Rainfall this week : 1mm

Rummaging around in one of the containers I finally found the Champagne Coups. (Not sure how we ended up with so much stuff😳) We popped the cork on the bottle of bubbles and celebrated receiving our Construction Certificate.👏 In the grand scheme of things it really didn’t take that long, only about four months from submitting the plans into council to getting our CC. Compared to when we were going through council at the Redlands for our build at Straddie (three very long years) I’d say four months is a walk in the park quite frankly.

A little more shed progress this week. Battling the big westerly winds last Thursday we decided to add some extra strapping to the front half of the shed also due to the strong North Easterly winds we get in the summer. We have pulled down the fence surrounding the shed which was originally erected to keep out the curious stock (they have all gone back next door now) and had a nice clean up around the shed. Our trusty scissor was returned on Friday ☹️ gee didn’t that just make life so much easier. And of course the wind completely disappeared the day after taking the scissor back🤪

After returning the Scissor in Warwick we proceeded to Bunnings (Chillies favourite place, I’ve never seen a dog so excited to go shopping😂) to spend a small fortune, even the lady cashier looked at me before hitting me with the bill. And every time we go there we always seem to leave with more plants.

Another wonderful neighbour who has been watching our progress as he passes by into town and back called in to introduce himself last week. And after a lovely chat he then returned over the weekend to drop off his Duct Lifter for us to borrow to assist with installing our garage doors. What an absolute life saver. Here I thought that I would end up needing a shoulder reconstruction from attempting to lift them into place ourselves with the help of Yoshi. (That’s the excavator, and yes we have named all of our machinery 😆)

Sunday being our designated day off, we left the hounds at home and headed to Stanthorpe for the FB & EK Holden Nationals Car Meet. What a wonderful collection of beautifully restored vehicles. The bright fun colours were such a delight to see. Much more daring than today’s grey, white and black that you seem to see everywhere. (Ours included) Can you imagine a pink RAM or Tesla😳 With big blue skies above and no wind, the crowds were out and about enjoying the show and amazing weather.

The festivities continued Sunday evening with the ‘Festival of Small Halls’ gig at The Henry Parkes School of Arts in Tenterfield. This grand old building which saw Sir Henry Parkes, the premier of the colony of NSW deliver the speech regarded as the start of the creation of the Nation we call Australia today, houses a beautiful little theatre that hosts musicals, concerts and movies. Nabbing front row seats we saw a great local lad named Clay Blyth open the show, then the main acts Old Man Luedecke (Canada) and The Barleyshakes Duo (Australia). What a fun and fabulous night indeed all while enjoying a few mulled wines to help stay warm🍷.

During one of our early morning walks recently along the creek we discovered we now have a Rakali residing in the northern section of the creek. He or She looks to be just a juvenile at about 15-20cm long. Now neither of us had ever heard of a Rakali previously but apparently they are found nationwide although in some areas their numbers have dramatically declined.

The Rakali also known as the rabe, “The Australian Otter” or water-rat is an Australian native rodent. Now don’t let that deter you, he or she is super cute and very entertaining to watch foraging for breakfast along the creek. We initially thought we had a platypus until little Rakahontas ( Jason has named her) popped out of the water and hurried into her little cave under the tree roots. Of course she may very well be a he! How privileged we are to have this funny little creature deciding to choose our property to make his or her home 😊

While it doesn’t seem like we have achieved a lot with the shed progress this week, we have really only worked on it for about three days, giving Jason’s arm and hands a break from working on the steel. He has definitely been feeling it. All the brackets for the roller doors which had to all be amended for better strength have all been installed, so we are definitely ready to try out the duct lifter and get the doors up. We can’t start sheeting the outside yet until some extra flashing arrives for around the bottom, which will hopefully be next week sometime. So in the meantime the groundwork’s for the house slab will begin.👏

Until next week…

Never have we been happier to have wet muddy dogs run through the van and invade our small space. 27mm on Tuesday. Yes I know compared to the east coast that doesn’t sound like much at all, but to all of us out here in the country going through a drought it is absolutely wonderful. To see some water back in sections of the creek and puddles on the side of the road has cheered us up immensely and yes whilst it is not going to break the drought it has definitely helped to lift everyone’s spirits.

