IF boats could talk, then the houseboat ‘Time and Money’ would certainly have a tale to tell.

Last week it finally made it back into the water at Hawks Nest after a journey of more than two and a half thousand kilometres and many years on dry land.

Its new owner, local plumber Robert Brown, tells the story of how the houseboat started its life in Cairns but when its original owner went bankrupt, ‘Time and Money’ was used to pay a debt.

For the next seven years it was left to rot in a shed on the Sunshine Coast until Robert heard about it from a mate.

$10,000 for the boat, $8,000 for the road trip from Buderim to Hawks Nest and ‘Time and Money’ ended up in the front yard of the Browns’ house in Hawk Nest.

“It was a bit of a mess when we got it,” Joan Brown said.

12 months of hard work and a fair bit more money spent and the houseboat finally ended up on the back of a trailer last Friday bound for the Yamba Street wharf.

“It looks a 100 percent better than when we got it, it’s been painted, new blinds, new awnings,” Joan said.

With anxious friends looking on, ‘Time and Money’ finally slipped into the water with Robert at the helm.

“It weighs about 13 tonnes, and it’s a bit hard to steer and stop,” Robert said.

But the main thing that was worrying the Browns didn’t happen.

“It didn’t sink,” laughed Robert.

 

By Margie TIERNEY