* 24.3.1929 - ✝ 24.9.1998
It all happened back in 1991 - or was it 1992? An acquaintance from the HARMONIE German Club in Canberra told me about his tax problems, and being a former tax agent I gave him a bit of advice with the too-hard bits - free of charge, of course; after all, we were both fellow-migrants from the same (c)old country.
As a former fellow-German - and a Bavarian to boot - he didn't want to be indebted to me, a Prussian, and kept offering me the use of his holiday home down the coast. Being self-employed, I practically worked seven days a week and never had the chance to take him up on his offer.
Then, one day, I drove the 150 kilometres to the coast and, as I crossed the bridge at Nelligen, remembered that this was where the Bavarian had his holiday home, but where exactly? I stopped at the small shop by the bridge and asked, "Does anyone here know Tony, the German carpenter? He's supposed to have a holiday home across the river."
Nelligen is a small place, and everyone knows everyone else, and I was given directions to Tony's house across the river at 21 Sproxtons Lane.
The place was all locked up and I called him in Canberra: "Tony, I'm down here at your holiday place!" "Climb the fence! You find the key to the house under the watertank! Make yourself at home!" was his reply.
And so it came to pass that I spent a very relaxing weekend at the coast. And again some weeks later, and again, until in December 1993 I bought myself my very own holiday home at the bottom of the same lane: 35-37 Sproxtons Lane, but everyone always calls it "Riverbend".
Tony and I kept meeting each other for several more years, either at his holiday home or mine, and he cooked us his favourite lentil soup and I brought the beer, until, suddenly, in September 1998 he passed away.
Rest in peace, Tony! Without you I would never have found "Riverbend"!
P.S. His family sold the house in May 2001, just before prices started to go through the roof, for $288,250. The new owners resold it nine years later for $900,000. Today it's probably worth twice that much again!
