Happenings 2009 Number 16

Australia
An unexpected return

Six days after our arrival back on “Envy” at Rebak Marina, Langkawi, Malaysia, following the most wonderful holiday visit to Britain, we are again in the air on a flight to Brisbane to attend a problem at our ‘down the bay’ house on Karragarra Island.
              

Karragarra (Karra) Island Jetty

Pretty Karra Beachfront

Having been alerted by non payment of several weeks’ rent, enquiries led to the unhappy discovery that our tenant had fled without notice, albeit understandably, as a result of the total failure of the septic toilet system. The local Council authority was talking mega- bucks’ figures for its replacement so we high-tailed it home to sort out the problem.

Most of the following two months are consumed having the entire septic system replaced, re-establishing the ruined lawn, having house painting done and getting the house and grounds spruced up ready for sale.
                  

 

Trenches for the new Septic System

 Job completed, but no grass, just the red soil of Redland Bay!!

We have owned this property since 2002, have done well capital gains wise, and with a dearth of good tenants choosing to live on this tiny island, we took the decision to sell and invest elsewhere.

See it at: http://www.tbarclayrealestate.com/property/204.htm
  
Karragarra is widely acknowledged as the pick of the southern Moreton Bay islands with its sandy swimming/picnic area with free electric BBQ’s & facilities and quiet lifestyle. It also boasts some very colourful birdlife with many brightly hued parrots and lorikeets around, and Kookaburras plus other birds lining up on the deck rails to be fed.
               

 

Karra swimming enclosure and BBQ picnic area

 

Backyard at high tide

 
 

Rear view of Karra House

 

Air conditioned open plan interior

 
 

View from back deck

The days quickly spread into weeks as we worked to get the property ready for sale plus packing up and moving much of the house contents into storage beneath our suburban Brisbane home, which is also tenanted.

 

 Moving out

 

Departing Karragarra Island

Interspersed with this was attending the needs of twin brother John who is slowly succumbing to the vagaries of early Alzheimer’s Disease, in his independent living unit at Brookfield Retirement Village.

Our return to Oz turned out to be a very busy working visit, mostly spent on 'Karra' and, with the island’s ‘bridge-less’ relative isolation, we were unable to catch up with many friends, for which we beg your understanding.

We returned to Malaysia on 1st. December, from where, ten days later “Envy” threw off her lines and sailed up to Phuket, Thailand for Christmas and the following 3 months.

Happy 2010 - from Bruce and Audrey

See you soon in H-17