I'm sitting on my front steps on a stormy summer evening. There are two weeks left of what has been a joyous year and as it draws to a close, I'm excited about the new one racing towards me.  And I'm already 5 weeks into my project; one that's been like no other...

I think I've ended the week about 3kgs lighter. Summer's hit with a vengeance, the last three days 35, 40 and 39 with tropical humidity. Dripping with sweat I feel and look like one of Dali's melting clocks. After some quality time with my new best friend - Youtube -...

Friday's WTF? txt seems to have hit the mark. Cue a flurry of reassuring responses from the boss and by early Monday, a cast of thousands were working flat out. By Wednesday old piers out, holes dug, new concrete piers hung, floor levels taken and house realigned....

Second week......first disaster.  Who'd have thought there is a job worse than plumbing with plumbers up to their elbows in turds, but yes there is. And the winner is.....re-stumping. Mammoth tree trunks dug in below 600mm, little room to move under the house, so hand...

In the absence of any meaningful work, with the help of my trusty apprentices, I busied myself removing the carpet. It's gone. And so has my back. With carpet in every room - who does that nowdays? - rolling and dragging it was hard work and at the end I couldn't...

It's a dark day when banks can't get it together to settle a contract on time, but there we have it, so following a week's delay, today, filled with excitement, I finallly unlocked the door to my new home. Unlock, yes. Unopen, no. Courtesy of a pressing need for...