Finishing Up the Renovations

Despite the rain, we (mainly Bob and the fantastic builder, Peter) have managed between the showers to finish almost all of the projects.  We actually did have about 6 days straight with no rain but then Cyclone Marcia in Queensland has given Bellingen another solid week of rain.  The good thing is that this rain has not been the usual torrential downpour and there hasn’t been any flooding.   The bad thing is that this rain has been quite relentless.  Everything is going moldy.  Bags stored in a cupboard in the house for just a few weeks are covered in white specks.  We have been assured by our neighbours that Bellingen hasn’t had rain this persistent for a very long time – just our luck to be here during the wettest 4 months in years! 

Swollen Boggy Creek

Moldy backpack

The big change to the house is the repair of the verandah and extension of the roof so the weather stays off the wood and steps.  It makes the house looks much bigger.  

Bob and Peter working on the verandah

Finished - almost - lattice to be added

Inside the house we have painted and scrubbed, built new wardrobes and cupboards, put new flooring or carpet throughout and added all the bits of missing trim to finish off the edges that were never completed 20 years ago.

New floating floor with tiles

New doors and shelves in the wardrobe

New carpet in the bedroom

We have doubled our water storage capacity by installing another 5000 gallon water tank and adding some guttering to the workshop.  It was quite an impressive sight watching the delivery truck charging up the bush track then rolling the tank into place next to the old cement one.  The rain has also revealed some drainage issues.  We have been having great fun digging trenches in the mud thinking Boggy Creek has turned into the Somme. 

New water tank

Drain taking water away from the workshop - sump and piping to be added

Trench taking overflow water from the dam

Finally, after three weeks of delay due to the rain, the storage container has arrived.  The sad business of packing up again and handing over the house to good tenants (fingers crossed) looms.  Not for the first time have we shaken our heads at the irony of working so hard to make the place nice only to leave it to tenants who may or may not maintain it.  

Storage container being delivered in the rain, of course

Just 5 more weeks before we return to Turkey but the time is already being booked out – the kids coming for a visit (so excited!!), a trip to Canberra for some final administrative chores, and surgery for Bob – but these are for future blogs.

Still cursing and marvelling at Mother Nature

The rain continues in this sub-tropical paradise.  Rain is not unexpected for this time of year but it is still hard to take.  We have been back about two and a half months and have had less than 25 days when it has not rained and most of the rain is quite torrential.  The biggest frustration is that the rain is stopping some of our major building and repair work.  The clock is ticking and we need to get these projects done.  Still there are enough other tasks on the ‘to do’ list to keep us busy and in the meantime Mother Nature is providing us with some sweet gifts.

First there is Turkey Lurkey, our surrogate pet who comes most evenings for his slice of bread and food scraps.  He has become quite friendly, eating out of Bob’s hand and even attempting to come inside – cheeky thing!

Turkey Lurkey coming for his feed

Cheeky thing trying to come inside

Eating out of Bob's hand

Then there is the azure kingfisher that flits around the dam feasting on the hundreds of tadpoles.

Kingfisher looking for tadpoles

Finally just along the road where the school bus passes every weekday is this brilliant floral display.  I haven’t been able to find out its name, but it is certainly a beauty.

Gorgeous display

Meanwhile the creek rises and falls with the downpours and nature continues its seasonal cycle on this special Co-op.

Creek rising again