Big boys and little boys

I have been back to the tractor shop about 5 times now and after some further research I put in an offer and we are tractor owners .Next job getting it from Cairns to the block, a car trailer and we are on our way. It is wet so it is not easy to mow or till but I have a good play.

Jesse the excavator guy has down a great job building up the site pad and adding some huge rocks down each side of the driveway. These are needed because in the wet the driveway will just disappear with the volumes of water that will wash down the hill. It looks great and he has even done some work around the driveway drain where all the water will end up.

House plans are off to council

We finally receive our plans and there are only some minor corrections to finalise these. Next step 6 start energy rating and plumbing and sewerage plan. These things all take longer than you hope but finally we have them all the forms are filled out and sent to Council. Not we just sit and wait for the news.

I have the quotes for the steel to build the stumps the workshop roof and main house roof. The stump steel is ordered and we can prefabricate these while we wait for council approval.

We have ordered the workshop roof material as well and this will be delivered soon, only problem is I cannot put it up until the containers have been craned up the hill because the 40” containers need to go past it and there is not enough room up the driveway once this roof is up.

So now the next problem as we are not having much luck finding the containers we need which is a bit of a problem when you are building a container house. Hmm might need to take a trip down to Townsville for this as there are lots there but I need to go and see them.

Luxury block living

Well Tina is off to Adelaide for the weekend for Mel’s 40th so I head down to the block Saturday morning in the hope that our new Excavator guy has been at work, no joy. So I decide to haul out the whipper Snipper and get to work. I spend the entire afternoon getting the edges of to terrace cut it is a long slow process. Wow what I would give for a tractor right now. It is a cool evening so I have a fire. Sunday brings rain so I pack up check how good our roads on the block are by the way of some 4WD training and head home.
It is a beautiful weekend and Jesse has been at work he has cut the soil away from the workshop (we have changed our minds a bit here) and cut a pad for the tank. A lot of soil has been moved up to the pad to raise and secure the banks. We tidy up INBU and go though some more boxes and once again enjoy a pleasant evening by the fire.
Our plans for the house and workshop are nearly complete so we should be off to council this week and then there will be no stopping us then.

Site works

Sunny June

Another busy week of work has passed with all the usual drama for Tina and I. But its Friday afternoon and we are off to the block for the weekend. I much prefer to come out on the Friday night is gives you more time. We stop off at the Feluga Hotel for a couple of beers and some nibbles before heading up. It will be nice to sleep on level ground now the containers are in place. We wake up early Saturday and I’m keen to make a start. We clear up the ground in between the 2 and move some stuff outside so we can get around. The BBQ is in place and we decide to use the slabs I made as steps between the 2 levels. Its slow going and I’m not quite as pumped as usual. Anyway we clear out TTNU and position the cupboards in there. There is heaps of room and we will add another corner cupboard once I cut the door hole out the side. Tina heads off into town for a new hairdo and I carry on trying to make sense of the workshop container. It is very hard with only really being able to shuffle stuff around and not actually be able to take anything out. Finally after much beer and thought I formalise a layout and set to work. I have so much stuff to sort out but next step will be to build a workbench. Need to go shopping for steel to complete this. There is a good steel shop in town so just need to come up with some plan.
During the week we received the sewerage report confirming the size of tank and soakage pits so this has been sent off to be quoted at the local plumbing shop as well.
It was a long day and I’m ready for bed at 7:30pm again. Tina builds a fire and I cook steak sandwiches. It has been a very successful weekend.

The workshop containers in place

Our neighbour Keith has a new excavator guy at this place clearing some more cyclone damage from Larry still and converting the spring into a swimming hole. Keith and I try to convince to do some work at my place while he is here. Floating excavators around is not cheap so if we can split the cost it helps. Although I have had two lots of guys do work like this already there is still plenty to do.

Today was a special day with Crossy’s crane guys coming out and lifting our workshop containers into place. It is a great occasion and we are very excited. We can now lay out the workshop and start converting the other container into temporary donga to live in on weekends as well as practice some of our house building principles. It will be good to cut holes and practice in one that can allow for a couple of mistakes.

Crossy come to the rescue

Soil testing completed

Well its June already we received the soil test and it does not make for good reading. Clay and lots of it, now I’m a fan of this stuff and as you can see our hill hasn’t fallen down or washed away for some well 200,000 years or so. But try telling that to the engineer, they will have us bores holes and fill full of concrete half way to the centre of the earth. Ah well at least we can move on with the design now.
We head out to again and this week plant our first fruit tree, a Bowen Mango. We have a pretty good go at sorting out the containers as well as getting some cupboards into the living container. Some weed spraying and off course a couple of hours with the whipper snipper. The weather is just great 25 during the day and a little chilly with about 10 overnight.

