Apple Gully Farm: Building a Shelter

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all mod cons

For almost three years our shelter on the farm has consisted of a 6 metre container and a hand built bush shed. We share the shed with enough tools to give Bunnings some competition, a tractor, a contrary quad bike, seasonal waves of rodents and layers of mud or dust depending on the weather. Tucked into the back of the shed are a range of storage containers holding about 200 litres of various vehicle fuels. A cap left off and a small spark could leave us heading heavenward. It's OK though because at least the diesel doesn't ignite like that so I only worry about petrol.

We try to stay linked to the 21st century, we can boil water and power a few lights with a generator and our collapsible camp chairs create an impression of happy domesticity. There is a thermometer nailed to a post in the shed and when the mercury slips below double digits there is only one option- put on another layer and work harder to keep warm. There is another emergency option - and that is to pack up and go home. The trouble is our plans are for the farm to be our new home, but walls of rusty corrugated iron just don't cut it.

as good as it gets

So we embarked on 'The Project' and set in motion plans for a new house. We decided on a gently sloping site and with the help of an architect and a team of builders set to work. Obstacle number one soon emerged, the 'gentle' slope was too steep for trucks to negotiate. That was quickly put right with the help of an excavator that wouldn't have looked out of place on one of Genia Rinehart's iron ore plots.

Mining in the Pilbara or our house site

Obstacle two quickly became our road with four names, it created chaos with deliveries.
We know to turn a deaf ear to the calming tones of the lady in our GPS when she insists that we are 'off road, make a U turn where possible', because despite having four names and the assistance of 4 tracking satellites our road does not exist in the global positioning universe.

Truck loads of bricks and windows turned up days late when drivers lost their way.

'once was a gentle slope'

Slowly our new home began to materialise from our laser levelled 'once was a gentle slope' and the cattle somehow slipped through the fence and became our first official visitors.

'The Project' has been underway for 10 months, we have walls, a roof and some windows.

In by Christmas is the call - I just hope Santa's reindeer navigational system is fail-safe.