Click on the date to see the photos!
The Cottage, Bure, and driveway are finished off.
Note the new roof straps on the Cottage – a decision taken after the storm, and has since been developed into a design feature on all the buildings.
The estate’s grounds start to take shape.
And Freddy’s Kitchen is added to The Cottage, for the expanded catering requirements.
More timber is cut from fallen trees, to provide lumber for the next phase of the build, and more furniture is made.
The roof strapping is evolving….
And the solar is installed – lights!
And most importantly, The Bure outdoor shower is built – a long-held personal dream of mine!
One of the best views from a shower that you will ever see.
Improvements are made to both The Cottage and The Bure, and more furniture is built.
Finishing touches are applied to the driveway, and the grounds.
The Bunker goes up, ready for anything.
A bit of farm laying out done to start clearing the Kava.
Finishing touches to, and moving into, The Bure.
Starting to clear The Gully (northern boundary).
Fresh water prawns caught from the creek.
Improvements to Freddy’s Kitchen.
First planting in The Orchard.
And a wet weather Lovo to finish!
More timber cut from fallen trees for the next phase of building.
Improvements to the estate grounds and gardens.
The first hole is dug for The Drano, and the flatbed is pegged out for The Vale.
And one of the wild cockerels that are regular visitors!
More finishing touches to the two current buildings – including
enclosing the outside shower of The Cottage.
Site preparation for The Vale.
More planting in the orchard, more development of the grounds, and the driveway extended.
And chilies growing like crazy!
Work begins on The Vale, while the grounds and orchard are enhanced (and even start to produce!)
Gardens looking great, and new plants from the local nursery are put in – strawberries, mint, chilies, pineapple, native apples, and lettuce.
All growing like stink!
Freddy’s Kitchen becomes ‘all-weather’!
The police advise the placement of property signage, to allow them to take action on trespass.
The rainforest growing back, but more timber to be cut from fallen trees.
Temporary ‘big screen’ is installed on the front deck of The Bure – for the RWC2019!
The structure of The Vale goes up in record time, which allows the roof to follow.
Basic house frame now done, and protected – amazing job!
To celebrate such a tremendous effort, a lamb was added to the Lovo (instead of just the usual chicken).
Once again, the weather was against us, but this was our biggest Lovo yet!
So much has been done this year!
Here’s a rough list –
Decks of The Vale built
Inside of Vale finished (remaining structure, etc.)
Windows and living room doors installed (our first glass!)
Connection built between The Vale and The Bure
2 other staircases
New (dirt) driveway to The Vale
Interior of The Vale finished off (including home-made counters for the kitchen and bar, and panelling the walls and floors)
Prawn ponds installed and operational
House goats purchased (they’re great for keeping the vegetation under control, and we may get milk and meat from them one day), and some chicks were bought to grow up on the estate, hopefully we’ll get some eggs – eventually!
Surrounds of The Vale developed, including the cutting out of a turning circle for the main entrance at the back
Home-made oven added to Freddy’s Kitchen
The Gully cleared
Lots of little touches around the place (including some pathways to connect everything), and more being produced in the orchard and small veg patches
Three-room bathroom/laundry/service area, added to the back of The Vale