Sydney and Home again

Joshua came down and stayed for two weeks, the weather was cold but it didnt snow.

We loved having Joshua down, two weeks was not enough time.

Every day was busy cutting fire wood, driving the buggy, milling timber, filling pot holes, going detecting, dragging out the truck when the guy brought the second container, going to the beach, into town and not to mention getting Betty stick in the mud. 

It all went way to fast, but Joshua had to get back for uni.

The snow did come on the day we left, we stopped at Nimmitabel, the snow was about 5 inches on the ground.
I'm 5 foot 8 1/2 and i look like a tiny person next to Joshua.

We spent 2 weeks in Sydney as our big solar set up was suppose to arrive at Dads and it was cancelled as they were still waiting on parts. The set up was payed for in June and we are still waiting and its now August.

On our second trip back to Sydney after dropping Joshua back our gear box blew up just out of Canberra, luckily we made it back to Dads. $3800 and one week later our Betty was like new again.

Unfortunately that was a big chunk of money we didnt want to spend but we need a car so there was no choice.  

We came home to a lovely surprise, mice nesting in our sleeping bags. If there is one thing i cant stand then that is mice and rats. Not only pee and crap every where but they also chewed a big whole in the bag.

There is no way i would have slept in that bed especially as we only had that bedding.

While in Sydney we went to Ikea and saw this bed we liked and as we have not had a good nights sleep since all our stuff was taken way by the removal truck, we decide to spend the money and buy the bed. Also purchased new sheets and a feather and down doona.

 

Andrew putting up our new bed.

The next day every thing came out of the cabin and we cleaned. it was a good thing as the new arrangement is a lot better than it was with a lot more floor space.

Sally Girl supervising on Dads arm chair.
Lots of things didn't make it back into the cabin like the two single mattress and the big work bench.

Now it feels like home, it is amazing what a bed can do.

We can both highly recommend our new Ikea bed, the mattress is wonderful, its like a giant marshmallow that's not to soft and not too hard. 

So much more room in here now and having the dinning table down the end means we can see out both windows, ill never get tired of these views.

I picked up 3 of these baskets at Big W for $10 each, 2 are hanging on the wall as storage and the other we turned into a light shade for over the table. The down light was $10 from the Blacktown Twin market. 

Makes reading at night so much easier.

There are many uses for pallets, this is our new front veranda and steps.

Happy Adventures Nicole, Andrew & Sally Girl

Phone Aerial

To get some sort of phone signal we purchased a Yagi aerial.

We live in a bit of a valley so getting a signal is not easy, the first attempts were no good.

A quick phone call when we were in town to the guy we purchased it from and he said it has to be high, as high as we can get it.

Another trip into town to see Mal the metal guy and had two pieces of square tube cut and drilled to size so when we got them home we could join them for a hight of 10 metres. 

It swayed a bit too much so we decided to drag up a downed tree from the second paddock.

Brought it up using the buggy, it really is a very handy vehicle.

  

Dug a hole for the tree to sit in right next to the aerial pole.

To get it up we lifted it onto the T bar on the back of Betty.
It might look like a small tree but i can tell you it was very heavy.

Andrew reversed Betty very slowly till the pole was pretty close to the house, the bottom slid into the hole.

 Andrew had a good try at lassoing it but it was harder than he thought.

Decided to tie a lead to it, that i threw up onto the roof.

Pulled it up and the tree slid into place, too easy.....

For the time being the pole is attached to the tree with cable ties.

The big question is does it work?

Well yes and no, some times it is awesome and then other times we get nothing, mostly when the weather is bad like fog, rain, wind and snow.

When you move to a property with no services it makes life more interesting and sometimes challenging. 

Face everyday with a smile and an open mind and you can over come most things.

Happy Adventures Nicole, Andrew & Sally Girl

Lucas Mill

We took a trip down to Victoria (one of the scariest trips back, but that's a whole other story)

to pick up a Lucas Mill .

Left at 6 am and finally got back home at 1.20 am the next day. It was a very long trip wish we had stayed over and did the trip over two days.

Before we went Andrew had Mal down at the metal works make up a T frame to hold the side rails of the mill on the roof. It just bolts to the tow bar and can be taken on or off in a few minutes.

Andrew has wanted a Lucas Mill for quite a while, so to say he is happy with his new toy is an understatement.

Dudley from Lucas Mill put the mill together for us and showed Andrew how to use it before it was packed into the trailer for our trip home.

Took Andrew about 30 mins or so to put up the first time.

A week or so later Andrew picked a tree.

Got out the chainsaw and docked both ends.

Moved the tree with a log dog.

This time setting up was a bit longer as the tree and the mill had to be set up together.