Beginning to think we most likely wouldn’t receive any of the predicted rain (which is generally what happens here) we woke through the night to hear that lovely sound of rain drops on the roof. We received more in that one day than we have for several months. Hopefully this will go towards helping keep the remaining trees up on the hills surrounding us and across the paddocks alive and we may just get to see some green grass before the frost arrives.

On another note the big red dog surprisingly turned 3 yesterday. Yes it is funny because it is true, as he has on numerous occasions almost knocked himself out running around chasing his ball. Honestly we are still amazed at how he just gets back up and keeps going as if nothing has happened 😳 And what better way to celebrate than with his two most favourite things in the world, (and no it’s not us or Chilli) but food and toys, in particular my pumpkin muffins🎂and a squeaky bone🎉

Shed land is progressing along nicely with the help of our friend Mr Scissor. We did attempt to start with only the trestles and planks but quickly realised that we would definitely benefit from hiring a scissor. Safety first says the work place health and safety officer (Chilli). I have to admit though, the height thing really does bother me these days, buck up little soldier I have to keep telling myself, we’ve got a shed to finish.

The quotes keep on arriving for the house and more brochures and colour swatches clutter up our small space. Decisions are being finalised which is exciting but at the same time the budget seems to keeps growing 😳

As another productive week passes by on the farm, little patches of green can be spotted across the paddocks and the dusty air around us feels so much cleaner. It’s funny how one very small rain event can alter the feel of the place and bring hope that everything will be green and lush again one day…

The Autumnal colours of rust caramel and honey throughout Tenterfield lift our spirits amidst the dry dusty landscape that currently surrounds us here at the farm. Whilst what little rain we did receive the other day was very much appreciated it didn’t do much to settle the dust. Our beautiful dams that were at full capacity just before Xmas are now getting precariously low with not much more than a dirty big puddle in the largest one.

Flowing creeks are now dry and dusty save a few sacred spring fed spots here and there. Dragonflies have disappeared and the sounds of the frogs are long gone. Hungry wildlife forage for food while the cattle trucks keeping rolling past emptying the neighbouring paddocks.

Amidst the death and the dust life rolls on and after our mid life crisis overseas holiday, buying, renovating and selling an old beach shack in Yamba we are finally back at Fatty Boy Run getting ready to build our new home. We had forgotten about the long drawn out process of designing, drawing and submitting plans, but Jason dusted off his pencil and paper, braved the online portal and after several hair pulling out changes everything has been submitted and we should have our construction certificate very soon🤞

In the meantime somehow hours have completely disappeared with online browsing of tapware, tiles, lighting, doors, windows, kitchens, curtains, fireplaces and everything else in between. Exciting but tiring at the same time.

Braving the dust and prevailing winds we have started the long awaited building of our shed hoping to get it up and finished before the ground works begin on the house slab. And aren’t we lucky enough to have not only a site supervisor but also a very cheeky work place health and safety officer!

Now the real fun begins, building, creating mood boards, planting more trees, eagerly awaiting quotes, choosing colours and of course there is always fencing to be done..

Word to the wise, wait until it has been raining for some time before putting up a new fence! The ground here is currently as hard as a rock and we certainly felt every year of our age by the end of it😳

As the temperature plummets the misty mornings arrive and the sunsets become even more stunning, reminding us that we are definitely still living our best lives, not just Chilli and Taco😊

Exciting times ahead, stressfull times ahead and very busy times ahead. All will be worth it to be able to relax back on the lounge in front of the fire with a glass of wine and enjoy the amazing view🍷

A new chapter begins…

Saturday 18th November, 2023.

The acrid smell of smoke still lingers…

Big old logs still smolder…

Wallabies try to hide amongst the boulders…

Blackened tree trunks stand out against the new green grass growth…

Scorched and shrivelled fruit trees droop in their prisons…

Hundred year old fence posts have completely disintegrated…

Lizards scurry to hide from predators…

A cute Echidna waddles around trying to find some grub…

Welcome to the country. After several dry lightening strikes starting multiple spot fires on Thursday the 26th October we and many others in the country are now surrounded by a scorched and scarred land. Mother Nature can be very cruel indeed. We knew it could be harsh out here but by god we didn’t foresee a fire storm like this one.

