Day 15 - Taste sensations

Tassie is such a tasty place, especially for person who enjoys good food as much as me. I could never have imagined before coming here all the amazing taste sensations I would have experienced in just a couple of weeks. From rich, dark cherries for a delightful desert, to picking little crab apples for jelly and greengage plums that I now have a soft spot for, even though I’d never heard of them before moving to Tassie. I’ve had fried whitebait, which was like a having patties of a thousand eyes looking up at you while you eat and the Bandycoot (my boyfriend) has been able to indulge his passion for sea scallop pies. The seafood here is incredibly fresh and tasty, much like New Zealand. And the delectable field mushrooms I've already mentioned in a previous post..mmm!

I’ve not been a big meat eater for many years now and when presented with mutton bird for dinner, I was hesitant. I’d been warned that it smells bad: true. I’d also been told they’re very oily. Um, talk about swimming in an inch of yellow mutton bird oil in the baking pan. Even after all that I was convinced to give it a try, as it is a supposed delicacy. One little bite was enough to know it was not for me, with a strong gamey flavour and unusual texture, similar to pate. I discovered that Tasmania is the only place left in Australia where the mutton birds (Shearwaters) are still hunted, though mostly by local indigenous populations as it is part of their historic traditions.

I’ve enjoyed so many delicious meals with the Bandycoot’s family, with much of the ingredients coming from his Nan’s bountiful garden, which she often shares the bounty with us. Mash made with her fantastic potatoes is so delicious I can almost feel myself developing a warm winter layer.

People had told me the food was amazingly fresh in Tassie when I said I was moving here. I’d switched to a whole foods diet last year for health reasons, so I wasn’t sure what I would find here for me. Our first visit to the local markets revealed an abundance of fresh, spray-free foods which had me salivating. I hope that we can develop our own abundant vegie garden at the Old Dairy to enjoy in the future. Yum!!

Day 14 - Auction hunters

Today we were up before the sunrise, but not without effort, to make the scenic drive over to Longford for an auction (clearing sale). The sun is starting to come up quite late now, and on a grey day it’s so cosy in bed that it’s easy to sleep in until 8am. It’s almost all the way to Launceston, and we made a stop at our new favourite coffee house/bakery in Elizabeth Town for the Bandycoot’s favourite: scallop pie.

We arrived at the auction with only minutes before the bidding started and had little time to scope out the furniture or plants/pots that we had our eye on. The owner was moving back to the mainland and literally ‘everything must go’. Being so close to Launceston all the weekend shoppers were out for a bargain and it was fierce bidding from the beginning. Some bidders just continually held up their auction card when it was something really wanted, as if to say ‘I’m going to get this no matter how high it goes’. When a couple of rusty old pedestal fans went for over $30 I realised that auction fever had set in. I mean, you can buy them cheaper new and who needs a fan in Tassie anyway? If it was a heater I could understand!

I stood pretty close to the auctioneers elbow just to get a decent look at what was being auctioned as people crowded around. This wasn’t without peril, as I almost bought a Balinese wooden cabinet when I caught a spotter’s eye and he confused my headshake ‘no’ with ‘yes! Bid again’. There was a guy there who I’m sure would get the best view at any event, as he was at least 7ft tall. I joked with him that he had an unfair advantage over the rest of us bidders, and then it turned out that he was one of the auction spotters!! Talk about perfect job. I did end up buying a wooden hutch/bookcase for a bit more then I intended when I got caught up in a bidding frenzy. It was great though, to finally get a home for my few books and it really makes the house feel more homely. It’s also the perfect spot for my record player and records. The Bandycoot’s big purchase was a $5 timber shoe rack, complete with three pairs of shoes!

It was a beautiful drive home and I thought about my intentions in coming to Tassie to live a simple life with minimal ‘stuff’. I’ve realised that having a few things, like my lovely bookcase, that bring joy to a home are definitely worth having.

