We were planning on heading south this morning, from the NSW Central Coast.

But last night we found Murrays Beach, on-line, as a possible place to buy a home. So, we spent most of the day there, exploring the area, looking through some houses, sampling the food and coffee at “Murray’s” cafe. The owner very kindly let us in, past the “closed” sign.

We loved the fact that the estate has been built while retaining a lot of the original trees. I am not a fan of new estates that wipe out all the nature, build houses, then plant saplings that take decades to provide shade. This is a beautiful town. Trees everywhere. It’s right on Lake Macquarie, just across the peninsula from Caves Beach and up the highway from Swansea,.

But, in the end, we decided no. The trees and see-through fences make it feel open, but it’s still a bit squished. The streets are pretty narrow for the growing population. We were passed by a ute and 4WD hurtling along, just before a couple of young kids appeared on bikes. That’s probably solvable by some speed bumps. Car space is better catered in some parts than in others.

The search for a home continues.