General News
24 November, 2024
UK house switch offer
A FREQUENT visitor to Port Douglas has come up with a novel way to make his next stay longer.
“I’m looking for someone who’d like to swap, for six months, their apartment in Port Douglas for my cottage on the North Norfolk coast of England, beginning March/April 2025,” said Englishman Vaughn Balding.
The 61-year-old has visited Port Douglas several times over the years to see his son.
“When the children fledged our son ended up in Port Douglas, where he’s lived for the past nine years with his partner and seven-month-old daughter,” he said.
Mr Balding and his late-wife Cristina visited their son several times after he emigrated.
“Watching our son settle with ease into the laid-back, yet harsh lifestyles felt good. The honesty demanded by such extremes creates a positive vibe that seem to shine from its people. I can see it in your faces, that vibe. And the fruit bats, I love listening to their chatter.
“The Port, the Daintree, Four-Mile, it’s like a dream from childhood come real.”
When Mr Balding retired, he and Chis wife had planned to sell one of his English properties and buy a small apartment in Port Douglas.
But things did not go to plan.
“Cristina died five years ago,” Mr Balding said. “It’s tempting to dwell in memories, but all life moves forward and so must I. To that end I began dressing my thoughts in words as to how I might make the next part of my dream my reality.”
His dream is to permanently move to Port Douglas, but he wants to test the waters first. After all, he has never lived outside of England.
“To immerse myself deeper into the culture prior to my massive life-changing decision. I thought it might be prudent to rent somewhere in Port Douglas for three-six months. I quickly realised this would be expensive.”
And that was when he came up with the idea for the house swap – what he calls “two people on opposite sides of the planet working together to make each other’s dream a reality”.
Email Mr Balding at broadviewcottages@btinternet.com
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