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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Bunya Mountains, Australia
    Age
    69
    Posts
    182

    Default The Tribulations of Kafe Zac.

    About 18 months ago I retired. Chose to, even tho I didn't have much money, but I was free of debt. I'm 63, too young for the pension and I'm not on the Dole. The kids said I'd starve to death ... heheeee.

    My shack is high up in a mountain range, The Bunyas. I'm inside the National Park. I'm on 10.5 hectares. Mountainous rugged range, mostly impenetrable. I have not yet got to all parts of my land, it's just too difficult.

    Karmen, my daughter, said, 'Dad, why not try airbnb?' I had no faith in that, I was too far away from anyone, anywhere. But it only took a few minutes to create the web page on the airbnb site, and in another few minutes I had a booking for three from France. I was super-excited. Since that first booking the airbnb has been a total success and is my sole income. It's wonderful. I'm very very remote, 20kms to the nearest Pub (Maidenwell, Kumbia) and 50kms to go shopping. Airbnb has prevented loneliness and provides a very varied social life. Some guests want you to party all night with them, others cook meals for me, others are silent romantic types ... and they come from all over the world.

    However, some guests are so used to city life, to Workplace Health and Safety, that their senses are no longer attuned to danger. They consider everything 'safe' by default. That's how it is, that's how they make it, we don't have to worry, nothing can go wrong.

    I use welding gloves for the fireplaces. A guest with tongs, or a poker, and red-hot logs is a dangerous unstable system. When the log slips or rolls onto the floor they look on in horror and scream. I removed the tongs and the Pokers and replaced them with welding gloves. Since then, no logs or hot-coals have fallen on the floor.

    In the last few weeks guests (different groups) have managed to incinerate TWO pairs of welding gloves. They do this by lighting the fire and then absentmindedly place the gloves on top of the fire-box. But one of my most recent guests went above and beyond that low-level danger by placing the butane-lighter on top of the plate. It exploded, but did not ignite. it melted onto the plate. I had to prise it off.

    So, I had to come up with a solution. I built a bonnet out of a spare piece of chimney guard. it's as light as I could make it. Less mass, greater surface area means it stays relatively cool. I'm hoping it works.


    Greg ...


  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Bunya Mountains, Australia
    Age
    69
    Posts
    182

    Default

    I got tired of chopping firewood every day to fill the guest house bucket. I decided to make a wood battery.

    It's 3 metres long, 2.7 metres high and probably holds about 1.5 tonne of split ironbark. All my firewood comes from my own property. There isn't any more pleasant thing in this day and age than gathering firewood.

    Early in the morning I set off into the forest. The little bush-pig labours down into the gullys and up the sides of the ravines. Eventually I select a long-dead Ironbark. A few minutes with chainsaw and the old tree topples and slides down the slope towards my logging trail. Before cutting it into billets or jinkering it all the way back to the shack, I pour a thermos coffee, light a number, and sit down on the slope amongst the tall native grasses. The million-bird-chorus resumes after the scream of the chainsaw ceases. Dew-drops on the narrow-leafed ironbark leaves. A million miles from anywhere. It's a beautiful peaceful world in the forest.

    Life's about as good as it gets gathering firewood.


    My little logging truck. I call it the Bush-Pig. But these photos were not taken logging, they were taken out past Milparinka.


    Greg ...


  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Bunya Mountains, Australia
    Age
    69
    Posts
    182

    Default

    I dislike railings. Sorta like architectural scaffolding. So I built my shack 900 mm off the ground. At 1000mm or more railings are required by law.

    But elderly guests were finding it difficult to step down onto the stairs without a rail. Also, I had only one set of stairs, what's the use of any more .... but, two sets would be better according to my guests .... sigh.

    It annoyed me that i would have to put rails on. So I decided to build the most MINIMAL rails I could. Not much more than a whisper of a rail was all I wanted. I searched around and found the Arabic Script letter 'A' ... called 'Alif' in Arabic. I designed the rails around that.




    Hope you like .... Greg

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Bunya Mountains, Australia
    Age
    69
    Posts
    182

    Default

    I decided to build a Greenhouse (mesh .. not glass)

    It has to be wild-pig proof. This is a long term project as I need another tank (22,000 lt) and I don't have the money for that yet.

