About Irene Waters 19 Writer Memoirist
I began my working career as a reluctant potato peeler whilst waiting to commence my training as a student nurse. On completion I worked mainly in intensive care/coronary care; finishing my hospital career as clinical nurse educator in intensive care. A life changing period as a resort owner/manager on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu was followed by recovery time as a farmer at Bucca Wauka. Having discovered I was no farmer and vowing never again to own an animal bigger than myself I took on the Barrington General Store. Here we also ran a five star restaurant. Working the shop of a day 7am - 6pm followed by the restaurant until late was surprisingly more stressful than Tanna. On the sale we decided to retire and renovate our house with the help of a builder friend. Now believing we knew everything about building we set to constructing our own house. Just finished a coal mine decided to set up in our backyard. Definitely time to retire we moved to Queensland. I had been writing a manuscript for some time. In the desire to complete this I enrolled in a post grad certificate in creative Industries which I completed 2013. I followed this by doing a Master of Arts by research graduating in 2017. Now I live to write and write to live.
Wow, just wow
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Yes wow!
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Lovely
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Thanks Raewyn.
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Lovely.
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🙂
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When can I move in? But what do you do for a toilet?
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I believe it is a single man so he may let you move in any time. I am told that most of the houseboats on the river were bought by couples and those that are now lived in permanently there are 6 single males and only two couples remaining. Perhaps it is the toilet arrangements that send the women back to land. I imagine they would use a chemical toilet but how and where they empty it goodness knows (except it is definitely not in the river).
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We came across float houses on our travels last year. Cowichan Bay on Vancouver island was a sight to behold, state of the art homes some grand designs that cost more than homes on land, others were used by travellers or water gypsies or as I heard a local describe ‘water rats’ … not a politically correct term to describe what maybe just poor folk, but thankfully not mine.
We watched for hours the otter playing with a small grey seal as much at home and ignored as our domesticated cats and dogs.
Funny how a picture brings it all back. 😇
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That is the beauty of images – they might not be your memories but they stir up ones you do have of your own. I can’t imagine ever ignoring an otter and seal playing together – these aren’t animals I see in the wild. What a wonderful sight for all your float house occupants – no matter their income. 🙂
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