By Margaret Maccoll
David and Courtney Rivers are chilling out temporarily at the RACV and looking for rental accommodation while they wait for a replacement for their Eerwah Vale house that burnt to the ground on Sunday 18 June.
Buoyed by the generosity of the community, the family is recovering from their loss and moving on.
“The community has been spectacular,” Dave said.
Offers of clothing and household goods have poured in to them.
“The day after the fire a neighbour we’d never met before gave us beds and duvets,” he said.
“There is absolute joy and happiness in our world.”
Dave said their insurance company, NRMA, had been so helpful he “couldn’t sing their praises enough”.
The rubble of their former home was expected to be removed over the next two weeks and a replacement four-bedroom Queenslander built onsite.
“They have to build like for like,” he said.
The former house had been moved to the property from Maroochydore in the 1990s, and the family had been restoring it. He said they would miss its charm.
“It had the original timber ceilings and VJ boards and everyone said it had so much potential,” he said.
“Hopefully, we can regenerate some of that with the new home.”
He said they planned to host an open house in the new home to thank everyone for helping them.
Dave said the insurance covered six months accommodation and the new home was scheduled for completion in four months.
Their two sons have quickly come to terms with the loss.
Dave said their two-year-old didn’t really understand what was going on but their five-year-old son realised on a visit to the burnt out shell that his toys had all been lost.
“After a few minutes he said to me you’ll have to buy me new toys, and a big smile came across his face,” Dave said.
Their dog has found a temporary home with Dave’s sister and their two cats are staying in a cottage on the property. “We go back every night and feed them and give them a pat and make sure they’re OK and let them out in the morning.”
The one special purchase Dave has to make is a replacement engagement ring for his wife.
“I guess I’ll have to propose to her again,” he said. “I messed it up first time so I can get it right the second time.”