The weekend prior started at Yamba where we had excitedly booked a weeks beach holiday for our wedding anniversary. After checking in that things were under control we headed off Saturday afternoon to enjoy a week at the beach and enjoy some sand between the toes.Two nights later we jumped in the car and headed straight back to start moving belongings as the fire had broken containment lines and was heading in our direction. And now well over a week later we are all trying to catch our breath and work out how much damage has been done. I take my hat off to all of our fabulous neighbors who worked tirelessly around the clock for over a week fighting fires, helping others and saving property. I’m unsure how many thousand hectares burnt in the end but driving from Tenterfield back to Brisbane completely shocked us when we saw how many different areas were affected. But watching the community band together to help each other during this disaster has given me a new faith in humanity and makes me realise that we are extremely blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful people.

After moving belongings twice and packing things into the container we had literally thought that we might be lucky and not be to affected by the fire but boy how wrong we were. With the wind constantly changing speed and direction, the hill behind us lit up like a xmas tree and sped down the hill towards the creek. Quickly moving everything once again to our neighbours all we could do was watch the fire move very quickly through the property and then across to the next neighbouring property. We have never seen or experienced anything like it in our lives and we definitely do not want to see anything like it again. The lightning speed at which the flames consumed the property and the intense heat that radiated it’s no wonder the place was literally incinerated.

After getting over the shock of seeing most of the property incinerated we spent the next few days helping the neighbours keep the fire away from their properties. And then after moving all of our belongings back to the property because lets face it, it wasn’t going to burn twice, we were able to head back to Yamba for one final night to collect our belongings and try to enjoy our wedding anniversary. Sixteen years which is traditionally celebrated with wax which according to google ‘ignites thoughts of candles and other fiery accessories’. Mmm, not sure they meant that literally but I don’t recommend it! I’d advise some beeswax soap instead maybe.

Whilst at times it feels like we have moved to the driest and windiest place in Australia, we absolutely love it here and our wonderful neighbours and community. We are proud to call Tenterfield home.

After some much needed rain earlier in the week the paddocks are looking greener already. Who would have thought this was as black as the night sky last week. New growth provides new hope that Mother Nature will be kinder in the future.

Friday 20th October, 2023.

Heading towards hills smothered in a smoky haze, the reality of how dry it is really hits us. Trees look so parched that the leaves are shriveling up. The grass is becoming more crispy and crunches as you walk over it. The wildflowers are still hiding below the surface waiting for a decent dump of rain to show themselves and allow everyone to enjoy the springtime. Not even daring to turn any machinery on lest we become those city slickers who inadvertently start a fire. And this is no where near as dry as it has been in previous years. Setting up camp for the week we watch the sun set through the smoke turning the sky several shades of red then fading to pink. What a sad but beautiful sight.

It’s been seven weeks since returning to Australia after what we like to call our mid life crisis holiday of six months. (Certainly way more fun than buying a sports car!) Arriving back at our property was like a breath of fresh air. The endless space in every direction and the complete silence that envelops you at times reminded us why we love this place so much. Tending to our various fruit trees has taken up a lot of our time as has planting several more over the last few weeks. Every hole dug for each tree needs to be quite large so we can add plenty of organic matter and each tree also needs to be fenced to protect it from the very cute but naughty and hungry Wallabies. It becomes quite a long and expensive exercise but we just keep focusing on the long term and smile with delight thinking about all the fruit we will eventually be able to devour from our grove.

Mornings begin with a steaming cup of coffee whilst being entertained by the Red-necked Wallabies. Tiny joeys perform zoomies around the paddock whilst a couple of males have a play fight then just as quickly give up and go back to grazing. The resident magpies perform a sing song that seems like it is just for our benefit. Maybe it is considering I fill there water dish daily. The nights and mornings have still been quite brisk so staying tucked up in our cocoon with our coffee has become quite the ritual.

Trying to keep up with the hiking we have explored Bald Rock National Park on a couple of occasions recently. Completing the Border Track and the Bald Rock summit we enjoyed the beautiful big blue skies and scenery around us. Bald Rock is the largest granite rock in the sourthern hemisphere rising 260 metres above it’s surrounding bushland and almost 1300 metres above sea level. Whilst we may not have hiked the kilometres we were completing in Europe we did thoroughly enjoy ourselves. Girraween next week!

