broken bridge

Posted on February 5, 2016 by kathy

Our latest project was a bit daunting, we’d put it off thinking it would be difficult and time consuming. There is a bridge over the stream at the bottom of the hill in the rainforest

1.before1

and the timbers have been deteriorating since we moved in. No longer was it safe to traverse in a tractor…….

2.before2

……the time had come. Michael had sourced hardwood from a local sawmill and it was already stacked and ready to go. After cutting them to length

3.cutting

we laid them out to make sure we had enough

4.laying out 5.laid out

and drilled the nail holes in preparation.

6.drilling

The old boards were easily prised off

7.prising 8.prising

and the new ones were dragged down the hill a few at a time.

9.dragging

One by one, they were set in place

10.new ones

and nailed to the supporting beams (old telegraph poles).

11.nailing

We were pleasantly surprised at the progress we made

12.newones2

and the old ones were stacked for future use.

13.old ones

The last of the old ones came off

14.last one off 15.all old ones off

and the new ones were all laid.

16.all laid

It was hot work but the surroundings made up for the discomfort.

17.scenery1 18.scenery2

Side rails finished off the edges and Poppy was on hand to give advice.

19.siderails1

We thought it fitting that she should be first to test the strength of the new bridge.

22.finished

After that hard work in the heat, there was only one way to get back up the hill.

23.up the hill1 24.up the hill2

Hartzview Vineyard

Posted on January 29, 2016 by kathy

When my sister was here on holiday, we ventured on a girl’s road trip to Strahan and Hobart. Having sampled the produce of Hartzview Vineyard at Salamanca Market, we realised an expedition further south was in order. The complimentary lunchtime dessert voucher was added incentive. On a gorgeous overcast, drizzly day and after a few diversions along the way, we arrived at Hartzview in time for lunch.

1.Hartview

Hartz peak was shrouded in mist.

2.vineyard

The shop was filled with tempting produce, some of which came home with us.

The views through the stained glass windows of the tasting room were lush and peaceful.

There was no need to reserve a table

9.dining room

and the meals were superb.

Did I mention the free dessert?

12.lunch3

After lunch, we explored the Heritage listed fruit pickers’ huts.

13.huts1 14.huts2

The seven restored huts, dating from 1934 and 1943, were used by seasonal fruit pickers who came to pick berries from December to March.

15.hut1

Whole families would live in a hut, sleeping up to eight people.

20.hut2

During the Second World War, Italian prisoners of war worked as fruit pickers and farmhands and were housed in these huts. 25.hut3 24.hut2-4

This unexpected journey into the past, coupled with a wonderful lunch in a beautiful location, made for a very memorable day.

26.final

wonder wall

Posted on January 26, 2016 by kathy

Last month, we completed a project that we had been working on for a few weeks. There was an area along the driveway where the land dropped away to the paddock and the driveway was being undermined.

We looked at all sorts of retaining wall solutions and decided used tyres were the way to go. The fellas at the local tyre service were happy to help and put aside any tyres of a specific size for us. Each week, we would collect them

3.P1150377

place them in position

4.P1150378

fill them with soil (we had a truckload of clean fill delivered) and stomp the soil to pack it down.

Of course, Poppy was on hand to help.

8.086

The dead tree close by was removed in case it came down on the new fence line. It will be next years firewood.

9.P1150518

The posts for the new fence were positioned

and stabilised as we went.

The grasses didn’t take long to start growing in the new soil.

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Finally, we were up to the top row

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and more soil levelled the tyres with the driveway.

Once we get some rain, we will add grass seed to the top level and the wall will be complete.

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Now for that fence…………

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A big thank you to the guys at Tyreright. If you need new tyres or are thinking of building a wall, you’ll find them here https://www.tyreright.com.au/stores/burnie

sizzling Summer

Posted on January 19, 2016 by kathy

After the warmest, driest Spring on record, we are having a Summer to match. The dry, crisp grass is the colour of freshly baked shortbread and the trees are shedding their leaves, bark & limbs in order to survive. A few stalwarts are putting on a brave show. The grevilleas and callistemons don’t let the seasons affect them.

1.grevillea1 3.grevillea3 2.grevillea2 4.callistemon2

The miniature gladioli are elegant

and the canna lilies are a brilliant shade of orange.

The strelitzia was a surprise guest last year and has appeared again in some unusual places.

11.strelitzia3

The fuchsias seem to enjoy a hard pruning in Winter, rewarding with their diverse blooms.

The hydrangeas are a gorgeous deep blue this season.

18.hydrangea3

The burgundy willow myrtle is stunning with its cascading white flowers contrasting against the dark foliage.

7.myrtle1

The succulents are thriving in our desert conditions

22.echeveria elegans 24.P1040112

and the redcurrants love the sunshine.

23.redcurrant

We only have one rose in the garden and it has to be protected in the veggie patch so the possums & wallabies don’t make a meal of it. “Mothers Love” is a pale shell pink rose with the most wonderful perfume, a perfect tribute to mum.

21.rose4

picturesque Penguin

Posted on January 9, 2016 by kathy

Penguin is a quaint seaside town, a scenic 15 minute drive from our house. It was first settled in 1861 and named for the little penguin rookeries along the coast. The Big Penguin was born in 1975 to commemorate the centenary of the naming of the town. There always seems to be a seagull on its head!

1.big penguin

The rubbish bins around town represent cement penguins and this handsome fella stands outside the Tourist Information Centre.

2.small penguin

The main road hugs the panoramic Penguin Beach

3.Penguin Beach1 4.Penguin Beach2 5.Penguin Beach3 6.Penguin Beach4

and lunch at 52 Main was a must when visiting the town.

7.52 Main

A glass of wine, magnificent views and excellent food. The lamb sliders were amazing.

8.52 Main sliders

Sadly, 52 Main closed its doors a few months ago, they are greatly missed. The Uniting Church is an impressive Federation Gothic building, opened in 1903.

9.Uniting church