Homeowners on Queensland's Sunshine Coast have been left baffled after security footage revealed an uninvited visitor decided to cool off with a swim in their private pool.
Muddy Footprints Lead to Unusual Discovery
The unexpected incident occurred at Monty's House, a holiday home in Montville within the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. The property's owners, Megan and Stuart McKenzie, only realised something was amiss when they spotted a trail of muddy footprints around their backyard.
"I go through the back and I see all of these little muddy footprints everywhere and I'm thinking to myself, 'um that wasn't me'," Megan McKenzie explained. Their home security system provided the answer, capturing clear video of a woman entering the property through a side gate, enjoying a brief swim, and then departing quietly.
A Property with a Colourful Past
The couple expressed surprise that this was the first such intrusion, given the building's long history as a public venue. The property was built in 1980 and has served various community roles over the decades. It operated as an Irish pub in 1991 and later as an art gallery in 1999.
From 2008, it was known as the Elements Tea House Café and Gifts before the McKenzies transformed it into what they describe as a "little slice of paradise." Stuart noted the public past likely made the location familiar to some locals.
Tidy Trespasser Prompts Police Report
In a peculiar twist, the mystery swimmer showed some consideration during her unauthorised visit. "(She) put our pool noodle and little blow-up away for me, that was very kind," Megan admitted. After her swim, the woman simply walked the perimeter of the house and left.
Despite making light of the situation online—joking that the woman should at least leave a five-star review—the couple confirmed they had reported the trespass to police. Stuart McKenzie stated they were handling the matter carefully, concerned for the individual's wellbeing. "We just want to make sure they're OK and understand what they did is probably not the right thing to do and they probably shouldn't do it again," he said.
This is not the first unusual event captured on the property's CCTV. A few months prior, footage of their robotic vacuum cleaner 'escaping' from the house went viral online. The incident also echoes a similar case in Brisbane, where a man was filmed regularly using a private pool without permission, later apologising and claiming he thought the residence was empty.
