Slow going

There are challenges in renovating a place on a small island, not least the fact the beach is five minutes away and sooo much more appealing than an afternoon spent sanding timber or cleaning out gutters.

One of the first obstacles to overcome is actually getting there. There are two ways to get over to Karragarra if you don't have your own boat - the vehicle barge and the ferry.

The barge takes about 45 minutes and costs roughly $100. The ferry takes 15 minutes and costs about $20.

No prizes for guessing which we end up taking most of the time.

Travelling over without our car leaves us with some ongoing challenges, namely juggling a 'granny trolley' full of groceries - loo paper, insect repellent, olive oil - a couple of bags of clothes and clean linen, an eski full of wine, milk, cheese... and an exuberant dog wearing a compulsory cloth muzzle that she loathes and fights against every inch of the way.

Getting it all onto the ferry is one thing. 

Getting it all off is another. 

Getting it all up to the house is an entirely different kettle of fish.

We're getting better at it now, keeping our linen and some basic clothes and shoes over there, refining our lists of things that need to be carried back and forward. 

But building materials? That's a whole new problem. We may end up taking a truck over later this year, but in the meantime it's a question of taking little bits at a time: a pot of paint here, a tool kit there, a seedling, a sapling, a pitchfork, a trowel. 

It's slow going, but apparently good things come to those who wait.