Houssitting

G'day Mates,

As the title already gave free, that's what we did in between the visit of Sheila and what we are going to do now. At this very moment we are travelling towards the Goldfields as the Western Australian Goldfields are the most promising so of course I want to try my luck, but before I'll get there I have some other stories in between;

 As you know we life in our caravan now for more then 6 years already, with a pause of 2 1/2 years when we lived in my uncles house in Berwick. It's a long time and don't get me wrong, we still like it but sometimes you long for a bit luxury and space and I don't mean luxury like material things but just playing household in a proper house, having your own toilet and shower for a while.

So what did I do? I joined a house sitting club. There are people who want to go on a holiday and have animals or a (big) property which has to be looked after. And there are people like us, travelling around and would like to do such job, you put these two groups together on a site and voila!

So our first one here in Western Australia is in the south of Perth for a little more then two weeks, looking after two doggies. 

We came a few days earlier then they would leave so we could get to know each other, we found this on the table when they had left for the airport....

It's a nice house where Fred and I don't bump in to each other all the time. There is a pool, a sauna and a nice garden in which I can do a bit work which I like, and a lot of herbs in it, that's also what I call luxury! I hope I don't kill anything though!

And a real Barbecue which we used a lot, the weather was nice so we could be outside a lot...

Because Fred and I were, also in the past, travelling a lot in the weekends and of course we both worked, we never had any pets so looking after 2 doggies was quite special. Of course there was Max, you most probably remember him, but Max was always outside and all you had to do was walk with him once a day, he couldn't even do more, and feed him. Feeding the doggies was Fred's Job...

But then these two doggies needed to be washed once a week, which I never did before, and brushed every second day. They definitely don't like the brushing part so I had a ball every time!

Movie time;

 They also need a lot attention and love, they follow you whole day where ever you go and if it's to them, they are on your lap whole day and asking for tummy rubs.

But it was sure fun. It also keeps us off the street and the extra advantage; no caravan park costs for a while! That's also why people do house sitting, to save some money and still be on a different spot every time.

Because we were in the South of Perth we also could go to Fremantle and this time we went to the big Port were the emigrants came ashore in the old days;

More than a third of Western Australia’s population was born overseas and the Welcome Walls recognises not only the arrival of many migrants but their contribution, commitment and endurance as they made the State and the nation their home.”

Welcome Walls

And we were close the the train station so we also went to Perth City, were we suddenly ran into a Chinese event...

but also saw Perth in a different way, these nice building are also in the Centre so there are not only shops.....

And we did a trip to an English Pub in Armadale....

The Elizabethan Village Pub

We also had Kings Day which in The Netherlands is on the 27th April, here in Fremantle was a Kings Day Party organised on Friday the 1rst of May, of course we had to show up in Orange.... 

Ready to go with cloths ;

A nice party with real "Bitterballen" a Dutch treat!!

The second house sitting was North of Perth, close by Joondalup, we had to look after 3 cats, 1 dog and 2 rats, of course at first you think "RATS" ??? Crikey what am I going to do with them??

But to be honest, after being introduced I even had it in my hands and later as well Fred as I took it out of their cage. Unfortunately one died already the first day but luckily the family already expected it to happen as the one Rat was very old and already acted a bit strange....

Strange enough I don't have pictures of the animals.

At this house sitting we slept in our own caravan on the driveway which was OK!

Our view;

 But further we had all facilities to our convenience;

A spa.....

A kitchen were Fred finally could make his "Snert", which is pea soup as we found the ingredients for it....    

The result.....

Because the family also had a catalogue distributing job in their area, we promised to take it over for these three weeks, as if you fail to deliver for a few weeks you might loose that area and they didn't want that!

190 Rolls of catalogues and pamphlets divided over two prams....

Ready to leave, jobs been done. No other animal died pfff (there was also a cat of 20 years!) 

Between the two house sittings we went a week to Dunsborough, that will come later but my next blog will be; Anzac Day.

You know what the nicest part is of house sitting??

You could end up with a very precious friendship!

Cheers!