Became a member in: 2019
Renewal Date: 31/Jul/2020
Garth and Lesley have retired from teaching and social work respectively and enjoy a life enriched by travelling and exploring different cultures and traditions. We love to go off the beaten track and enjoy meeting new people and seeing more of our beautiful planet. We try to travel lightly and love the experience of meeting with local people and learning from them about their homes and country. We have two adult sons one of whom lives in Brisbane and will be around to assist with anything might arise while you are staying in our home.
Affinities
Plants & Gardens,
Bridge,
Hiking,
Wine Lovers,
Foodies,
The Arts,
Yoga / Meditation,
Music Lovers
MoreLessAffiliations
Retirees,
Communty Service Volunteers
Profession
Social Work and Teacher, Retired
Non-simultaneous Home Exchange
Simultaneous Home Exchange
Long-term Home Exchange
Smoking Not Allowed
Children Welcome
Car Exchange is offered/negotiable
Open to all dates | Open to all destinations |
Open to all dates | Finland |
Open to all dates | Ireland |
Open to all dates | Open to all destinations |
Description of the home we are offering for exchange
Our home is a large three bedroomed townhouse in a secure, gated complex located in a green leafy suburb in Brisbane, Queensland's capital city. This area is within easy access of the city centre and yet close to native forest. The townhouse is on two levels with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a study upstairs, and a large living and dining area, kitchen, laundry and an additional toilet downstairs. There is an outdoor verandah with table and chairs, and a sofa. This is our family home and we have furnished it with Turkish carpets and other mementoes from our travels overseas. We have heaps of books and games that you use and there is a tennis court and swimming pool within the complex. The townhouse is now 25 years old and we are slowly renovating and upgrading. We have two brand new bathrooms and the kitchen was renovated a few years ago. The main bedroom has a queen-sized bed and is quite large with a walk-in wardrobe and ensuite bathroom. The second bedroom has a queen-sized bed too and the third has a king single bed with a trundle that can be pulled out. The second and third bedrooms have built-in wardrobes. There is a study area near the bedrooms with a desk for computer use, a comfy chair for some quiet reading and a piano. We have ducted air-conditioning upstairs and an air-conditioner unit downstairs. There are also ceiling fans in the bedrooms. There is a large Smart TV in the lounge and we have Netflix connected. We have a digital radio and CD player here as well. There is a small courtyard filled with plants including some edible ones like ginger, curry leaves and turmeric.
Type
Apartment/ Main Residence
Amenities
Entertainment
Extras
Setting
Description of our neighbourhood and surrounding area
The suburb we live in is described as "the bush in the city" because it is located close to Mt Coot-tha, (an Aboriginal name meaning 'place of honey'), a forested hilly area that is a public park for the people of Brisbane. Many of the walking tracks, cultural and picnic areas of Mt Coot-tha start at the end of our street. Mt Coot-tha is a great place for cycling and there is easy access from here to cycle paths along the river. The summit of Mt Coot-tha has a spectacular view of Brisbane and you can enjoy a coffee or a meal there while admiring the view. Down the road is the Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens where there are walks, beautiful gardens and often art and plant exhibitions. There are shopping precincts very near by such as Paddington with its unique Queenslander style houses, or Rosalie Village both of which have cafes, restaurants, delicatessens and galleries. There is a bus stop at the front gate of the townhouse complex and the ride to Paddington takes only ten minutes. Stay on the same bus and you can be in the city centre in another 15 minutes. There are larger shopping centres with supermarkets, alcohol outlets and bakeries close by. The Suncorp Stadium, home of the Broncos, is a major entertainment venue and is ten minutes away.
The townhouse complex where we live has 67 townhouses and is laid out like a small village with lots of gardens and trees. There is a wide range of people living here like people with young families and/or older children, couples, singles and retired folk. There are some owners and some who rent. There is a good vibe and people look out for one another but respect each other's privacy too. There is a meeting room which is used for interest groups, private functions and once a month for "happy hour" when those who are interested gather for drinks and snacks.
Outdoor Activities
Leisure
Cultural Activities
Transport Nearby
Neighbourhood Services
Our home exchange - places to go and things to do while staying in our home
Mt Coot-tha Forest
Our favourite walk starts at Simpsons Falls picnic area at the end of our street and takes about 50 minutes though you can walk for longer. While the waterfalls are there only after lots of rain, the walk through the forest is peaceful and refreshing. Mt Coot-tha is home to many of Australia's unique birds, plants and animals such as wallabies, possums, pythons, kookaburras and if you are very lucky, you might catch a glimpse of a Powerful Owl, Australia's biggest owl which grows to about 65 centimetres in height. http://www.100roads.com/images/australia/bri/brisbane_mt-coot-tha_track_map.pdf
Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens and Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium
Five minutes away by car are the wonderful gardens with lots of walking tracks, and the amazing planetarium. You do have book the planetarium which is definitely worth a visit. https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/things-to-see-and-do/council-venues-and-precincts/sir-thomas-brisbane-planetarium
South Bank
A short bus trip takes you to the city where you can access South Bank where the major art galleries, museums and performance venues are located. South Bank is a recreational area along the river with restaurants, walks, cycle paths and picnic area. The Brisbane Festival is held here each September. https://www.visitbrisbane.com.au/South-Bank
Brisbane River.
