The few weeks since Anui’s galley revamp have been a time for deliberations about our ideal coastal abode. We’ve got some news to share!

As we returned home from the Gippsland Lakes, the reality of winter on the Southwest coast of Victoria hit us: cold, rainy, aching joints, not very pleasant… With the renovations of Jan Juc completed, we asked ourselves: do we stay or do we move on?  

It is interesting how things have played out with a bit of time to reflect on what matters to each of us. For Wade the last six months confirmed surfing must be part of his daily routine, so Jan Juc works. For Chris, who craves space and views other than the neighbours’ roofs, Jan Juc does not quite work. And to both of us after living in the tropics for a decade, the Victorian climate feels… well, freaking cold! Nah, Yeah, we are moving!

Having come to that decision, the timing of our relocation would just be a matter of finding a suitable home. We are not in a rush. We can afford to take our time and be choosy. As we have probably told you before, we have been keeping an eye on the housing market for 7 or 8 months, looking online at places for sale on the East coast between Port Macquarie and the Queensland border. Affordable options meeting both our requirements are hard to find. Wade’s insistence on being able to walk to the beach surfboard in hand and Chris’s desire for an outlook make things difficult!

We thought it would take us a while to find the right place, but things suddenly came together much more quickly than we expected. Within days of each other, a marina berth for Anui became available up north and a house caught our attention.

Wade saw this property on the Domain website north of Coffs Harbour, which had been on the market for a while but had slipped under Chris’s radar.

Gee, how did I miss that? And how many others have gone unnoticed? There was some frantic searching of all the listings for a while, but nothing else popped up that met the wish list. We peered at the pictures, did our research, asked lots of questions, and debated whether this place was it.

Here are a few aerials to show you the environment:

In the time we have been looking, only two houses have matched our specifications, this one and one late last year in Port Macquarie, when we were not yet in a position to act.

We were planning to go on a road trip north in a few weeks’ time to check out the vibe of all the little townships along the coast. You get a good idea of how a place feels and whether you can picture yourself living there just by driving around. With the house looking appealing online, we wondered: should we wait to see it until we drive up? Nah let’s jump on it now and see how we feel. We flew up to Coffs on 1 June to check it out.

We went, we saw, we liked, we bought!

The place is on the edge of Sandy Beach, a quiet settlement 22 kms north of Coffs Harbour✅. It is three houses up from the beach✅, backs onto a National Park✅✅, was architecturally designed and built 10 years ago✅, has hardwood timber floors✅, vaulted ceilings✅, generous size rooms✅, a stylish kitchen and bathrooms✅, a pool✅, and is within our budget✅. Chris’s only reservation was the size of the garden❌, a bit on the small side, about the same as Jan Juc.

So not 100% perfect, but pretty close! Would there be anything better around the corner? You just don’t know. The indication from talking to a few estate agents is that the ‘100% mark’ version, if one came on the market, would likely fetch a hefty price – even a renovator’s delight on the ‘front row’ would end up costing a fortune and we are over renos!

Here are a few shots of how this one looks inside.

The house suits us really well and is quite an improvement on Jan Juc – bigger rooms, more flexible layout. From the garden gate, you step into the National Park with tracks to the beaches and bush. We like the quiet holiday feel of Sandy Beach – no shops, just a milk bar. Nearby Woolgoolga is 6 kms north for groceries and small-town amenities, while Coffs Harbour, 22 kms south, has the larger city infrastructure … medical facilities, airport.

So we took the plunge and made an offer! By early that afternoon, while we were eating our fish and chips out in the marina at Coffs, there was an exchange of calls back and forth with the estate agent to negotiate on price, then we got the confirmation: Congratulations, you’ve got it! Gulp! We’ve just bought a house!

We think all our treasures will fit in nicely, there is enough space for a vegie garden and the maintenance will be manageable while we are still cruising part-time on Anui and have overseas trips on the bucket list.

After the initial shell shock and mad running around, it is now official. We have had the property professionally inspected, we have signed the contract, paid our deposit and in early August it will be ours.

And… we have a catamaran berth for Anui since a spot at both Yamba and Coffs Harbour became available! We opted for Yamba where Anui originally came from, 1.5 hours north of Sandy Beach, because the marina there is significantly cheaper and more protected than the one at Coffs. The funny thing: our previous two boats, Medina and Take It Easy, are also berthed at Yamba. It was all meant to be!

Now we have to book the removalists, deal with the medical stuff which cropped up for both of us, sail the boat to its new home port, come back to pack the house at Juc… Just a little bit on our plate before we can breathe a sigh of relief, but how thrilling is that! We are very happy and the big cloud of uncertainty has lifted.

Jan Juc will go on the market once we are settled at Sandy Beach. No rush, no pressure.  We are in the fortunate position of being able to use the proceeds from the sale of Chris’s Brunswick house to cover most of the purchase costs of our new home. It is all very exciting! After decades of living together with separate assets, we will own a home together, not just the boat and the car. That’s kind of like saying ‘I do’ after 32 years!

We can’t wait to move there. The Coffs Harbour region is gorgeous and special because it is where the Great Dividing Range meets the Pacific Ocean. There is a wonderful mix of hilly hinterland and pristine beaches, there are beautiful national parks, lush rainforests, all offering a laid-back lifestyle in a sub-tropical climate.

And Sandy Beach is described as a quiet coastal haven, favoured by locals seeking to avoid the crowds, offering excellent walking trails, panoramic views, and a relaxed, natural environment. We think we might have found a gem.

Here are a few photos taken at the beach, including a sunrise shot sent by the Estate Agent who lives and surfs there and teases us with reports of air and water temperature about 10 degrees warmer than at Jan Juc! “You’re gonna love it here, Mate!” We know we will!

We will post again once we jump on Anui to take her to Yamba. Stay tuned!