You may hear me say, from time to time, that I'm a very lucky person, or that things always work out for the best. A lot of the time this is solely dependent on your attitude towards different situations, etc, but occasionally it cannot be explained in simple terms. Some might call this karma. Have a read and let me know what you think.

A few months ago my BBQ died. I had decided to clean it out, replace the fat-soak and the heat beads, and give it a good once-over. What I found instead was an old and decrepit BBQ, long overdue for retirement. So off she went to the tip.

A little while later whilst BBQ shopping I discovered some new BBQ burners and accessories which could have revitalised ole smokey and given her a few more years. The cost to fix would have been around $50-$100. Unfortunately, due to my decision of dumping the BBQ, this option was no longer available.

So I begin to search far and wide for the holy grail of BBQs - one that had everything I wanted, lacked everything I despised, and was available at the "right price" (often referred to as "less than market value"). It seemed a futile expedition after visiting both Barbecues Galore and Bunnings and finding nothing that met my criteria.

I begin to search on eBay, the Courier Mail classifieds, and The Online Trading Post, but nothing suitable surfaced. I kept my eye on the Courier Mail classifieds, keeping a bookmark in my browser that I would check almost every Saturday.

Last night I decided to have a look again to see if there was anything worthwhile, and I found this:


Well, that's all I had to read. I gave the guy a call and left a message on his phone. He called me back this morning and to my surprise he hadn't sold it yet. I packed Elli into the car and drove over to his place to check it out. It was pretty much as described, and was certainly in good nick compared to the ones on eBay. This one had a roasting hood, a full 8.5kg gas bottle, and everything actually worked!!

He offered it to me for $140, of which I counter-offered him $150. No that isn't a typo, I actually offered him more than he was asking for. He accepted (duh!).

I gave Ellianah to his wife to hold while I helped him carry the BBQ down to the car. After a few hiccups we managed to make it fit, and I reached for my wallet. He told me that he had just spoken to his wife and they had decided to sell it to me for $100. How about that for good fortune!?!

So here I am with a beauty of a BBQ and a smile from ear to ear. The lesson learned from today's experience? Always take Ellianah shopping!!!