Lower Ground Floor completed

The Living room level has now been constructed. Here you can see the open space on the front for the Lounge and Kitchen with the pantry under the stairs. Closest is the store room behind the dumb waiter.

Lounge Room wall, with Terrace out front

Kitchen, with Fridge space on left and doorway to Pantry in Centre

Looking across Family Room, with stairs on left and WC at the back

The "Secret" alleyway behind the pantry

Anzac Day long weekend - SNOW!

On the Anzac Day long weekend, we made a quick trip down to the Snowy Mountains. Unfortunately for Jess she had to stay behind with Work Commitments, so we took Kate's workmate Jane instead. We headed off after work on Thursday afternoon, laughing to "Vicar of Dibley" DVDs on the way, and arrived at Jindabyne around 11pm. Then we got up early on Friday morning to attend the Dawn Service by the lake at Jindabyne.

It is always mystical as the local stockmen appear on their horses.

After Breakfast, we headed up the hill to look at the main range... Mount Kosciuszko looking bare without snow And played around on the chairlift at Charlotte's Pass. Back at Perisher, we got the best parking spot - right outside the Pub! Sadly it was closed.

On Saturday, we did some shopping to top up our food box in the Perisher lodge (with more grog than food!). When we got back up to Perisher, it started snowing: Within 10 minutes, the car was covered with big fluffy flakes. It amazing how quickly the scenery changes - in April! Then we headed to Thredbo, to look for a ski jacket for Jake. On the way, we called into Bullocks Flat, and did a short walk to Bullocks Hut. Nearby, we found an old steam engine, which was very similar to one we saw last month on Norfolk Island, on Anson Bay Road near Jacob's Rock. Both were previously used for logging activities and are now derelict. Bullocks Flat NSW Norfolk Island March 2008

On the way back to Jindabyne, we called into the new Schnapps Distillery for a tasting...

and admired the sculptures on the lawn. On the Sunday, we visited the Yarrangobilly Caves at the Northern end of Kosciuszko National Park. We did the self-guided tour through the Glory Cave, which was sensational. It was even more amazing to have the entire cave to ourselves! On the way out, it started to snow again, this time the flakes were even bigger and fluffier, some almost the size of golf balls! We had to get out of the car to take some more photos; the fresh dry snow in the Australian Bush just looks so unique. On the Snowy Mountains Highway down to Adaminaby, the road became quite treacherous. The contrast with the red earth was beautiful. We came across Delany's Hut, which had recently been rebuilt after the 2003 fires. Hope you enjoy the photos...

We have walls

Once the concrete slab had cured, the next step was to crane in the Blocks, Bricks, Sand and Cement for the mortar, as well as insulation and all their equipment. With limited room on site, manouvering around the materials on site was going to be a challenge for the builders.

After a quick early morning meeting to discuss rainwater tanks and dimensions for the fireplace, we let them get on with it, and within a few hours we had our first wall, complete with opening for the fireplace!

The brickwork also started on the exterior walls, starting with the back wall of the house, behind the pantry.

While the outer Brick walls are to be rendered, the inner block walls will hold up the concrete slab for the second floor, and needed to be core filled for strength.

Getting a series of Cement Trucks and a Concrete Pumper down the narrow driveway is tight.

To keep on top of the schedule, the boys worked on Saturday to maintain the momentum while the Sun kept shining.

The Outer Wall behind the Fireplace is completed to the height of the second level

The footings for the retaining wall holding the garden on the entrance side of the house are prepared. This wall will also hold the capping over the drainage at the rear of the house.

The exterior wall for the lower ground toilet is constructed. The gap between the two walls here will be a glass sliding door out to the clothes drying area.

April Fool's Day - but it's no joke, the Lower Slab is Poured

A milestone for the project - the first concrete slab, which is the lower living area and pool terrace, is formed and poured.

Under sunny Autumn skies, and after the builders painstakingly checking all the measurements are correct, a concrete pump was used to move the concrete from 6 trucks down onto the site.

Due to the steep slope of the driveway, the trucks had to have their load sizes reduced so the concrete didn't slop out of the back as they reversed down.

The Pool Window

The Terrace Finally we get to see what the view from the terrace will be like...

and like what we see!