UBC – Day 31
Discovering House-Sitting
House-Sitting saved me. Quite a few years ago, I learned about house-sitting and started to do occasional weeks here and there. It was of interest to me while I studied (around the turn of the century), as I could study at any hour of the day or night without interruption.
It was later, when my marriage broke up, that I took it on enthusiastically as I had nowhere to live. I did one year of house sitting in an inner-city suburb, and the following year, further out. The latter came with a little fluffy dog – and we got on well, though I didn’t like him sleeping with me!
Back to Study
As I couldn’t find work I went back to university and completed a master’s degree. Again, little interruption to my study and I managed to complete the study in less than usual time.
After graduation, I didn’t have a house-sitting job to do, so I drove around Australia – completing 45,000 kilometres in five months. I stayed at a variety of places, often with friends or friends of friends, as well as in cabins in caravan parks and cheap motels. It was a trip that I certainly will never forget. We live in such a wonderful country and I was honoured to see so much of it. There is of course much more to see!
The Rental Market
When I returned to Brisbane I took a break from house sitting and rented a lovely duplex at Beachmere, a seaside township north of Brisbane. After four years, and with rents going sky high and with rather unfriendly neighbours, I moved into a 1983 Toyota Coaster. The day I was moving I was quite unexpectedly offered a house sit for 6 weeks, which I accepted.
Journey to the Red Centre
When time was up, I went off on an adventure to the centre of Australia. I attended a camp for solo women travellers just out of Alice Springs, and then drove down to Uluru. I travelled 7500 kilometres in the bus, with a myriad of adventures, before returning to Brisbane to do some more house sitting.
At the Devil’s Marbles, Northern Territory
That is what I am doing now, but this project comes to an end next week, so it is back to the bus for a few days, before another adventure.
My Home on Wheels
I am part of an organisation looking at housing options for senior solo women, so I am travelling to London via Dubai, to research a wonderful project just north of the city. Exciting. Hopefully, we can help find a solution to the homeless problems here in Australia.