    First I felled some old Ironbarks to make the heavy frame so the pigs can't lift it.


    I had no help with any of this, so it's a difficult job holding things up by yourself ... I need about 10 arms.


  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Dural NSW
    Age
    82
    Posts
    1,203

    Default

    Greg
    Enjoyed reading your post.
    Yes, I agree, nothing can go past living simply, & like you, I enjoy cutting firewood, just the sight of stacked firewood, is a joy to behold.
    Could not get much better than ironbark, for firewood, & the smell & sound of a 2 stroke chainsaw in the morning, does it get any better?
    Keep at it, & all the best !
    Bruce

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Bunya Mountains, Australia
    Age
    69
    Posts
    182

    Default

    Next I had to build the roof.

    I had some old WWII Nissen Hut frames, rusty, but still plenty of meat.


    The next thing was to get the roof on. Single-handed made it very difficult to make detailed measurements. I wore my welder as a backpack ... so most of this was done by eye ... heheeee


    Eventually it will be finished. It's saddle-backed, I designed it from a Thai-House.

    Greg


  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Bunya Mountains, Australia
    Age
    69
    Posts
    182

    Default

    Not that I would dream of plugging my own little shacks ... but here it is if you're interested. This is the guest house, I have another similar, but smaller shack I live in.



    https://www.airbnb.com.au/rooms/1238...lia&s=DlH5veiE

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Bunya Mountains, Australia
    Age
    69
    Posts
    182

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Abratool View Post
    Greg
    Enjoyed reading your post.
    Yes, I agree, nothing can go past living simply, & like you, I enjoy cutting firewood, just the sight of stacked firewood, is a joy to behold.
    Could not get much better than ironbark, for firewood, & the smell & sound of a 2 stroke chainsaw in the morning, does it get any better?
    Keep at it, & all the best !
    Bruce

    Glad to know that someone else has found the joy of felling and collecting firewood. I'm self taught with the chainsaw but have become well-accustomed to it's kicking and bucking. I have learnt an awful lot in the last two winters.

    I sharpen my chain two-three-four times a day. Once a month I micrometer every tooth including the depth-posts and I resharpen to factory spec. I just replaced my first chain. It has lasted over two years, but the teeth were below 3mm in length and that's asking for trouble.

    Greg

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Murray Bridge S Aust.
    Age
    71
    Posts
    5,942

    Default

    VERY nice Greg, I just need to keep cleaning drool off my computer. You are one lucky bloke to be living in a place like that.

    Kryn
    To grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    Rockhampton, QLD
    Age
    68
    Posts
    454

    Default

    Greg,

    My wife and I and the three kids stayed in the log huts up there a couple of times when the kids were small. It is one of the nicest and picturesque places I've ever seen. What an absolute joy it would be to live there.

    Ross

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Bunya Mountains, Australia
    Age
    69
    Posts
    182

    Default

    Hi Mate,

    The cabin you stayed in are still there. Rice's Cabins. But tourism is big time up there now, around 150 houses to rent, coffee shops, bistros and a restaurant. Camping grounds are never empty.

    That whole settlement is known as Dandabah.

    As the crow flies, peak to peak I'm about 1.5 kms from there, but about 12kms by road.

    Thanx for the kind remarks.

    Greg

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    North Brisbane. Qld. Australia
    Age
    70
    Posts
    1,511

    Default

    Now there's a place I'd like to visit sometime.
    Nev.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Australia east coast
    Age
    71
    Posts
    2,713

    Default

    Nice place (and work) Greg. Not sure I'd have the patience for AirBnB stuff myself so more power to you if it works for you.

    PDW

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Bunya Mountains, Australia
    Age
    69
    Posts
    182

    Default

    Hi Mate,

    thanx for kind remarks. You may not remember but I met you once. Long time no see. Hope all is well with you and yours.

    Greg

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Australia east coast
    Age
    71
    Posts
    2,713

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Mutawintji View Post
    Hi Mate,

    thanx for kind remarks. You may not remember but I met you once. Long time no see. Hope all is well with you and yours.

    Greg
    Yeah I remember - it's been a few years now. I was in Brisbane last September to do a systems upgrade but couldn't find your phone number. As it turned out I had bugger-all spare time anyway but I still owe you a dinner & beer. One of these days....

    PDW

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