Editorial
During the course of this chronicle I finish the house...yay...not
that I don't still have an idea or two and won't come up with some more ideas,
but for now I think we should rename Wallaby Ridge to "Dunbildin".
You may also be forgiven for thinking that I spend all my
time down at the rifle range as just about every entry in the chronicle seems
to include the words "at the range". Well I do go most months, but
really that's the time I have a chance to get a few photos and it's the photos
that usually prompt an entry.
Till next time then, and
remember,
Don't
Dream it, Be it!
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Sun 13 Jan 2019
At the range yesterday and last night and I take a few photos at first light
and on the way home.
  
Wed 16 Jan 2019
Down the hill behind the house we have a spot where I dump the ashes from the
fire. It's become a favourite place for the turkeys to have a dust bath.
  
Sat 19 Jan 2019
One of "our" young wallabies is out of the pouch now and stretching
it's legs. Still likes to hang close to Mum though.

   
Mon 21 Jan 2019
 Some cows in the field next to the road into Bundaberg.
Tue 29 Jan 2019
I've made a start on the new roof that will shelter what I've been calling
the "Pallet compound". This will soon be an area suitable for storing
things that cannot be exposed to the weather.
 Looking up through what will be the pallet compount roof.
Thu 07 Feb 2019
While walking passed the Jimny I noticed that the spare tyre has had a catastrophic
blow out. I have never known this to happen to a spare tyre before,
go figure.
 Catastrophic blow out on the spare tyre.
Meanwhile the new roof is finished.
 The new pallet compount roof.
Now I can free up some space by moving some junk out of my workshop and into the pallet compound.
Tue 12 Feb 2019
I work as a dog man for the operator who is moving my neighbour's shipping
container.
 The 30-tonne digger moving the container.
Three or four hours of running and climbing and lifting heavy chains, yeah
baby, I still got it.
Fri 15 Feb 2019
Chris likes the recent workshop awning so much she wants it extended to form
a car port for the Jimny.
 Work starts on the new carport.
You can see the new pallet compound roof at the top right. The compound wall is made from pallets, hence the name.
Sat 16 Feb 2019
 Work progresses on the carport roof.
Thu 21 Feb 2019
 A visitor in the living room.
Tue 26 Feb 2019
The carport roof is essentially finished but I need to add one more pole. I
know where it needs to be up at the purlin height, but how do I mark where to
dig the pole's foundation hole three meters below when I don't have much string
on my plumb bob.
I know, just drop it.

I do so and it embeds itself firmly into the dirt like an unexploded bomb in
London during the Blitz.
Wed 27 Feb 2019
The new carport is all finished.

Now I can start work on cutting the steel for the new wall to enclose the camp
kitchen area.

Fri 01 Mar 2019
The area we currently use for the clothes line and outside shower is covered
but not particularly weather proof as much of the side is open and the roof
is quite high as well.
The current functionality will stay, but we'd like a sheltered area for cooking
in the summer so from now on this will be known as the "camp kitchen".
I make a start on filling in the open side.

Mon 04 Mar 2019
Work is progressing on the camp kitchen cladding.

I'm not the fastest worker, I just like to plod along doing a couple of hours
a day. It all gets done eventually.
Fri 08 Mar 2019
This shows one reason I wanted the workshop to have large barn doors and an
awning. I can drive my car into the space to get a large degree of shelter from
the elements while working on, or in this case unloading, the car.

Mon 11 Mar 2019
I still have a door to make but the camp kitchen cladding essentially is finished.

Looks pretty good and suitably rustic I think.
Sun 17 Mar 2019
 Dragon fly on a lilly.
Sat 23 Mar 2019
With this model Landcruiser you are supposed to change the timing belt every
100,000 kilometers. On mine there's a sticker under the bonnet that implies
that it was last done at 187,000 so I should put a new one in at 287,000 and
the car is currently at 293,000, that's a bit over but it's not a hard limit.
Still it had better be done because a broken timing spells the end of your motor
and we certainly can't afford a new one.
So the other day I bought a kit and today I go to put it in. And guess what,
there's a problem. The car is a 1995 model and as such it should have a spring
belt tensioner, but it doesn't. It has a hydraulic tensioner and they weren't
released until 1998.
 The hydraulic tensioner.
So the car has had an engine replacement at some point. Why I have no idea
of course and this could be a bad thing or a good thing depending on what was
put in and why it was put in, but there is no way to know.
Nothing to be done about it though except drive all the way back into Bundaberg
and swap the kit for the correct one.
 It's nice to have an under-cover workspace.
I'm no mechanic but I can do this sort of work and a lot more. I think it's
important to be as independent of others as possible and also to have a vehicle
that you can feasibly work on, with most modern vehicles I don't think it's
an option.
Tue 09 Apr 2019
OK, the next project is to make a shelter for firewood storage at the rear
of the workshop. I start by placing five poles in the ground.
  
And sorting out the remaining roofing sheets so I can get the most efficient
cuts.

Fri 12 Apr 2019
It's range day this weekend but I left home yesterday to drop in on the Mount
Perry men's shed and also spend the night with friends in Mount Perry.
Today I go the scenic route to Biggenden via Gayndah and Coalstoun Lakes.
When I get to the lake's car park it's located about half way up a hill and
there's not a lake in sight. What the heck? Oh well, I'll walk up the track
and see what's what. It's a short but steep slog up to the top of a ridge with
absolutely no sign of a lake until you get to the top.
Oh, the lakes are crater lakes, that explains it. On the way down I take a
quick photo of the view.
 The view from half way up the track to the lakes.
As I approach the car park I notice an information sign, maybe I should have
read that first. As it happens there are two lakes and a hide for bird watching,
I think I should return and spend some time here.
When I get to the range the gate is locked, not a surprise as I was aware that
there may be nobody here tonight, so I take a few photos around the area then
camp at nearby Mt Walsh.
  
Sat 13 Apr 2019
While I'm eating breakfast a family arrives at the car park and I get chatting
to the Dad. They are about to walk up the mountain and we discuss their safety
gear, they seem to be well prepared "And anyway we have mobile phones to
call for help" he says, "They wouldn't have had anything like that
in your day eh?"
Cheeky sod, he's right of course, but just how old does he think I am?
I spend the day at the range then leave early and take a few photos on the
way home.
 Biggenden main street.

Thu 18 Apr 2019
Back to work on the firewood shelter.
 
Sat 20 Apr 2019
Back down to the range at Biggenden, yeah I know, I was only there last week
but we've had our normal meeting immediately followed by a special three-day
black powder and cowboy action meeting this weekend. What can I say, life is
hard.
 
Thu 02 May 2019
Firewood shelter all done.

The tyres don't serve any purpose, I just needed somewhere to store them for
now.
Now I just need some firewood before winter sets in.
Sun 12 May 2019
Just playing around with some stitched images to get my panoramic eye back
in.
   Yes that tree really does lean like that.
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