Beautiful one day, perfect the next! That's how the weather has been down here for the past two weeks: blazing hot sunshine followed by short bursts of warm rain, reminiscent of all those years spent in the tropics. And how I miss them!
But why be a stranger in Papua New Guinea, the Solomons, Samoa, Singapore, Burma, Indonesia, Malaysia, and all those other places I lived and worked in to escape the frigid climate and friquid neighbourhoods of temperate Australia, when I can enjoy the tropics in my own country?
For years I dreamt of relocating to the tropical North, somewhere around Cairns but perhaps slightly above sea level to escape the worst of the heat. Several times I visited the Atherton Tableland and explored, in particular, Kuranda, the touristy little village in the rain forest.
I looked at many properties, including the Barron Lodge (which was an absolute bargain when it was at long last snapped up for an incredibly low $850,000 as recently as August 2020), but finally limited my search to something small and comfortable, without all the maintenance work and envious looks from passers-by, something like my old beach shack at Pallarenda which I regretted to leave in 1982 and which I sold in 2000.
When I found what had been advertised as "CHARMING QUEENSLANDER IN AN IDEAL CENTRAL LOCATION", a five-minute walk to the village of Kuranda and a fifteen-minute drive to all the facilities in Cairns, I thought it ticked all the boxes (as they say these days; and even though I hate this phrase - what boxes? - it seemed to fit this particular place).
The agent described it as "this affordably yours, delightful, and charismatic little pocket pleaser is a fantastic opportunity for first home buyers, downsizers, or astute investors. Well maintained and oozing with possibilities. Gorgeous timbers floors, relaxing Queenslander ambiance, and a beautiful low-maintenance garden featuring established trees and a multitude of flowering plants. All this on a sizeable, fenced 1012m2 block. Also offering a generous north-facing sunroom which could be used as a spacious third bedroom or be partitioned off as a separate home office with its own dedicated entrance. In addition to an undercover carport, the property features a large shed with a lockable workshop at the rear of the block. "
Doing my own research, I discovered that it had sold in July 2001 for $102,000, then again in February 2008 for $316,000, after which it was listed for sale once again in February 2018 for a modest $339,000. And it stayed listed for a whole two-and-a-half YEARS until it was snapped up by an astute buyer in September 2020 for $295,000! During most of this time it seemed to have been rented out at some $360 a week!
Now it's listed for sale again - at "Buyers over $420,000". Will I buy it? I've been at "Riverbend" for almost thirty years now, and it shows: the thought of packing up the accumulations of thirty years' living, of sorting out again the good neighbours from the bad, of finding a car mechanic I can trust, a dentist who won't rob me of my life savings, and a GP whose hand isn't glued to his prescription pad, horrifies me.
There is no need to remind me that in a previous life I relocated fifty-five times! I was younger then, my belongings were fewer, the car was supplied by the employer, and I had no need yet for a dentist and a GP. In short, I was young and strong and healthy and all the girls wanted to dance with me!
Those days are but a distant memory, and so "Riverbend" it is, but it's nice to keep the dream alive!
P.S. I've just looked again - Wednesday, 19th January 2021 - and the agents dropped the price to "Buyers over $399,000". Keep dropping!
P.P.S. One last look today - Tuesday, 1 February 2021 - and 14 Barang Street, Kuranda is now UNDER OFFER. The end of yet another dream! (it eventually sold in February 2022 for $420,000)
