After returning from a couple of years travelling abroad just in time for the world to shutdown, I was going crazy and needed a big project to keep me going. I moved to a small town in central NSW, to the place my mother grew up and has many special memories for me holidaying here. The house hadn't been lived in for over six months, and needed a lot of work. Luckily I will give anything a go so was up for the challange.
The biggest shock moving from western Sydney, apart from the septic tank, tap water straight from the river, only satellite free to air tv, and the closest petrol station 27km away, was the nearest Bunnings being a 1hr 45 min drive away. There are two in Penrith, and at least another 4 or 5 within half an hour. I usually don't make detailed plans and just wing it as I go, but not being able to pop into Bunnings means I had to change my ways.
The first few months I was backwards and forwards to Sydney, and got a lot of free timber I found on the internet. The wall of the bbq area was scaffolding boards, and the outside of the bbq was pallets. The iron sheets were in the backyard here.
I have a couple of camping solar panels and batteries, and after some searching on the net found a 12v bluetooth amplifier, so I have a strip of lights over the bbq, some over the table, and some fairy lights, along with a water feature and the amp for music or podcasts. The lights are Arlec 12v puck lights.
The fibro around the seating area wasn't great, so instead of playing around with it I made a treated pine frame and covered it in with fence palings.
My trip to Iceland got me into Vikings, so used a pallet for my shield, and made a dragon throne.
I can still easily remove the battery to take camping, and easily access the reservoir for the water feature.
And on a recent trip I to Bunnings I found some roller blinds the exact size I needed reduced to clear, so I'll look at a wall heater for next winter and they should help keep the heat in and wind out. The fire pit is retaining wall blocks with sand and scoria in the bottom.
Now I just have to wait until people are allowed to come and visit.😀
Hope this inspires someone to makeover their boring backyard. I've some other projects I'll add later. Cheers.