Day 13 - Of angels and mushrooms

Most mornings begin with a hunt for fresh mushrooms. Pulling on my gumboots (wellingtons) I’m eager to venture out into the day, which might find us wading through wisps of cloud, soggy fogs and glistening glass drops on the tips of uneaten grass heads sparkling in the sunlight.  Often the Bandycoot likes to recall mushroom hunts on these same hills when he was visiting as a kid and share tales of fields full of this natural delicacy. So far we’ve only found a few handfuls but the pups (Jazz and Indie) love the opportunity run in the paddocks. Free to roam where they choose (leash-free!!) they follow the fresh scents of rabbits and other new and mysterious (to them) wildlife. The Bandycoot is trying to train them to find mushrooms, similar to a truffle pig, but with no success as yet. However he remains confident. The pups often end up soaked and muddy from heavy dew on the soft green grass.

Today, however, was a new day with rings of mushrooms in every direction. Our calico bags were loaded down with big, bold mushroom heads shooting up after a couple of unseasonably warm evenings. While walking we debate why mushrooms grow in one spot and not another, and is it true that you will never find a mushroom growing in exactly the same spot twice? I’d never picked fresh field mushrooms until we moved to the Old Dairy and could not have imagined how much more delicious they are from store bought. The Bandycoot fried up a whole pan in garlic and butter for our breakfast and cooked up several containers worth to freeze and see us through the long Tassie winter. I’ll admit, I get a bit nervous because I don’t really know good mushrooms from bad, safe from poisonous or straight from magic, although the Bandycoot does seem quite knowledgeable.

That afternoon I couldn't resist playing in the last of the autumn leaves with the pups in the backyard. They're almost finished now and the Bandycoot reminded me of my previously expressed wish to make a leaf angel. So out under the beautiful Claret Ash, with the Bandycoot hanging rather precariously from the low branches to take the photo, I made my best leaf angel. It's a tricky thing to catch the motion and movement in that type of a photo and the Bandycoot did mention that I looked rather dead in a few shots. I'm so glad that we did it, as a wild and howling Tassie wind blew in that night and left only the leaves not yet ready to make that final leap of faith still clinging to her majestic branches.

 

The mushroom haul!

 

Indie after a very wet mushroom hunt (that's my groovy gumboots behind)

Day 12 - Tripping at the tip

As we are too far out in the bush to have rubbish collection, today included our first tip run. We have quite a big load, as the previous tenants left lots of junk behind when they moved out. A lot of it we burnt but all the non-flammables needed to be taken to the rubbish dump. It was pouring rain, and even though the Bandycoot had tied down the load, some of the junk was sliding around on the metal trailer including the old oven which teetered very close to the edge a couple of times.

When we got to the Wynyard disposal centre I asked about a ‘Tip Shop’ and they said they didn’t have anything formal but if I spotted something I was interested in, they would give me a price. I scoured around the metal pile, checking out old stoves as our current model is missing a grill and only has one baking shelf. Most were so bent out of shape I couldn’t open them to look. I made a mental note that next time we’re in the market for a gas BBQ or roll of barbed wire, to come here first. It’s amazing to think that this big pile of rubbish is just from one small town, and I know that they have an active recycling program! We’ve become such a throw-away society now and I worry that people don’t realise that these big piles of trash have to go somewhere. I sometimes have visions of the Wall-E movie where Earth has become unliveable due the mountains of rubbish. Living here,, we have to be a lot more thoughtful with what we are buying now to minimise the waste, and re-use stuff where we can since we don’t have rubbish collection.

I did manage to find a pair of matching laminate computer desks (too/two cutesy) for the Bandycoot and I. I’m typing this blog from mine right now! I’ve set it up in the nook just outside our bedroom and have lovely views of tiny dancing birds at the edge of the courtyard and the tree-lined mountains in the distance.