Evenings are spent enjoying a refreshing cold one and watching the sun slowly drop behind the hills making way for a big bright starry night. Sometimes neighbours drop in to share some laughs after a hard day and sometimes it’s just us and the jump club settling in for the evening along the creek🦘!

With the extreme dry weather and the wind and smoke the flies have definitely arrived early and in force this season. Trying not to hit ourselves in the face whilst batting away the annoying insects has become the norm at the moment. It’s time to break out the fly nets that’s for sure, in order to help keep our sanity. And it’s time to organise a shed and house plans. Whilst we have started the ball rolling in regards to quotes for a shed, ( I never thought I would be so excited to design and organise a shed😆) we are still deliberating on exactly what we will build for the house and where.🤔 But hey what’s the hurry! I’m just happy to enjoy the local traffic jams and be entertained by the wallabies every morning.

To think that literally this time last year we had mini water falls cascading through our creek and could clearly see where all the springs on the property are. Talk about the land of extremes. Come on rain!!!

Kilometres Walked : Let’s not talk about that🤪

Kilometres Walked whilst away : 1995.3 km

Friday 15th September, 2023.

Back to reality as the famous saying goes. Where did the last 6 months go? At first it was going nice and slowly but then all of a sudden a few months in, it just seemed to tick by faster and faster until boom here we are back in Australia. After basically walking from Brisbane to past Melbourne our feet are grateful for a much needed rest. The first thing we noticed when we arrived back was the temperature. Whilst everyone here was still walking around with jumpers on commenting how cold it still gets here at night, we were stripping off the layers and opening up the windows! Anyone would have thought Singapore would have prepared us but obviously our bodies still thought we were back in the northern hemisphere. The first few days back were spent unpacking, washing, catching up with the family and trying to normalise our sleep pattern. Then the various appointments started, doctors, optometrists, dentist, blood tests, all those necessary things you need to do when you hit mid life and have been away for a decent length of time.

People often asked what we missed the most about home whilst we were away. First on the list was our endless big blue skies, oh how we missed that. Vegemite was second and then macadamia nuts. Obviously you could purchase Macadamias overseas but you needed to take out a mortgage to do so. So of course the first thing we did was go out and buy a huge jar of Vegemite (toast with vegemite, avocado and tomato is the best) and a huge bag of Macadamia Nuts. We are now well into the second bag😋 We tried our hardest to get back into a normal sleep pattern but jet lag definitely had other ideas. Every morning we headed out for our usual walk along the water admiring the bay and boats bobbing in the water. Finally after all the prodding and probing we were able to pack the car and head down to Fatty Boy Run!

With that big bright blue sky above us and acres of acres of farming land surrounding us we drove into our property with huge smiles on our faces. Yes it’s only tiny in comparison with some of the neighbours but it’s our little piece of rural paradise and we love it. Nothing beats the endless night skies that are dotted with stars as far as the eye can see or the complete quietness and stillness as day breaks. Yes, Home Sweet Home!

The sound of Magpies singing is our alarm clock every morning. Now that’s Australia. Perched on the big boulder behind the van the pair sing in harmony together as dawn breaks. Cracking the blinds to peer outside we spot Pretty Faced Wallabies chewing on the grass with tiny joeys hanging precariously out of their pouches. The sun tries it’s hardest to break through the magical mist on these crisp cold mornings while mobs of eastern greys get their fill before our movement scares them off down to the creek. Each evening has been sitting around the camp fire with friends and neighbours watching the sun set behind the hills smudging the sky with orange and pink hues. Once darkness sets in, the sky lights up the star super highway and the milky way floats right above us. What a magical place indeed.

We have been back in Australia for two weeks now and finally the jet lag has disappeared and we are sleeping well in our cosy little van. Now the time has come to get back into some sort of routine and hop back on the tractor and mower and start trying to work out what to build and where exactly to build it. Anyone would think it would be a simple decision but no it definitely isn’t. Stay tuned to see what we finally decide. As much as it’s fabulous to be home we are already planning the next adventure. There is so much out there in the world to see and experience and we plan to see as much of it as we can!

Thanks for following along on our adventure. I shall endeavour to keep you updated with all the farm fiasco’s at Fatty Boy Run🐄🦘.