Serendipity?

After several days of driving and looking and driving and comparing and driving and driving, we have found a house to rent. It was the very first place we looked at, the place our orange juice-squeezing market friends said we should see on their road.

It’s a three bedroom, two bath, concrete block, tin roofed, ground level house on 6 1/2 acres up in a tableland area of the mountain range above Port Douglas. It’s got a fish pond, chicken house, vegetable garden, fruit trees, barn, garage and other outbuildings, three or four separate fenced pasture areas, and is surrounded by a rainforested creek with mountain views. It even has DSL available and its own blue life-sized Buddha statue down by the creek. For the kids there’s a trampoline that someone bought from the owners but forgot to pick up, and a giant swing. All for around $650/month US. Oh, and it’s unfurnished too, which means that between now and Sunday evening when we move in, we’ve got to find beds, at least one table, five chairs, and a washing machine (because I don’t relish the idea of beating my clothes on a rock in the fish pond.) Today we checked out a few furniture stores, and while everything was reasonably priced, we’re thinking even cheaper checking classified ads and camping equipment suppliers. The kids want cots, I want a hammock, Jorge fancies himself a jolly swagman. Everybody gets one towel, blanket, plate, cup, fork, knife, and spoon. What more does one need?

So, let’s see, we’ve got a mailing address, a physical address with a six month rental agreement, a bank account, a driver’s test booklet (just need to drop by and take the 30 question test), and a vehicle. We are almost ready to go see what kind of Returning Resident Visa the government will issue us.


“How You Gonna Keep ‘Em Down on the Farm After They’ve Seen Paree?”

-- Sam M. Lewis and Joe Young