Day 12 - The simple things

Today while I was driving along the beautiful seashore to Burnie I had a cause to reflect and have a chuckle. I was trying to tune in to the local radio stations and came across an interesting alternative one (hippie alternative, not to be confused with grungy alternative). I listened to a very ethereal voice talking about the importance of appreciating the simple things in life. She said ‘It doesn’t matter if you’re a woman in the kitchen making apple strudel or a man out in the shed making a stool, you can enjoy what you’re doing’. It had me in stiches thinking, I’ll have to remember that next time I’m whipping up an apple strudel!!

I drove on thinking about the simple things in my new life that I could appreciate. One thing that has been very special to me is the sharing of meals. At different times in my life I’ve lived on my own and have never really enjoyed eating alone. Now we eat almost every other night at the Bandycoot’s nans and with his parents still visiting from Queensland, it’s often a party of six or more. I really enjoy the fellowship and somehow food seems to taste better shared.

We usually walk over in the evenings (it’s about 500m) along the road or even through the paddock with the pups, Jazz & Indie, and try to avoid the one stray strand of barbed wire. Some nights in the moonlight it’s quite lovely gazing up at the millions of stars. But when the clouds roll in, with not another light for miles, I feel like I’m almost drowning in the blackness with no way to see where to take my next step. I get quite fearful in complete darkness, as I have no night vision and have to walk with my hands out in front, as though I’m blind and might run into something. I had surgery over 15 years ago to give me 20/20 vision after being terribly short-sighted during my childhood. It changed my life, but my night vision never returned. Now we have invested in fancy retractable leads for the pups with built in torches to make sure we always find our way home.

Beautiful Burnie foreshore

Day 11 - Joys of washing?

I now have a washing machine. After wading knee deep in dirty clothes for the last week or so, I can finally get that wash cycle happening and hopefully some clean underwear. I’m not sure if I’m a bit ‘special’ but I actually really enjoy washing clothes.

The Bandycoot’s nan had used a twin-tub machine on the farm for years (to save water) but now thought it might be easier to get an automatic washer. She bought an inexpensive front-loader then decided it wasn’t really for her. So we bought it off her and after some minor plumbing on the laundry taps (that Bandycoot is so handy!) it was ready to go. I’d never owned a front-loader before and have been amazed at how clean the clothes are, even if it does take twice as long and sound like it’s about to become airborne when it goes into a spin cycle. The clothesline consists of two wooden T’s with a string at each end. It’s a bit old school but when the wind gets up here (and it usually does) it works a treat. The sun isn’t very hot at this time of year, so I end up drying most things in front of the fire at the end of the day.

The rainwater may have something to do with how sweet and clean the clothes are. I’d forgotten how soft your hair becomes after being washed with tank water. It’s like a superconditioner! Of course with my crazy curly hair, I now have world’s softest afro, which probably explains why the Bandycoot sometimes pats me on the head and calls me ‘sheepy’.
 

That's the clothesline on the left

Day 10 - Let it be...

Today I took some time to just let myself just be. Not do anything for the last few hours of the day except absorb my beautiful surrounds as the crunchy autumn leaves dropped, the golden sunshine twinkled away and the birds happily alighted nearby trees. I’d been inside studying all day, working on an assignment for my postgraduate program. The Bandycoot reminded me that it was a beautiful day, why wasn’t I out enjoying it?

Being a memorial day I took some time in the evening to just reflect on the madness of war and the sadness of all those young lives lost, while listening to some 40s-50s ragtime jazz on my old record player. I realised how grateful I am to enjoy the life and the freedoms that I do.

Day 9 - Exploring my new backyard

Well the day had come to start exploring our new backyard. I’d been hearing about a car show at Rocky Cape all week on the local community radio and I knew the Bandycoot (my boyfriend) would love to come along once he heard there were going to be vintage tractors there too. It was a gorgeous day and we felt a bit bad about leaving the pups at home.

