Below, we built a wall on the left of garage, which now hides a storage shed and garbage bins etc., we had the outside repainted "paperbark" and had the roof repointed and pressure cleaned.
All the concrete "gardens were removed, and replaced with Lilli Pilli hedges - which are now starting to form up well. Gates were installed. The house is right at the end of small cul de sac which is lined with Paperbark Gums.
A new front door - the old one was something else!
The colours within the house were a real worry, so we repainted the inside ourselves, however the tiles in the bathrooms, laundry and living area were fine.
The new kitchen actually works very well - that is what the "current" chef says!
Now for the back "yard"
All the outdoor living space is at the back, and has sunlight all day - the garden that was there was old, and dilapidated, and that deck was going to be the first thing to go.!!!!
The old deck was removed and the new one (6 by 8 metres) with insulated roof and kwila posts was started. 
Above - how it is now with a wall (right) built to hide the water tank and air con outlets. My herb garden does very well - also supplies Carol next door (on the left) . We live out here - ALL SEASONS.
We totally re-did the garden, and in a couple of years the fencing should be in hiding behind hedges of Camelia Sasanquas, Photinia and the Golden Penda raintree. All the neighbours have huge hedges on their sides.
To top it off, we were very lucky to get some super neighbours, the walks are great and varied, we are only a short walk to the Colonial Golf Club, shops and bus (if we ever need it) and now have more family moving up as well. To top all that off we have so far during the past year NOT been assaulted by the tropical bugs such as mosquitos, and midgies or even flies - have had a few cane toads, but they are too slow for my warrior and his weapon. So all is good - but no more renovations - EVER!!!.
Kumi is an Opera Singer, but late yesterday she played her baby Grand and sang some soft ballads for us.
A truly delightful afternoon, great food all prepared by Kumi, super company and we loved the last minute entertainment. 
And peaceful reflections along the Llparpa Claypans
King George 111 presented this Logo to Captain Cook's widow in 1785 to be borne by his descendents and placed on any monuments. 
L to R. Clare (the newest Mrs Faulkner) and Abi, Matt's fun partner. Clare and Nick were married in a helicopter above the lights of Las Vegas. They will celebrate this with many others at their favourite Pub in Sheffield early September, unfortunately we have had to decline, we won't be able to make it, but our thoughts will be with them, we will toast them and remember New Years Eve (2008/2009) in Sydney's Botanic Gardens - with Nick, Clare and her family.
I decided to find out a bit more about this breed - as goats are my very favourite animal, and after farming them for some 15 years, they still really interest and amaze me. This particular goat is a large hoofed mammal, found only in North America (Rocky Mountains and Cascade Range regions), it resides at high elevations and is a sure-footed climber, resting on rocky cliffs so that predators cannot reach, it is often referred to as the Rocky Mountain Goat. Now what amazed me is that it is not a member of Capra, the genus of true goats; it belongs to the family of Bovidae which includes antelopes, gazelles and cattle!!! However it is in the subfamily of Caprinae (goat-antelopes) with 32 other species including true goats, sheep, the chamois, and the musk ox. These mountain goats are the largest mammals found in their high-altitude habitats which reach elevations of 13,000 feet or more. This critter is maybe of little interest to most, but to me the goat is a pretty smart and intelligent creature!
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Okay, so this is mid summer - what's the snowplowing situation in the Spring. Well this road is one of the most difficult roads in North America to snowplow each Spring - up to 80 ft (24 meters) can lie on top of Logan Pass, and more just east of the pass where the deepest snowfield has long been referred to as Big Drift. This road takes about 10 weeks to plow, even with equipment that can move 4000 tons of snow in an hour. The snowplow crew can clear as little as 500 feet of the road per day. On the east side of the Continental Divide, there are very few guardrails due to heavy snows and the resultant late winter avalanches that have repeatedly destroyed every protective barrier ever constructed.
Today - Monday, we had another light lunch at the Coolangatta Surf Lifesaving Club with Col and Den, the weather of the day was a little dismal, but guess it is winter, great meal as usual there, we will miss them - they fly back to Auckland tomorrow.
The sea and cloud view from our table at the Club!.
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