CAMELLIA COTTAGE

 Welcome to my new blog.

I am Patricia, long-time blogger, lover of nature, birds and flowers, art and painting, sewing, classical music and singing, living in Brisbane, Queensland.

Exactly one year ago, we ageing Baby Boomers decided it was time to Downsize.

We could/should have done it years ago, but we are stubborn..

And we liked our Olde Worlde style house, high on the hills at Brookfield on Brisbane's West side...

We had space, over 1200 square metres;  we had trees, too many trees....

There was a large pool, down the slope and a flight of rocky steps.

And we had snakes lurking around it...

The deck had a wonderful view to the mountains, and caught the cooling breeze..

The birds came every day..

We loved the Australian Native Tree Ferns which grew in abundance...

Our house styled by the experts!

For four months we searched websites daily, and visited potential new homes on Saturdays.  We became acquainted with several suitable areas, and befriended those agents who offered good terms, help and advice.

Meanwhile, we sold or gave away many of our accumulated possessions, and half our furniture went into storage.

Stylists came and gave our house a more contemporary look...

There were 20 large vases of fake greenery - rather amusing when we had so much fresh greenery outside in the garden...

By late August, 2025, we were ready to launch onto the market.

Simultaneously, we had finally found the one.  The perfect house for us.

Camellia Cottage was on a smaller, level block, about 8km away but within the area we know well.  We have many friends in the vicinity.

It had enough rooms for us: the four bedrooms became two bedrooms and two study/studios, one for each of us.

It also has a pool, but it is an easy one, close to the back of the house.

(That is the neighboring house in the photo).

There is a large deck by the pool, perfect for gathering family and grandchildren..

The first rose planted in our new garden

We signed up to buy, and launched our previous house on the market two days later.

Two weeks, and three open houses later, it had been viewed by over 40 families and we had a couple of keen buyers.  Some quick negotiations went on and we had a sale!

We had 60 days to pack up, move out, and get to our new house (after a brief holiday while EVERYTHING was in storage).

Finally in November, we were here in our new place.

It has a perfectly tidy, easy care garden, but we want to make our own mark here.  We began with roses and have five blooming really well over the first six months.

We have been uncertain about five little bushes within our walled front garden.  Recently they have sported dozens of buds and now have turned out to be Camellias.

And so a name was born:  Welcome to Camellia Cottage.

I do hope readers of my previous blog will come along with me as we embark on a new adventure as Retired Australians.

Best Wishes

Patricia