Well the Bandycoot fitted right in with the crowd of car lovers at the show. I’m sure there were more beards there than a ZZ Top concert. Some of the cars on show looked like regular vehicles and we decided they had entered just to ensure they got a good park (the regular parking was full and most people ended up a way down the Bass Highway). We had to park in a ditch beside the highway and it was the first real test of my car’s All-Wheel-Drive capabilities. The car show was on the lawns of the packed Rocky Cape Tavern and there was already an undercover police car set up across the road to nab any overly enthusiastic bikers.

A curly drive along long untouched beach reserves saw us arrive in the picturesque town of Stanley on the harbour. The colonial stone houses under the famous ‘The Nut’ rock formation looking out over the crystal clear sea made for a stunning panorama. After sitting out in the sunshine enjoying a delightful seafood lunch from a local restaurant/takeaway, where they had a large aquarium (which felt a bit like “see ‘em, then eat ‘em”) and $95 lobster (we didn't get any), we went for a stroll along the seafront. While scoping out the seal tour boat we saw a huge stingray glide by under the jetty and, unexpectedly, a large coral shelf.

Driving through the picture perfect streets we found ourselves overlooking the bay and a large park where we could see some very enthusiastic children were swimming. Although I may have mistaken enthusiasm for the early stages of hypothermia. It looked so beautiful, that I wished I could go for a dip. Old churches, curly sheep and endless rolling green hills, it was hard to know where to point the camera next.

A further drive to enjoy the sleepy sweetness of Smithton and then it was to turn around and start heading home. We stopped off at Peggs Beach reserve, which is a signed bird sanctuary, and took a stroll across the smooth sands. It was so pristine I felt like we may have been the first of our species ever to walk along and bravely dip our toes in.

The Bandycoot, ever the romantic, made time for us to stop in an enjoy the famous Boat Harbour beach at sunset and marvel at the crystal clear and calm waters that had earned it a place in the Top 10 Aussie beaches. Today was one those that will forever stay with me, filled with unforgettable beauty and the spirit of exploration.

 

Day 8 - Meet the family

The Bandycoot was born here in Tassie, so it’s been kind of a homecoming for him of sorts (though he did leave when he was two). It’s something that he had always talked about, going back to Tassie to live and now it has become a reality for us both.

We had some sad news this week that his great aunt had passed away, so we went with the rest of the family to Launceston for the funeral. Well it was a packed house and it sounds like she was a wonderful lady, so it was well deserved. I could see a few heads turn when we came in and took the last few seats, probably questioning who the ginger bearded man was with the curly haired girl. Many of them hadn’t seen the Bandycoot since he was a small boy, so he wasn’t even sure about who everyone was or remembering their names. I had even less hope after meeting cousins, uncles, long lost friends, cousins-cousins-sister-in-law’s Auntie (you get the picture) and more relatives than I could count. They all made me feel very welcome to the family and it was lovely for the Bandycoot to reconnect to his extended family. It made me miss my own! I was particularly impressed by one of the Bandycoot’s cousins who flew all the way from London to attend, spending more time in the air than on the ground.

Events like these always make me stop to consider my own life and how I’m living it. What would my eulogy sound like thus far..? It makes me even more sure that we have made the right decision to embark on the adventure that is Tasmania.

Day 7 - What’s it really worth?

I was starting to think it might be handy to have some furniture. Since the Bandycoot has commandeered the table for his computer desk, I’ve been eating dinner off a card table or my lap while sitting on one of the world’s most uncomfortable chairs that once called the Spirit of Tasmania home. When I heard the Bandycoot’s dad talking about a farm clearing sale the other day, I thought we might find some bits and pieces that could prove useful (and cheap!).

