transforming a container ...

Martina was our wwooffer in August and I thought it a good time and opportunity  to get the container back in use again.
No idea what a wwoofer is?    Follow this link   here

 Since the cyclone, this container just grew more and more mouldy and dirty.  During the cyclone it was the safe place for the dogs (which they HATED) and with so much work around and clearing up after the cyclone, cleaning up the container  was wayyyy down our 'to do' list....

but then came Martina !

She chipped the old linoleum off the floor, washed the walls and roof, painted the container.
The beautiful colour chosen for back wall  is Salamander.

 

....looks black, but is in fact a dark dark green.

                                                              chip chip chipping away ...






                                          Wire mesh is perfect to hang up all the tools and things needed daily...

                                            my 'she cave' is coming along very nicely ......

a few soft furnishings, prints, pics....

and I have a place I can call mine....

a 'she cave' that is also a studio and office     

 - right here on  this  farm we call Naciriyawa

Outdoor bathroom under construction

The idea was to have a Maroccan style

 outdoor bathroom...

                                                     complete with tadelakt plastering.....

 Bronc plastered the baths , added a green pigment to the cement and it came out better than we could have asked for.


a Friend trimmed her bamboo and after a few trips, we had enough bamboo to make the surrounding wall.  Bronc and Claude worked like demons!

Claude soldered the copper pipes for an old , steampunkt/industrial look

                                                      (Laura, I am sure this is right up your alley! )

A great view of the old Oregon timber floorboards.  They came from the
 old BA  town hall , circa 1879  and are about to be brought back to their original glory.  Town Hall story here.....

Martina was our willing worker (click on the link here to learn about wwoofers)  in August and she was soo enthusiastic and willing to try her hand at every task.  She grabbed the sander, asked for instructions, donned her protective gear and got stuck into it!

                    Claude and Bronc were happy to have help!

                                                     I had to get stuck into it as well.....

Claude made the bathroom fittings - towel rails, toilet roll holder...using copper pipe and soldering it all together....

In September our willing worker was Janet, all the way from Holland.  She was just amazing!

                             Here she helped to make the bathroom garden.

  and joke around a bit!

a Beautiful pic - here you can see the bamboo walls made by Claude and Bronc, the indoor garden and and a piece of the green tinted bathroom plastering.. 

Note the beautiful Oregon grained floorboards being brought back to life.

                                    I love it.


                 Thanx to all the helping hands that made this come true.

        Bronc, Martina, Janet - Claude and I really appreciate your help.

fire wood

8 months after cyclone Winston and we still have lots and lots of clearing up to do. 

and the new cyclone season is on hands.....

at least we have heaps of fire wood!!

the Donkey

So, I know most of you will snigger when we complain of the cold when it is 17 degrees
( at night) .....

But really, it is cold for us in the tropics!
                                        and taking cold water showers become.....
                                                                                                             a drag!

Claude took on the task to make us a donkey.  a Wood fired hot water system.

Got the drum for a few dollars and Claude raided his store for a few valves.... and elbows ....and a few metres of pipe.                     
                                     I searched the internet ( of course ;) and we decided on a 'plan'...

and within a few hours.......

                         Hot water showers  to order !!!!

 But....  the donkey  popped..........                          

                                                               Friends gave advice.....

 Although Claude had a vent pipe with a valve installed, we obviously did not crack it open enough and the pressure built up  caused the drum to pop out....

                           d a n g e r o u s !!!!

we now have the system optimised....and last night we had our second warm shower....
                                                     it works!

                                     this is  Claude having the first hot shower!

Market day (makete - fijian)

market day.....Makete (fijian)

Once a month at Vuda Marina is an organic farmers market....

If the girls perform , I am there with our farm fresh organic eggs....

hand painted tablecloths....

Fipe is there with delicious jams and pies and cakes.....

Jean and Anil from Waitika farm are the honey fundis!

Carina's kitchen has home baked bread, jams....

Produce from our farm....

We all usually sell out early in the morning.....

see you there next time!!