We live in Stanthorpe which is a beautiful wine-growing region about 250km from Brisbane.

Our home is very comfortable - 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a workroom. We have fast and reliable WIFI. I (Cath) work from home (I'm an IT trainer) and Ben's retired - he's a volunteer presenter with the local community radio station and very involved in promoting and supporting local live music. There are WIFI and bluetooth speakers if you want to listen to music, and Netflix and Disney+ if you'd rather watch a movie! The house has ducted air-conditioning, so it's easy to keep warm. There's also a gas fire which we love, but only use it at night (and then it's mostly for its charm!)

The beds have electric blankets, plenty of quilts, and the bathrooms have heaters and heated towel rails.

We have a puppy (Red - born March 2023 - a shih tzu/poodle cross), a young cat (Black Bean - 2 years) and a middle-aged cat (Jelly Bean - 8 years).

Last year Jelly Bean was savaged by a dog - her leg was broken in two places which required pinning and a lengthy convalescence. She's now very wary around dogs (she hates Red because he's so playful and boisterous - she was fine with my sister's dog who's an elderly couch potato and ignored both the cats). So if you have a young dog, this wouldn't suit you.

At the moment we're training Red to the lead - it's slow-going! By next year, he'll probably need a daily walk. Our house backs onto Quart Pot Creek park which has 5km of sealed walking track along the creek - it's truly charming.

The cats don't need a lot of attention - for the first week they'll need to be kept inside - Black Bean is extremely scared of new people and will take that long to become accustomed to you - once he's friendly towards you, it's safe to let him out (ONLY during daylight hours).

Jelly Bean sleeps a lot, and hisses at Red. That's about it! She's a sweet grande dame who likes a little affection, on her terms. She sheds like mad.

The garden, such as it is, doesn't require much care, although if I have any vegetables growing it would be great if they could be watered (and harvested - take whatever's edible!). If the lawn needs mowing (rarely at the time of year we'll be away) a nice man will come to do it.

You can see more photos of the house at www.webdesign.place/stanthorpe/progress.shtml - if you choose "Finished" from the pink button near the top, you can see the house.

The little white dog in some of the photos is Noodle, who's no longer with us.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. All the best - Cath & Ben

Your absolutely main task, and the only one we care about, is to keep our pets safe

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