Having been a farm kid, I’d been dragged along to a few sales in my time. I usually spent the time poking though boxes of odd bits and pieces while my parents were on the lookout for useful items for our cattle farm. However, the Bandycoot had never been to one and wasn’t sure it would be worthwhile. I convinced him to come along and it turned out to be a sale from an old woodworker (also one the Bandycoot’s favourite pastimes). There were more pallets of timber than he could believe and all going out at bargain basement prices. Needless to say, he left the sale a very happy man with a wheelbarrow, bunch of garden tools and a big load of Tassie wood.

Something about auctions always gets my adrenalin pumping, and I have been known to get overenthusiastic with my bidding when I get caught up in the moment. There were a couple of old timber chests and cupboards that I bid on and managed to come home with an old chest and a topless stool and side table. I’m keen to try and fix them up for the Old Dairy, though I’ve never restored anything before. How hard can it be? I mean they restore furniture on TV in like 15 minutes or so!

Just before the furniture lot came up I noticed a couple of turned timber legs, all polished up and looking perfect for a bed frame (which we desperately need). I saw that no-one was bidding on them and I managed to get them for $2!! I was pleased, the Bandycoot confused, when they pulled out 3 smaller legs that were also included. The Bandycoot’s raised eyebrow seemed to say, ‘two big legs and three little ones? What are you going to make out of that?’. But this story was to have a curly twist. When he returned with Brutus to pick up his large pallet of timber, he and his dad got talking with the old woodworker who had owned it all and had just watched his life's work be auctioned off to the highest bidder. It turned out that he knew the Bandycoot’s Pop (grandfather), who was also a woodworker, and he had leant Pop a beautiful turned chair leg to use as a stencil about 18 years ago. Unfortunately Pop passed away not long after, and the chair leg had never been returned. So it came to light that the 3 turned legs I had spontaneously purchased in my lot were the matching legs to that one. The Bandycoot was amazed and hopes to search his Pop’s old shed to see if it can be found and the set of chair legs reunited after all this time…

PS I finally got a fire started!!! Pine cones are the trick. Now who's the firestarter..?

 

Day 7 Exploring a new world

Today we finally had a chance to explore the property around the Old Dairy. It’s over 30 acres of lush green pastures, and the pups are quickly learning how to slip under the fence wire (they’re little silky terriers) and follow all the new smells they’re discovering. What was meant to be a simple afternoon walk turned into a full bushwalk, as we made our way down the path to the Flowerdale River coolly rushing by at the back of the property. It was amazing to transition from the open fields, to wooded forest, to the land before time with massive man-ferns, mossy paths with toadstools and trees that could speak of the lost indigenous history. It’s incredible to think that I have this untouched wilderness and icy clear stream a simple walk from my home. I can’t wait until our first visitors come and we can transport them to another world just down the way…

Day 6 - What do I really need?

Well it was time for a day out and about. The Bandycoot’s folks offered to take us on a jaunt around the local neighbourhood and show us the best shops in Wynyard (not too tricky when it’s a small town!). We did the rounds of the local second hand dealers and op shops (thrift stores) to see if we could find some furniture and bits and pieces for the Old Dairy.

It’s amazing what you find in these types of stores, anything and everything. The Bandycoot found a 'Bridges of Madison County' style jigsaw puzzle for $2 which he was so excited about, as he'd never done one before. It struck me how often there were beautiful formal dinner sets and vases and platters and dishes that must have been someone’s treasure about 50 years ago and were now being sold out for 25c a piece. It makes you think, ‘What do we really need in this life?’.  How sad that someone held on to that treasure and cherished it all those years, only for it to be cast out when their time was up. I’m sure these treasures could tell some fascinating stories about where they came from, where they lived and who loved them.

