The updates
Here's where we will keep you up to date with developments. Stage One is to get the site, clean it up and make it livable according to council regs, which requires mundane things like clean running water, toilet, shower and cooking facilities.
Current plan is to build a four bay shed on an existing 15 x 8m concrete pad that will house all utilities (gas, elec, comms) and laundry, bathroom and kitchen. Next to that will be a water tank and pump, then on from that an aerated water treatment system, colloquially known as a septic tank, which incidentally, is rhyming slang for a Yank.
And concurrently we will work with the council to get Block Cottage and Iron Cottage up to habitable standards.
Day 572 (9 September 2021)
At last! The buildings are ready to take electricity and a local electrician (James Browne Electrical) is laying around 400m of very big wire (95mm cross section) from the front gate to cover the shed and from there out to four other buildings (three cottages plus the tractor shed).
On 9 September the power is connected to all buildings and we have a socket in each - that means a heater in Mud Cottage!
I need to go and buy a kettle.
Day 305 (15 December 2020)
The first big build can now start as the shed kit from The Shed Desgn Company get's delivered to site by Stramit (see project list for more detail) and by nightfall the footings were installed.
Day 282 (22 November 2020)
At long last, a project completed, but not yet a building.
No. the honour goes to Jordan, Alon, Dillon and Stuart with completion of MainLine (under Trails) and today Alon and Jordan completed and Jordan jumped the 8.5 metre jump on his first attempt!
Day 248 (19 October 2020)
Well, at last we can do something. We received today a building permit to rebuild the greenhose and to relocate the forty foot container, plus, THE BIG ONE, a permit to build the 120 square metre shed which has now been ordered and should arrive end November (this year thank you!)
Day 182 (14 August 2020)
A request for a Planning Permit to be allowed to convert Block Cottage to a habitable building (Certificate of Occupancy) is lodged. Once we get that we need a Building Permit to bring it up to standard.
A break to deal with Covid-19
Basically from the 22 June onwards we are not allowed o visit the Hill without a good reason, so back to Melbourne to work on planning and building permits.
Expected return to on-site activity is circa 11 November 2020.
Day 128 (21 June 2020)
First social event at the Hill; my birthday and about twenty of us up there in Covid-19 conditions.
Day 117 (10 June 2020)
... and the Application for a Building Permit has been lodged to build the shed!
Day 100 (24 May 2020)
First Building Permit Application off the rank is a request to rebuild the greenhouse and relocate the container.
Day 80 (4 May 2020)
Well, our first planning request has been approved and we can now proceed to relocate the forty foot container over to Jordan's jump track and build a 120 square metre shed in its place! Very happy today!
Day 63 (17 April 2020)
Interesting problem this one. Everyone seems to know about these, but Jordan has found a few dents in the ground way down on the southern boundary, which I had not yet seen because its too damned hard to get down there.
Turns out they are mine shafts and standing in the 'dent' is not recommended as one does not know what lies below the top coverage of trees and leaves.
Today we found a perfectly formed one metre diameter hole and just for fun dropped a 10 metre tree in; it went almost fully into the hole, so a good thirty feet, or 9 metres, or a three storey building!
Next question is how do we get down to explore it and more importantly how do we get back up afterwards; my longest ladder is only six and a half metres so if we drop that down there, it's gone!
Day 43 (28 March 2020)
A lots has been happening, but nothing is more important than the Jump Track and the Flow Trails! Here Jordan starts preparing the ground for the Jump Track (expect Alexander to find a way home soon for this build)
Day 5 (19 February 2020)
We're eager to get going, so first in was a rebuild of the Tractor Shed, to house the new implements! All rebuilt from materials recovered on site, so only had to pay for paint; not shown in this photo as Susie hadn't finished it yet!
On the left is the original shed, and on the right following eight hours hard work; and didn't cost a cent!
Day 0 (14 February 2020)
Well it's settled; we are now proud owners of 32 acres of tree change plus a pretty hefty ride on mower we bought from Vern, the man what sold us the land.