We started the New Year with various small jobs being continued by a handful of trades.
Very evident was the laying of some bricks on the "front fence", an imposing wall with two dog-legs and a wide space between, for the in and out carriageways. The first of these was taken on December 11th, and the last of them was the visit of the "Inspector-General's Team" on January 20th!!
Then we saw the creation of the cement plinth in the middle of the entrance, to take the "sentry-box" the gates will close against.
Then the near completion of the northern side of the wall, to be followed with the bricking of the southern side.
Hand in hand with this went work associated with Houses 1, 3 and 34's eastern side fences.
And the car park arrangements in the Community Centre also, as well as the painting and fitting out of the interior of the Community Centre of course, and the exterior landscaping.
We shall bring you a pictorial run-down on all of these activites after films that have just been processed are scanned.
During this time, the pergolas have been slowly erected, and we believe some 60% of the pre-ordered pergola erection work is complete. Most of the fencing (although not all) is also finished, but a considerable amount of paving and storm water drain fixing is yet to be done. Rainwater tanks also were started to be installed on December 11th. Here are some typical photos, the one on the extreme right being a good example of an improvised mobile toolbox (!)...
Landscaping has also taken off, with Dave Jack's team digging out at the front and back of each home, and refilling with loam. As of today's date they are a bit more than halfway round the village, with some snaps here of work in progress up to the end of the long southwestern cul-de-sac - then after rounding the corner, and heading down the hill again.
This back garden shot shows the typical treatment provided where a block wall has been created to retain higher ground behind the site. The paving we see under this particular pergola is yet to be to be fixed - both in its levels, and in its extent, but otherwise is complete; noticeable in the back corner is a large diameter stormwater pipe from a catchment sump built (with permission) on the other side of the boundary fence, which runs into our own three stormwater catchment/holding tanks. A considerable amount of paving is yet to be finished as evidenced by the piles of pavers on pallets around the site!
Defect lists have been received by management and have been scrutinised. Homestead will be sending a team back at the end of the free maintenance period under their construction contract (end of March) to fix these and other problems (particularly those associated with the ground drying and slabs/framing moving as a result) not noticed by residents at the time lists were required.
Some of this under warranty maintenance has already been done, and problems with/modifications to the built-in wardrobes will be attended to shortly.
Altogether, a mammoth task, and very well done. Keep you posted as we go.
Some by day, some in the evening, a variety...
Monday 10th February saw the completion of the scrubbing of the front wall, which was started on the Friday before when the "sentry box" had its formwork removed from the arches, and cleaned on the Saturday.
On Friday 14th February the work around the Community Centre had progressed, and the car park almost ready for bitumising. Saturday 15th saw the inwards access from Reservoir Road cleared by removal of the kerbing, and the grading of the surface. The bitumising will take place, we understand, after the gates running track is laid in the two roadways, and the Community Centre's Car Park hopefully at the same time. The Rotunda outside Number 5 has now been paved as well, although the paths are still to be done, and planted flowers are starting to appear, as can be seen outside Bill Brassington's home. Most of the visible loaming has now been completed, although there are bits and pieces still to be done in back yards.
On Monday 17th February we saw the bitumen seal on the Community Centre car park go down. Wednesday 19th and Thursday 20th the start of the provision of three parking bays around the single lane perimeter roads initially to the east and south of the Centre, and on Friday 21st the one on the western side. These have yet to be compacted and sealed, and probably will be finished when the entry and exit roads are completed. Photos on the left, below.
Wednesday night 19th and all day Thursday 20th February we had the heaviest February downpour of rain that Adelaide has had since 1933 - seventy years! Maintenance were hard put running around doing temporary connections from gutters to rainwater tanks that were waiting for Homestead to do as part of their contract. Two pictures below (centre) show the effects of the overnight downpour snapped at around 9.30 on the morning of 20th.
Also Thursday saw the piling of a large number of pavers by the entrance gates and the Community Centre for (road paving) which started on Friday with part of the drive-through past the Community Centre front door. Photos below (right).
Painting inside the Centre now appears to be almost finished, and the TV projection donated by Bob Day, the owner of Homestead Homes, was installed, tested, and then removed for safe-keeping on Wednesday -. Thank-you, Bob :)
While House numbers 3, 21, 22, and 24 were still unsold at the end of the year, 22 is now occupied, and we understand that the others have now been sold, to be occupied shortly.
Rumour has it that the direction of flow of traffic around the Community Centre will be changing from anti-clockwise (as per the diagram in the original prospectus) to clockwise, in order to prevent traffic flow from crossing anywhere in the site. This may well cause some confusion.
Warrina Homes have also mentioned that they have seen a number of private cars in breach of the "no standing on the internal roads" rule on a regular on-going basis. It would be a pity if they have to issue "please explains" on this matter, so perhaps we could ask visitors to refrain, and now the Community Centre car park has been sealed, perhaps visitors could be asked to use it where possible.