I did manage to find a lovely red cashmere top and a scarlet wool coat (only $6) that will surely keep me warm during the wild Tassie winter. I could have snapped up a heavy (real??) mink coat for only $25 but I’m not really a fur type of gal. Also, having to let go of most of my possessions just to make this exciting move to the Apple Isle has made me realise how much lighter it feels to travel through life with less stuff. That way you’re free to enjoy what you really love…

Day 5 - Bedroom joy

Sleeping is such a joy in a comfortable environment and such a source of discomfort and frustration when it eludes you. After a few weeks of sleeping on a swag mattress on the road trip down and doing some indoor camping the first few days here at The Old Dairy, it was time to get serious about getting a proper bed! We checked out a few second hand dealers who sold new mattresses, but decided it would be better to spend a bit more a get a quality mattress that would last. So we must have laid on about a dozen different ones in the showroom before making a decision. We finally decided on ‘the one’ only to be told they only had the display and none in stock. The thought of waiting another week to get one delivered was so disheartening, we ended up driving to the same chain in the next town to pick up one and drive it back on the roof of the Bandycoot’s ute (aka ‘Brutus’). We set it up in front of the fireplace (while we wait for the bedroom carpet to be laid), and that night was the best sleep we had in ages. I never appreciated a mattress so much!!

Day 5 - A fresh start

I’d been feeling an uneasy energy in the new house, especially at night I found myself edgy and afraid. The Bandycoot (my boyfriend) laughed off my suggestions of ghosts. It didn’t help my nerves to discover that a previous tenant and her two foster children had died in a terrible car accident just down the road while they were still living here.

I decided to clear the energy and start afresh by doing a smudge with sage right around the house. The Bandycoot was enthusiastic and very positive about clearing out all the old negative energy, and beginning anew. He did most of the waving of the smudge stick while I was more worried about getting sparks on carpet and clothes.

It became quite hazy in the house during the process and we managed to set off both smoke alarms (good to know they work!), but it feels a great deal lighter in here now.

Day 4 - A new and different life

Today I have realised that my new life holds very little similarity to the life I lived before. Where before I lived by the clock, now, for me, time has become almost meaningless without a watch to wear or awareness of the passing hours. There is no rhyme or routine, other than starting the day with a morning cuppa, anything is possible from there. Gone are the days of rushing everywhere, without pausing to even think. I now have time to breathe. Plans are loose and free flowing, where I might drop what I’m doing to embrace a sparkling ray of sunshine or admire a bird dancing along a branch of an autumn coloured sea.

The transition hasn’t been easy. Last night I became antsy and upset because I hadn’t achieved all the goals I had set in the almost 3 days I’d been here! It’s a strangely freeing feeling not to have anything I have to do, and now that I’m here, I realise I’d been looking forward to it for quite a long time.

The roar of the logging trucks are the only real sounds of civilisation here. It’s funny, but it’s strangely reassuring for me. It is a big transition from busy, suburban street with close, noisy neighbours, almost constant sirens (near the hospital) and just the dull roar of humanity. The absolute quite at night still unnerves me a little, where a fluttering moth sounds like a dancing elephant in the silence.

The peace, the space, the time to call my own seems to expand each day, as the initial settling in and unpacking ceases. I’m open to what this new chapter in my life in this search for simplicity will bring and will enjoy this freedom, while it is mine.

Day 3 - Discovering doctors with a difference

It can be interesting how we usually have a preconceived notion about how things should look and feel. A supermarket looks like this, a hospital looks like that. And then you have an experience which challenges these notions of how things should be. Today I accompanied a family member to the local doctor’s surgery and it almost blew me away. Instead of the standard clinical, sterile environment, the Saunders Street Surgery (which is in Jackson Street) resembles a high end European café or restaurant lounge. Not just the free coffee machine as you waltz through the century old carved wooden doors, or the plush armchairs and ottomans, the leather bound reading volumes or the tri-chimney fireplace, but the whole atmosphere of relaxed style, art and beautiful working/waiting environment.

I love to see creative ideas like this that challenge the norms, and inspire me to do the same. I mean, why can’t we all strive to work and live in a beautiful space?

If you’re going to get sick in Tassie, I recommend you go here and have your expectations of a traditional doctor’s surgery put to rest. I know that’s where I’ll be going.

