The surf club caretakers who live rent free on prime real estate

THEIR living rooms sport ocean views and the beach is their doorstep. So how do they get away with paying no rent?

Caretakers at surf clubs

THEY live on prime beachfront land, have million dollar views across the ocean and can go for a surf whenever they please yet pay absolutely no rent.

What’s more, their actions are often described as nothing short of heroic. So who are they?

They are the caretakers of many of our surf clubs, taking on the role of everything from cleaner to rescuer, ready to dive into the water and save someone life’s at a moment’s notice.

Across Sydney’s northern beaches, seven clubs have live-in caretakers.

The caretaker for the last four years at North Curl Curl Surf Club, Ray Marrs, was in the “right place at the right time” when he was offered the plum position.

He left school at 16 to work in a clerical position and then he started a cleaning business 19 years ago.

Ray Marrs’ kitchen view isn’t too shaky.

After also going through a divorce he sold the family home and moved to a rental property at North Curl Curl 10 years ago because he loved the water — “I used to dream about living on the beach”.

“I joined the club as soon as I moved here and I lived up the road (before I got the caretaker role) so I was already walking to the beach every day and cleaning is not a problem for me,” Mr Marrs, 61, said.

“I need to be here most nights of the week to keep an eye on everything and I’m often up at 6am to clean so the club can open at 8am.

“I’m very lucky because I swim nearly every day of the year, even if it’s just for five minutes — nothing holds me back from the surf.”

He achieved his bronze medallion at 58, a feat he said he was proud of because it was “pretty tough” and most people receive their awards when they’re 16.

He wanted to learn how to save a life because he realised how important the caretaker role was.

“I’m here during the winter when there are no lifeguards and I knew if somebody was in trouble they’d call out for me,” Mr Marrs said.

However, it was earlier this year when he made his first rescue, just before 8am on January 16.

He was in the carpark when a woman came racing around the corner, calling for help because a man was caught in a rip.

Johnny Harper and his partner Xanthe Friend are the caretakers at Avalon Surf Club.

“The lifeguards weren’t on duty until 9am so I grabbed a rescue board and went for it,” Mr Marrs said.

“I got out to him in four or five strokes but it took 15 minutes to get back in.

“I didn’t think about it because I’m on the spot and tragedy was averted.

“I was later told that the 70-year-old English had a smile of relief that he was still alive after a morning swim.”

Mr Marrs, who has just signed on for another three years, said that his life went on around the caretaker role.

“I go to every board meeting as well as being the health and safety officer, and I also do the cleaning and maintenance — I’m like a girl Friday.

“I’m also a very good cook because I had two hungry teenage sons so now the lifeguards get the better part of that because I like to cook cakes and biscuits.”

Mr Marrs, who said he could be doing the job for many years to come, enjoys sitting on the deck with views to Manly and North Head.

His living quarters are “quite spacious” with a kitchen, dining, lounge, bedroom and laundry facilities.

Ray Marrs outsider North Curl Curl Surf Club.

Steve McInnes, the chief executive of Surf Life Saving Sydney Northern Beaches, said having caretakers on surf club premises was that they acted as a deterrent to vandalism.

“Surf clubs contain a lot of valuable assets, especially with rescue equipment,” Mr McInnes said.

“Also, most caretakers tend to be members of surf clubs themselves and have been known to perform rescues after hours when the flags are down.’’

The caretakers at Avalon, Johnny Harper and his partner Xanthe Friend, took on the role a year ago.

While he worked as a professional lifeguard for 20 years on the NSW south coast, it is his current job as a firefighter that made Mr Harper an attractive candidate for caretaker.

“When I’m at the fire station my partner is here so between us we can look after the club 24/7 — and the pluses outweigh the minuses,” said Mr Harper, 50, who has been a surf club member for 35 years.

“There is always something to do so it’s constant — we look after the security, the cleanliness and the general wellbeing of the building.

“I am Johnny on the spot so if there is no job to do I’m out on the waves.”

Mr Harper also made a rescue about two months ago when two boys were caught in a rip.

He had been about to start cleaning when he noticed the kids’ parents screaming from the shoreline so he grabbed a rescue board.

“One of my mates was already surfing so he helped one boy on his board while I rescued the other one,” he said.

“They were panicked and the parents were really thankful.”

Avalon Surf Club president, Richard Cole, said that Mr Harper was “invaluable to us”.

Originally published as The surf club caretakers who live rent free on prime real estate