Building, building, all the time building...

[Wayne_H]

My modelling has been in an enforced hiatus for some time now. For nearly 3 years up to last October, we were living & working in New Zealand after being lured there by the promise of big $'s, then subsequently getting stuck there by covid lock downs and "policy"(??) decisions of the world's greatest Ms. PM. The project regrettably degenerated into a legal sh1t fight due builder performance and behavior, made so much worse by Madam PM's policies inflating the NZ$ to legal(?) monopoly money, thus making the whole exercise rather pointless. Various international responses to the pandemic also drove building material shortages and further price hikes.

Given that the ultimate objective was extra cash to accelerate construction of our retirement dream home, we effectively ended up marking time on the house. That's not to say NZ was a complete disaster - we made some great friends, despite their fully sick weird axsint bro.

Anyway, like Arni, we're back. Now home in Aus, we've managed to get piers (450mm dia. X 2m deep) bored & filled with steel & concrete, underground plumbing installed, slab footings dug (& drained & redug & drained again after heavy rains), & structural steelwork fabricated. Formwork and steel mesh are due to be placed this Friday. 45 cu.m of concrete should be poured early next week

The 18m x 7m hangar is full of heaps of house hardware, fittings and fixtures, all procured before prices rose any further.

My DG101 has been consigned to its trailer, having made myself a promise not to start flying again until we are in the house. Temora is such a great place to fly from, I just know if I start again now, it will consume countless house building hours. Definitely a career limiting move

There is also a significant stockpile of Mode Zero projects, bits 'n pieces - kits, radios for restoration/conversion, plans, electronic projects & a lathe stockpiled for PMP (post major project). I'm able to sneak in some time on these after sunset.

Some lingering health issues are also slowing me down. Working on the house constantly reminds me that physical work is for younger men - 6m extension ladders and arthritic joints don't mix - and the older I get the better I was!?!

[leccyflyer]

Wayne

Is this new home to be that forever dream home that you posted about?

That's a great project to be involved with and though it's a lot of hard work and expensive, I bet that the benefits are going to be massive, Best of luck with all the ongoing building work and send some younger blokes up those ladders instead. You know it makes sense.

Brian

[Wayne_H]

Yep Brian, that is "the dream" home/house and hangar (for my DG101 glider) project. Subject to weather, I hope to be pouring concrete early next week

We've been emptying boxes in the storage area, aka hangar, and rediscovering all sorts of great stuff - Sorting it is another matter.
Even found a box of old tx's set aside for fixing and/or gigification. So much to look forward to.....

The builder we've engaged has 2 young(er) guys in his team. They go up & down ladders like rats along rafters. Great to watch