the stars aligned.”

Fast forward six months and the Schlederers have transformed their lives and their new pub and couldn't be happier with the world they've created.

That new world, which includes Mr Schlederer making a weekly trip to the pub to oversee operations, was more than the couple first bargained for.

Expecting to operate the pub from Sydney, the draw of a community which welcomed them with open arms, led them to spend time living and working on the premises.

"When we first came up with the kids, we weren't sure how we could make it work but we learnt that it was a community and people were all looking out for each other,” Mrs Schlederer said.

"I'll never forget that on one of our first days, locals came up to me and said it was great we have our kids here. They said they'll look out for them as part of the community.”

While juggling accountancy commitments, Mr Schlederer splits his time working in the bar, bottle-shop and rolling his sleeves up wherever he may be needed.

Mrs Schlederer, who spends school holidays living and working at Riverview, has taken to her new career path with aplomb, working in the bar and across service areas, even pitching in on cleaning duties.

The couple have big plans for Riverview, while remaining faithful to its country pub feel and community links strongly intertwined with local history.

Keeping all staff on when they took over, the couple's 'fresh' mantra has seen a tweaking of the menu, supporting local businesses where possible.

"We've not just changed things but we want it to be seasonal and be refreshed all the time,” Mr Schlederer said.

"It comes back to people looking for healthy food, healthy drinks, in a healthy environment.

"We're going to have standard menu, but we want specials to be local and fresh to reflect what's good on that day or week.”

"We're doing a fresh barramundi now which is just divine,” Mrs Schlederer added.

"There's fresh salmon and fresh produce. We have a local fruit shop delivering fresh fruit and vegetables every day and fresh meat coming in daily.”

"We're making things a lot fresher and desserts now come locally from the Dragon Café. It's about supporting local people.”

On the drinks' side, Riverview is the closest pub to Stone and Wood brewery, just two kilometres away and stocks their range of beers with pride.

They've also commenced stocking local distillery Ink Gin's range.

Looking to introduce more local bands to the pub's musical line-up, trading hours have been extended to include Mondays.

While its early days, the Schlederers are loving their sea-change after getting much more than they bargained for when making that off-chance stop in the pouring rain just over one year ago.

"This place is not ours, we're really just custodians of it. It's been here for over 100 years. That comes back to the community, we just want to be a part of and support it,” Mr Schlederer said.