The Great Gundaroo BBQ

The Great Gundaroo BBQ started around 3.30 on Wednesday afternoon with a bushfire burning on Lot 1 of our road. By 5o'clock that night, it had spread over the main road, through a couple of properties, up over the Lake George escarpment and down the ridge to Lake George. We were very grateful that the winds were not blowing our way. Had the car packed with all the important stuff - saddles, hats, some photos. Also had some transport arranged for the horses in case the winds turned and came our way. Our evacuation plan was if the road was cut off and we couldn't get out, then we would get some people to help hold the horses on the arena until the fire passed. The arena is 50m x 60m and there is nothing to burn so all we would have to worry about would be smoke and embers. The one good thing about not having a house - you don't have to worry about it burning down. Thankfully, the district's rural fire brigades managed to get the fires under control fairly quickly.

Last Thursday, our 106,000 litre water tank arrived. It arrived in pieces, so the water tank guys put it together and 13,000 litres of water arrived that afternoon - just in time. We estimate that we also have around 2,000 litres of water in the tank off the machinery shed. It is a nice feeling to know that we do have water other than the dam water, especially with the fires we've just had.

On the building front - on Saturday the besser blocks arrived. These blocks will go under the slab so that the slab will be all even. Simon the blocklayer arrived this morning to lay the blocks, Hindsy arrived with his bobcat to dig the trenches for the pipes and also to level the ground in the three open bays of the machinery shed and Steggy, the concreter, arrived to form up the slab for the garage. The drainer is coming on Wednesday to lay the pipes and Steggy will also form up the slabs for the house and the garage. On Tuesday next week, the council will inspect all the formwork and on Wednesday, all things going well, the slabs will be poured. Between now and then, we have to organise for the termite guys to come and put in the termite protection.

James has now set up a laundry tub near the water tank on the machinery shed so that we can wash dishes and clothes (separately, not altogether mind you) in something other than a little bucket. As we don't have the washing machine set up, we can wash the clothes in the tub with the washing detergent and then drain that and put a bucket fresh water in for a rinse cycle. We even have a spin cycle which consists of whirling undies around in the air. Marvellous what you can come up with when you have to!

One foot, two foot

Now that we've had electricity for a week, we're wondering how on earth we did without it. Whilst the generator worked really well, electricity is soooo much better. The novelty of switching lights on and off still hasn't worn off! It seems much quieter out here now that we don't have the noise of the generator. I'm sure the whingeing wombat lady down the road is much happier now that our generator isn't disturbing her "peace and serenity"!!!!!

The footings for the house and the stables have now been dug and poured. What started out as a one day job to dig the footings, turned into a three day job because of all the rock. James, Hindsy (the backhoe guy) and Steggy (the concreter) spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday digging and jackhammering and drilling out the rock. This house isn't moving in a hurry that's for sure with the amount of rock underneath it. The council came and inspected the footings yesterday and straight after we received word we could go ahead with the next step, seven concrete trucks arrived and the footings were poured. The garage hasn't been done yet as it will have the same type of slab as what the machinery shed is. The slab for it will be done at the same time as the slabs are prepared for the house and the stables. The photo shows the footings for the stables

The surveyor is coming out next week to "re-pin" the buildings. Then we lay besser blocks on top of the footings as part of groundwork under the slab and this will make the slabs level. We're hoping to do this part in the next fortnight so that the plumber can come out and do his preliminary pipework. We're still hoping to get the slabs poured by Christmas.

Power to the people

We have power!! And a whole three days early. The electricians came up on the weekend to wire up the shed and put in the temporary power box at the house site. The electricity company were supposed to come on Thursday to hook us into the network, but they were getting full and decided to come and connect us on Monday. Oh the bliss of having e.l.e.c.t.r.i.c.i.t.y after eleven months of doing without it!! Had to turn the tele down now that we don't have the noise of the generator. It was lovely to not have to go outside in the dark and the cold to turn the genny off when we wanted to go to bed. Light goes on, light goes off, light goes on, light goes off!! Now that we have proper lights, we've discovered parts of the shed that we'd never seen before by torch or lamp light.

Last week, the building set out surveyor came out and marked out the house, garage and stables. This Friday, the backhoe guy is coming to dig the footings and we'll have our first inspection by the council next week. After the first inspection has been completed (and hopefully passed), we need to get a brickie in to put down a layer of bricks to lift the house up a bit and then the slabs will be poured. We're hoping to get the slabs down by Christmas time. With the Christmas/New Year break coming up we're starting to order the windows and external doors and the frame and roof trusses so that they can be delivered early February. Then the work will really start in earnest.