Day 3 - the sad sounds of trees

Today I woke to the sounds of chainsaws. Of dying groans and cracking bones of the old forest across the way. It’s a heartbreaking sound that I will never get used to. It seems especially tragic in this scenically beautiful area of rolling green hills and majestic forests. Almost all the way along the road I live on now, I’m awed by the natural beauty. Sadly there are large tracts of cleared forest that resemble an environmental wasteland, where not one living thing stands upright and bulldozers have scraped the remains of the trees into piles to make way for the next generation of cloned seedlings to be developed.

I’m not sure that everyone feels it the same way I do, where I feel the pain and grief of the loss of these magnificent beings. It seems that timber is purely a commodity and these living, breathing floral giants have to make way for our needs, without thought to what a blessing they are to our lives and our world and all the creatures who inhabit here.  

Day 2 - Seaside markets

A mid-morning outing to the fabulous Wynyard waterfront markets was just the perfect chance to have my first glimpse of this lovely little town. A long row of market stalls along the picturesque waterfront walkway way was a wonderful way to pass the morning, chatting to the locals and picking up some fresh fruit and veg. The day was a crisp 16 degrees, but in the sunshine it was just delightful to be outside. I managed to find some classic records to add to my collection while the Bandicoot was charmed by a couple of apple pies made by the local Brethren community. A quick stop at Woollies to do the first stock up of the fridge and pantry and then it was home to unpack the groceries and all the kitchenware still lurking in boxes. I’m in awe of the beautiful scenery on the drive between The Old Dairy (our place) and Wynyard and really have to focus to keep my eyes on the road instead of the beautiful green rolling hills, the birdlife and the lovely old colonial cottages along the way.

Day 2 - I am not a Firestarter

I thought that starting a fire was a bit like riding a bike, you always know how to do it. Apparently not. Growing up as a farm child, one of the daily chores was getting the fire started in the old combustion stove to cook the breakfast and heat the hot water. I had it down to a fine art. But in the early hours of this morning when the coals in the fireplace burnt out, I was crawling around in the half-light trying to recall some of those skills. Paper, cardboard, air, more air, less air, no luck. I had to crawl back under the covers, defeated, until my partner ‘the Bandycoot’ finally woke up. He threw a bunch of fire-starters in and managed to get a lively burn.

 Note to self: more practice required! I think the key is knowing the local way to get fires started naturally. Growing up on the farm in country Queensland it had been dried Poinciana pods, I’ll have to discover Tassie’s secret ingredient.

 

Day 1 - The House

There is something to be said about moving to a house, sight unseen, to add another level of anticipation to the experience.

I was busting with excitement to see the house and it was lovely to walk down the road with the Bandycoot's family and our sweet pups (Jazz & Indie) to get that first glimpse. It has a beautiful garden with an English feel of twisting vines over an old concrete courtyard (part of the old dairy that the house was build upon) and an incredible outlook to mountains and rolling green valleys.

The Bandycoot's folks have been working hard to transform the home after the previous tenants left it in rather a feral state. They've stripped wallpaper, filled holes in walls, painted, scrubbed and replaced key whitegoods that were no longer usable. It's still a work in progress, with carpets to be laid and a few fittings to be replaced/repaired. I'm sure it will it will be a lovely cosy home for us, once all the doors are on that is.

Arriving with no furniture, we were thrilled to find a fridge and lovely timber dining table setting. The family has gone to lots of effort to make us feel welcome, making curtains and preparing a beautiful table setting with embroidered runner and a bunch a freshly picked flowers from the garden and the essential tea/coffee and working kettle! Unfortunately, they didn't realise that I'm allergic to yellow and the whole loft upstairs has been decked out with yellow accessories. Not that it matters right now, as I'm not venturing too far from the wood burning fireplace where we've set up the swag to sleep in until we can find a comfy bed.