One of the best ways to get to know Brisbane is to use our river. The 'CityCats' go up and down the river stopping at the city centre, South Bank and another interesting area, New Farm. Or you can head west and get out at the Queensland University and explore the Great Court. Beautiful sandstone buildings and look for the gargoyles of well known people. You can catch a CityCat at Toowong which is a short five minute drive from our home. https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/traffic-and-transport/public-transport/citycat-and-ferry-services
New Farm and the Powerhouse.
New Farm is an inner city suburb and it's worth visiting the Powerhouse which hosts all sort of entertainment from plays, art exhibitions, live music, debates (look up Politics in the Pub) and a weekly farmers' market and once a year, the Festival of Tibet. Sit out on the deck watching the river go by with a beer or cider. The fantastic rose garden in New Farm Park is next to the Powerhouse and worth a visit in spring. Nearby is the well known New Farm Deli which is great for lunches. Go by CitiCat and the Powerhouse is a short walk away from the terminus. https://brisbanepowerhouse.org, https://newfarmdeli.com.au, https://www.facebook.com/events/brisbane-powerhouse/politics-in-the-pub
West End
Close to the city is West End which has some great shops such as Avid Reader or if you want secondhand, Bent Books. And the wonderful Kazuyo's Collection with amazing Japanese fabrics. Try the iconic vegetarian/vegan bakery and cafe, Sol Breads, in Vulture Street. https://www.solbreads.com.au/, http://kimonobag.blogspot.com/
Paddington
Paddington, just five minutes away by car or ten by bus, has lots of cafes, galleries, boutiques and antiques. If you love browsing for antiques, visit the Empire Revival Centre which is a huge collection of small stalls selling just about everything. https://empirerevival.com.au/
Markets
Brisbane has lots of markets on the weekend selling breakfasts, fresh vegetables and fruit, crafts, clothing and lots of other stuff. Our favourite is the Milton Market at Cribb Street, Milton on Sundays which is ten minutes from home by car. It's a bit like being in an Asian street market as you wander up and down trying to decide what to have for breakfast this week. Look out for Peter at the tomato stall which has the best tasting tomatoes or Enzo with his fresh pasta. Or the potato stall with fresh produce from the Darling Downs. http://miltonmarkets.com.au/
Or you could try the Northey Street Organic Market also on a Sunday. Based at Brisbane's city farm, this market has the freshest organic produce and lots of interesting stalls selling handmade products. Look out for Adam who gives the best shiatsu head massages.
https://www.nscf.org.au/organic-farmers-market/
Our favourite restaurants
Cafés & bars
Special places to shop
Leisure and cultural activities
Walks or jogging paths
Health or fitness clubs
Interesting day trips
Our home exchange - here are our Preferences and House Rules
We want you to be comfortable and to feel at home while you are here and we ask that you leave our home as you found it. As we live in a townhouse complex, we ask that you abide by the bylaws of the complex while you are here. You will have very close neighbours so the bylaws are about living comfortably with each other. So no loud parties or music, respect boundaries with the neighbouring properties and no pets. Cigarette smoke has a way of drifting over to the neighbours so please don't smoke in the townhouse or on the verandah.
You are very welcome to use the swimming pool and tennis court within the complex but there are rules regarding times when you can do so and a booking system for the tennis court. We have racquets and tennis balls available for you.
Please use up any food you find in the fridge or freezer. You are welcome to use other groceries in the walk-in pantry and pantry cupboard but please replace any cans or packets. Help yourself to the spices and herbs.
We will leave our clothing etc in the rooms downstairs to allow you wardrobe and drawer space and we ask that you don't seek to unlock or access these rooms during your stay.
We do have outdoor plants and would be very grateful if you would water the pots on a regular basis and the plants in the courtyard at least once a week if there is no rain. You are welcome to use any of the fresh herbs growing in pots or the courtyard.
Conditions
Car Exchange
Home Exchange Type
Became a member in: 2019
Renewal Date: 31/Jul/2020
Garth and Lesley have retired from teaching and social work respectively and enjoy a life enriched by travelling and exploring different cultures and traditions. We love to go off the beaten track and enjoy meeting new people and seeing more of our beautiful planet. We try to travel lightly and love the experience of meeting with local people and learning from them about their homes and country. We have two adult sons one of whom lives in Brisbane and will be around to assist with anything might arise while you are staying in our home.
Affinities
Plants & Gardens,
Bridge,
Hiking,
Wine Lovers,
Foodies,
The Arts,
Yoga / Meditation,
Music Lovers
MoreLessAffiliations
Retirees,
Communty Service Volunteers
Profession
Social Work and Teacher, Retired
Over 65 years of house exchange experience
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