Moving Home

Packing boxes are scattered around our island home once more as we begin to pull up roots after living on Hindmarsh Island for a year.

It has been such an exciting sojourn living the sea-change leisure lifestyle on the River Murray, so close to the laconic historic River Port of Goolwa.

But like migratory birds on the cusp of Spring,  we yearn to move back home to Belair, to the backdrop of gum trees,  the Koalas and laughing Kookaburras and our handkerchief-sized view of the sea.  We will call our home Belle-Vue (French for beautiful view).

Yesterday, one of the last days we will live here, was an amazingly experience.   Kind friends invited us to  join them  a Spirit of the Coorong tourist’s cruise to the Coorong,  from the river port of Goolwa and past the River Murray Mouth to the National Park beyond. It was a trip I had wanted to take during the 50 weeks  we have stayed here and we learnt so much about the delicate ecology of the area where we have lived that I am ashamed we left it until our last week. (I am writing about this separately.)

It will be 12 months to the day when we move back home into our bare, but absolutely beautiful new retirement home.  A few days ago we received the letter from builder, Stellar Homes, advising us that the building project is almost finished and it’s time to re-connect all services and make an appointment to pick up the keys.

Last night, we were intoxicated with joy as we dined at the local restaurant, The Landing, to celebrate and congratulate ourselves that we had pulled off such a huge gamble  – razing our dated cream-brick home at Belair (where husband had lived for 30-odd years of his life) and building an exciting new retirement home on the same site.

This week, Stellar Homes sub-contractors, Gerry the tiler and Derek the stonemason have been busy in their respective corners.   Gerry, working alone, has been tiling the bathrooms, the two studies, the laundry and Al Fresco area for a few weeks, while, outside, on scaffolding Derek is laying sandstone on the large feature wall which defines our entrance porch. We finally chose a coursed ashlar pattern with a washed whitish mortar.

Carpentry is completed, cornices, doors,  architraves and sanitary ware are fixed in place and our glorious new kitchen is installed. Beautiful tongue-in-groove Brush Box timber flooring is down awaiting polishing.   Painters begin next week and then it will be finished.  Oh what a feeling!

 

 

 

 

 

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3 Comments to “Moving Home”

  1. By Jill Pengelley, 12/09/2011 @ 11:46 am

    What wonderful news. I hope each day in your new home is long and glorious.

  2. By Roy and Pamela, 31/10/2011 @ 7:07 am

    Thankyou for showing us your new home it was great to see you and Oli “in situ” at last and to enjoy a nice glass of french cheer with you both

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