Paddington or Opossum?

Josh is scared.


My mum and dad are deadly serious about getting a city crash pad. The idea of my parents dropping in unannounced rather than be a safe three hour drive away in Bowral sent Josh to his company’s HR department, seeking transfer opportunities. At first I was excited, thinking of all expenses paid corporate postings to London, Singapore, or even, maybe New York. I dreamt that I could be writing my Open for Inspection Girl blogs after perusing Chelsea apartments, Soho lofts or Upper East Side brownstone mansions.


Josh’s HR department gave him three career options - Wangaratta; Opossum, Tasmania or Bangladesh. Not the life enhancing opportunities either of us are seeking. And although Alex was excited about living in a town named after a marsupial, we decided the delights of Paddington were far too nice to leave for my parents to enjoy alone. Josh is staying in head office and walking the thirty minutes to his lovely job.


Seeking inspiration and contemplation, I went to the quiet surroundings of a church; well of a former church that is for sale through Di Jones Real Estate.


The outstandingly beautiful home for sale in the former church at the corner of Moncur Street and Jersey Road Woollahra gave me the peace to see a way forward. After being gently welcomed by Kim Jones and her team (and aren’t they the glamour girls!) of Di Jones Real Estate, I marvelled at the magnificent lead lighted windows and sandstone detailing which grace the home. A haven from the hurly burly of city life, I drank in the quiet – compliments of the thick sandstone walls. It’s impossible to believe, when enjoying the beauty inside, that the home is only metres from busy buzzy Queen Street.


I wandered around the beautiful garden and sniffed the magnolias. Hmmm. What a lovely location the home is in. Perfect for someone who loves an easy to maintain and established garden. And who would appreciate the joys of Woollahra – including the classy purveyors of all things meat, Victor Churchill’s. Josh and I sometimes go to the upmarket meat-ery, planning the barbecue we’d have if we won the lottery. Aged Wagu sausages, anyone?


In fact the garden in the house is graciously large enough to play the host for many a back yard (or in this case it would be a front yard) barbecue.


In many ways, if mother and father did buy a home away from Bowral, this former church would be just the ticket. The reasons?
- It’s got a great garden for Alex to frolic in, when mum and dad baby sat when Josh and I grab a bite at Bistro Moncur.
- It’s neat as a new pin. No renovations needed. So no need to accompany mum to endless home ware stores for the right colour paint.
- It’s got a wine cellar that will easily house dad’s excellent collection of Australian and French wine. Yum.
- It’s got four bedrooms, so dad and mum can have a home office each. Perfect for their passions, mum’s genealogy research and dad’s new internet business, selling Bowral’s best blooms and buds online.
- It’s quiet and lovely to be in. And as it’s got so much more room than our two bedroom apartment, I’m sure mum and dad would much rather that Josh, Alex and I come and visit them rather than “pop” into ours unannounced.


So, I decided, smelling the magnolias in the garden one last time, if mum and dad bought the house, the end result would really be more babysitting and more aged meat barbecues at “theirs”, washed down with the finest red wine, complements of my parents. And they’d still have Bowral, which they would escape to for the country air and for my dad to fill in his internet gardening orders.
I said a happy farewell to Kim, Jess and Erin on my way out of the Open for Inspection, hoping that Josh would agree with my best of all worlds’ assessment. Surely he would agree that if my parents bought the former church as their city house, it would be the answer to all of our prayers?