WOW … TOUGH SIX WEEKS

We haven’t posted since early October … sorry about that.

We were only just connected to the internet last week, which meant we could load an update. Internet coverage isn’t very strong, so only photos at this stage. Hoping our Chinese internet booster will be fitted next week, and that it works, so we can load a video.

We did move into our unfinished bungalow on Friday 7^th October 2016, with a flushing toilet and water running from one outside tap – NO electricity. We showered without hot water for 32 days … washed dishes and clothes outside too.

Outside-shower

The day we moved in the painters still had scaffolding erected in our bedroom, and we slept on our outdoor lounge chairs for the first night. It was not much fun … so the next night we took the cushions off the chairs, placed them on a picnic blanket on the floor, and slept a little better. This went on for five (5) days.

Bedroom-with-scaffold

Raw-kitchenette

Then we could finally unload our tempura mattress from the container. We hadn’t slept on our own fabulous mattress since mid-April 2016! It was amazing. Who would have thought … simple comforts can bring so much happiness!

Electricity was connected about four (4) weeks after we moved in, and that was great. Up to that point we were using ALDI solar lights Darleen had put in the container from Australia, and watching movies on our laptop for evening entertainment. We had to charge our phones and laptops during the day with the generator. Our neighbours Bronny and Alan lent us their esky for a couple of weeks and we were changing out the ice bricks daily.

Once we had the flat packed kitchen finished we unloaded the bar fridge that we had brought over for our bungalow and we plugged that into the generator each day. And it became an esky over-night.

Flat pack jigsaw puzzle

Darleen has been, and still is in fact, cooking on a camp stove.

Out-door-kitchen

We added a few extra items to the builder’s construction list: solar roof over the container and carport, concrete footings for container two (2), wood framing in both glamping huts for the fly screens, storage shed fencing, cement pads for both water tanks, two (2) sets of stairs for the tapas bar, pizza oven base, and hand rails for the tapas decking. So, Richard’s teams (builder) should be finished next week – exciting.

solar-being-fitted

Darleen-solar-wall

Darleen has been establishing her vegetable gardens, as well as lots of garden beds.

Dominique-garden-flowers

With the assistance of our neighbour Josie, we have been creating coral paths for: glamping hut one, glamping hut two, three (3) outdoor furniture pads looking at Hat Island and the ocean, from the car park to the tapas bar, chicken coop, and our bungalow to the tapas bar. Two (2) weeks I have been moving coral around the site … I am so over coral!!!!

October 2016 was the toughest month so far for me. I haven’t done much camping in my life, I like all my creature comforts. So … to live without power and inside water for over three (3) weeks tested me. Being in an emotional low, my mind started to question – what the f*ck are we doing? Guess I had to reach that point at some stage! Thrilled to report I am still here, with my gorgeous wife Darleen at Mangaliliu in Vanuatu, and we have survived a tough October 2016 building Divi’s.

With progress over the last six (6) weeks since our last blog, Darleen and I are very excited to be able to finally start unloading each container with contents for the kitchen and bar.

Enjoy the photos …