Location, Location, Location

So the first thing was to choose a site.  On 550 acres it was always going to be a challenge, but the majority of the land is steep.

Really steep.  (Somewhere in here is where the forever boy will explain something about gradients and 5:1 or 3:1 – but I don’t know much about that).  And then there is the rain forest, the lack of road etc etc.

We did choose a house site that will be for the next ‘proper house’.  I have a vision of a Glenn Murcott house, and it will probably have to be flown in by chopper, with access points by funicular railway. 


But until I get a much fancier job, we win the lotto or they discover gas on our place, we can’t really build there.


So we decided to err on the side of easiest to access.  At the moment the easiest site still involves a 2.8 km drive across country with no real road, and with a bridge that used to be there before the floods.  Yes both of them.  The crossing now looks like this:

And needs a sign that says this:

Which is of course ALL OF THE TIME!

We decided to put the shelter in the location of the original hut.  The land has been selectively logged since the white man has been in the area – and more often than not the camp would be in this little ‘dell’.


It is near the creek, quite flat, and warmer and less windy than the majority of the easily accessible sites.  It will be quite dark quite early in the winter time, but the soil is good and should be able to grow herbs and some food as long as the wallabies don’t eat it all.


There was of course – some heated “discussion”  between the trainee engineer and the creative marketer as to the best situation within that location.


It went something like this:


Marketer:  *sweeps back hair and stares into the middle distance*  I NEED the verandah to be here.  Otherwise there is no point even building anything! *stamps foot*


Trainee Engineer:  *looks around at topography, scouts foundation area, licks finger and sticks it up in the wind* That presents some construction challenges that will incur financial and timeline penalties.


Marketer: *pouts* Oh what is the point then!  We might as well just go home!


Trainee Engineer:  Don’t be ridiculous.  We can still put it here, we just need to have it somewhere that is relatively flat so we don’t have to do too much earthworks.  We can’t have more than a 17mm fall over the site or it will be more expensive and more difficult.


Marketer:  But I NEED the view... *tears*


Trainee Engineer:  (sees this is going downhill quick)  Don’t worry.  Let’s build it, and I will GET you the view.


(The creative marketer in no way condes the use of emotional blackmail to get what you want) (This may or may not be a true representation of what actually occurred)


So in the showery easterly weather, we peg out our new home.  With a northerly aspect, and with a view of Mt Superbus that we will ‘get’.

When we rebuild the bridge it will be easy to get to, it will be warm and it will be safe.  And unless the north branch of the river suddenly changes its thousand year behaviour, very dry as well.