The first cut......
Cuts like a dream.

Making sure the water is full is a priority as it keeps the blade from gumming up. 

A few lengths cuts.

The piece can now be chocked up higher so the blade can turn or it can be turned over and cut from the other side.

The last option is to leave it as it is and use it as seating.

Happy Adventures Nicole, Andrew & Sally Girl

Shipping Containers

We purchased 2 shipping containers from Pambula, they were the only ones who would deliver for a reasonable price. 

$7300 for two 20 foot containers delivered. 

The reason for the containers is we need somewhere to store all our stuff when we get it delivered.

Going form a 4 bed house on 1/2 an acre, to a 1 room cabin on 160 acres. 

Plenty of acres not enough house for all the stuff you accumulate over the years, even though we sold off heaps of stuff before the moving truck arrived.

When the guy got here he said he doesn't complain about stuff but all he did was complain about how far it was from town and how long it took to get here and how bad the road was.

Andrew did tell him but it seems people only hear what they want to hear.

The first shipping container arrived and was placed in just the right spot.

For some reason the guy painted them red.
In our other life red would have been perfect but here in the country a more subdued colour like green or grey would have fit in better.

Instead of driving off the side of the pad the way he came in he attempted to drive up the top.

He got bogged pretty much straight away. Andrew towed him out with Betty, just so he could get stuck in the same spot a second time.

Andrew then towed him back onto the pad so he could go back the way he came in.

Came up to the cabin for a cuppa and morning tea before he left and the complaining continued.

We ended up telling him he didn't have to deliver the second container but he said no, its all work and no use in complaining.

A couple of weeks later he came back with the second container, we tried to put it off as we had had a bit of rain and the paddock was pretty wet.
But he came and guess what got bogged as he drove up top when Andrew told him to drive down low. So Betty pulled him out again.

Unfortunately it was so wet he couldn't get in close enough and it was set down half on and half off the pad.

The reason we wanted them put in a certain place is because we want to put a roof over them so we had a sheltered area in between.

Still more complaints and Betty towed him to firmer ground so he could turn around. Took the rest of the cash and left.

We can get it moved but that is more money that we just don't have to spare.

So we have our containers but we can't have any of our stuff delivered as the ground is just too wet, already had to cancel one delivery date.

Storage is about $300 a month, money we could use else where but we have no choice, we would never be able to tow out a removal truck if it got bogged.

Happy Adventures Nicole, Andrew & Sally Girl

Farm Tour

Using my new video camera, i took a short walk around part of our property.

This whole You Tube business is hard to work out lucky Andrew and Joshua are good at these things.

Early Bird Farm Tour

Happy Adventures Nicole, Andrew & Sally Girl

Levelling the Ground

We have met some really nice people since moving down here and one of them is Jamie, who i call Bobcat Jamie.

We had Jamie come over to make us a flat area for our containers.

Because the ground isn't as hard packed as it could be, we had Jamie park the truck up the road and drive the bob cat on in.

Had the pad dug about 100 metres or so from the house. The ground was a bit soft but he managed to get it done.

Also had Jamie dig us a flat area for the fire pit.

This we will build a stone wall around at sitting hight. Big cooking fire pit in the middle and eventually a pizza oven in one corner.
I think it will make a great gathering area to spend time with friends and family.
Oh and cook some delicious meals.

Now we are accumulating a pile of stones and boulders, cant wait to get started on the wall.

Happy Adventures Nicole, Andrew & Sally Girl

Betty Got Bogged

We have not had too much rain but our place is soo wet, actually its more than wet the ground is very squishy. 

We were told by an old timer that all the water is caused by the frost, it draws up the water from the ground and freezes it, then it melts during the day and just sits there, the whole thing happens again the next night.

We have had frost pretty much every night, it is so thick its like snow on the ground.

Our drive and around the house is so wet that Betty got Bogged.

We tried to pull her out with the buggy and nearly succeed.

Andrew and Joshua got to digging and tried putting pieces of timber under to give her some traction,

All that did was sink her in deeper.

Two of our neighbours dropped in to try to pull her out with their utes. Still stuck and it was getting late and starting to get very cold.

Tomorrow will be another day,

Big frost again, all the ground is frozen and the holes are filled with frozen water.
Dug trenches to get the water to drain.

One of our neighbours Rod came up with a high lift jack and a load of bricks.
Jacked her up at the back and put down bricks, then jacked up the front,
Once all the bricks were down they put on a snatch strap to Rods ute and Betty was freed from the mud.

Now Betty has to be parked up on the hill about 100 metres from the house on hardish ground.

Happy Adventures Nicole, Andrew & Sally Girl