It’s the June Queens Birthday long weekend and we decide to have the weekend off. Well from the block at least and catch up on lots to do back in Cairns. We clean the house shop for some gifts and get up to Yuruga nursery on the tablelands and go crazy buying plants for the block. Mostly natives for the Cassowary’s. Sunday it is off to our first concert in Cairns, Evil Eddie and well Monday was recovery day.
I spent most of the week in Hopevale, I get to do quite a lot of community trips and seem to spend most of the week 4W Driving in the company cruiser, showing people around. Saturday morning we are back at the block and planting trees. We are trying to revive the road side where we are now completely exposed. Some of trees grow to 30m , I wonder if I will ever see that. People say you can’t plant now but a weekly water and some typical Tully weather should see them hardy by the time the wet comes to keep them in water.

re-planting

Tandyville

Thanks to Jenna who nick named us Tandy, we have decided to call our place “Tandyville” so when we built our drain pipe head walls we had to tag it, well we couldn’t do it on the container stumps you would never seen them 

head walls

Homer comes to the rescue

Not only did we have the concrete truck in we also had Billy & Jackie in finishing up the work Jo started, cut the boundary & 3 tiers so we can start planting some fruit trees. They had started work on Friday so when we arrived Friday evening we were pleasantly surprised to see they had the same vision for the tiers as we did. That was a relief.
All in all I would have to say May has been a very productive month not to mention that Tina saw her first Cassowary. We will have to start a Cassowary – O-meter. I think that is 3 sightings now, we may also have a resident bush pig they was some evidence of one having walled in some mud at the top of the block

So many roads to take

Our first concrete pour

The next weekend is the Mini Gumboot Festival, I was a little disappointed in was very small (I suppose with recent events I was not really surprised), would have been good if Jason & Kirsten were here lots of activities for kids not so much for the grown up’s anyway we did our bit, bought some raffle tickets & got come yummy hot chips, every little bit counts. Let’s hope next year is a step up.
What progress the block is making, every weekend I think there is not much we can do but there is always something to be done. Last weekend was no different, in fact not including the first week Jo came & cut the pad, this week we did heaps things are really starting to take shape, well for the work shop & the living quarters.
We had the concrete truck in (Grumpy Steve he won’t get an invite to the subbies BBQ!) we poured the 12 footing holes and the head wall for the road drain pipe. You know when someone doesn’t want to be there when after only 5 minutes they say “hope this won’t take all day!” sorry Steve didn’t realise you were a volunteer! Note to one’s self next time I order concrete ensure Steve is not sent.

Stumps in Place

Where are all the shipping containers

Well now we have a landing we need our first container to use as a workshop, every week while I had nowhere to put it there was one in the paper now there are none. But finally one comes up at Babinda and we drive straight down there and make the purchase. The next week it is delivered to site, our first big step. Now we can leave all the tools on site as well as stay overnight.
Andy Goes crazy at Glenford’s tools, its every man’s dream go to the tool shop with unlimited credit. Well an 8kva generator, 180amp MIG welder, Grinder and accessories and I’m set. Down to the block for our first sleep over.
It was bloody cold in the container lucky we had a nice warm sleeping bag, it got warmer later in the night. Luckily we will be lining the house, as it would not make for very comfortable living if not lined.
I arranged Gary to come out & dig 12 holes for the footings for our new container & INBU will go onto. It was a little hard finding someone local, everyone is still very busy & Joe cannot come & do anymore work for us, luck Gary answered the phone. By the time I had gone to town to check the mail etc he was nearly finished. Just a small job but I am sure we will have more work for him in the future; he only has a bobcat so he can’t do much of the big stuff though.

Inbu & Tnnu arrive

April 2011 - New Life

Life is returning to normal on the block and a fern has started to grow. The wildlife is returning also and slowly things are getting back to normal. it seems to be taking quite a while but everywhere you look there are new shoots appearing.

April- 2011 The House Pad

Jo comes out again and this time to finish the driveway and cut the site pad. This is done in less than a day, but Jo was keen to go and didn’t really finish the job with the expertise of the previous effort.

Anyway we have a site pad and well there is now way to describe the view and I’m sure the pictures will not do it justice so you will all have to come and stay to appreciate it.

March 2011 - The Workshop

Next job is to cut out the workshop pad, not quite ½ way up the hill with split level area for 2 containers which will be the workshop and temporary accommodation while we build. This goes quite well but not quite as easy to level with the steepness of the area.

Now for the landing, as we will be utilising shipping containers we need a large truck landing bay down the bottom. This can be used for anything really dumping of soils, concrete etc as well as containers and a turnaround area. It is quite large and once again we use excess soil to make another bank down the bottom. Truck loads of 40mm ballast are used to ensure a secure base for trucks and cars. With all the rain we get here and the slope if we do not get this right first time we will be pouring truck loads of road base in for years, so no expense spared here. All this in one day amazing what some big machinery and an experienced operator can achieve.

March 2011 - The Driveway

First job is to make a driveway with the help of Keith who happens to sell downgrade concrete storm water pipes we have 3 little beauties in place and with the aid of same soil and ballast we have a driveway entrance. Next we carry on creating the driveway just far enough up the hill to where the workshop will be and using all the soil to build a nice bank that we will plant out soon.