SPECTACULAR TINAROO

A lakeside home on a 1550sq m block of land a couple of minutes from the town and in a quiet neighbourhood is priced for a quick sale

WHEN Lisa and Greg Deviney were dreaming about finding the perfect block to host weekend escapes from Cairns, they were imaging a cheap plot north of the Daintree that would accommodate a caravan.

But after “the sensible advice of several locals” the Daintree was dumped for the Tablelands and the caravan pushed aside for a dream house that would become one of Yungaburra’s most magnificent lakeside homes.

“Our favourite place to relax is Lake Tinaroo,” the couple said.

“It is a safe place to swim and enjoy water sports, there’s lots of wildlife including platypus, fishing for barramundi, and it’s always cooler compared to the coast.

“We found a beautiful 1550sq m block of land that sloped gently to the water in quaint Yungaburra, and the suburb known as Lakeside is a couple of minutes from the town and a quiet lakeside neighbourhood. We had been putting ideas for a pole home together for many years, so it was a natural progression to build that on the block, and building commenced in early 2000 and took over a year.”

Esteemed Tablelands builder Jon Knott was commissioned to shape the unique dwelling and started to “source the unusual timbers required to reach a height of over three stories” before finding the perfect poles in Ravenshoe.

“The massive poles were quite a sight when they were first put in the ground and it was obvious Jon and his team knew their trade and paid attention to exposing features of the poles in the entry and the walkways to add to an already spectacular home. “The majority of the timbers were locally sourced – Tolga Timbers played a large part in the supply – and the main floor consists of mixed rainforest hardwood and the top floor polished cypress.”

“An amazing double storey spiral staircase follows the brickwork and looking down from the top of the stairs into the indoor garden, which is surrounded by glass, gives the special feeling of nature and the rainforest within the home.”

The couple was so besotted with the build that they settled on the Tablelands permanently and now have fond memories of perching in the Lshaped lounge during winter to be warmed by the dry-season sunshine streaming through the windows. “The home has an indoor-outdoor feel, with sliding doors rolling back on each other to open the main part of the house to the veranda, and a bedroom also opens to that main deck,” the couple noted.

Yungaburra-Tinaroo Realty agent Hayley Ainsworth has the listing and said the Devineys “urgently needed to sell” and had set a strict deadline to find someone that loved the unique address as much as they did by committing to “buying elsewhere”.

“The home is priced for a quick sale at $749,000 negotiable, and the estimated cost to build this home now would be in the $900,000 range so adding the cost of the block means we won’t be seeing this type of house too often.

“The home is open from 1pm to 2pm today – the same day as the famous Yungaburra Markets – and again from 1pm to 2pm on December 5, or anytime by appointment.”

Price: $749,000 neg

Agent: Hayley Ainsworth, Yungaburra-Tinaroo Realty – 0475 444 232