Some time has passed since we started out on our off grid project…someone liked ‘summer’ and I remembered; I had forgotten (ha) to document some of the changes up river.
The most exciting thing is we are now fully solar powered with a large battery bank. Our Solar panels sit atop a wooden structure on the end of our jetty, ensuring a full sun aspect (weather permitting). The design is similar to our neighbours but my partner devised a way to hang our wooden row boat for easy access and egress. We’ve added a 1960s Evinrude outboard engine to potter and explore the creeks and river. Everyone is milling about on the pontoon pictured, assisting my eighty five year old mother, who has caught yet another eel…
Our pontoon is new, the former leaking and sinking so often we spent hours pumping out water. The pontoon extends our jetty, much need as we are subject to the ebb and flo of the tides. The pontoon has helped although we still attempt exits slowly trudging through the mud and wild careering entrances only to suddenly dead stop in the muddy sludge.
We are still painting here and there, we have a new kitchen which includes a LPG gas oven. So exciting as we like to cook and invite family and friends for long lunches on the deck.
A looming project is the toilet… our defunct composting throne sits in the bathroom alongside an aldi camping toilet, it’s inside ‘for no 1’ and outside in the shed ‘for no 2s’. Yes! its a real shame job… everyone avoids, holds or makes the trip across the bay after we watch through the kitchen window, laughing as the brave ones try to scarper unnoticed up the back path.
Only thing that hasn’t changed is the charm of our river and the time we spend up here
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