Mark's Blog: Erecting Pete's Deck

Over the holidays I spent several days at Castle Burke learning some valuable deck skills.

Here is an advertisement from New Zealand TV about looking after your deck. It kept us going throughout the mud, sweat and sun and is absolutely required viewing....

So here is the photo journal of the deck....

We had the radio on throughout so we could listen to the cricket. Yep. That was just great.

Digging foundations for the stirrups.... halfway to China. As Wayne said, in a thousand years the only thing left will be these foundations, which will lead future archaeologists to assume that something very big - or very important - must've once stood here.

Ensuring eveything is exactly level is exacting...

Pete's dad Chris came to help on one day - he and I were on cement duty

Wayne equipped me with a pair of work-shorts and an appropriate 'tradies' t-shirt

After a couple of days working in about 38 degrees, we put up a tarp to make things slightly less hot

Debut with the circular saw!

After hours of careful measuring, cutting, drilling, hammering and screwing, finally we can start laying down the merbau

A brief pause for an important trip to ~~the pub~~ the DIY store

Small children, power tools and beer. What could possibly go wrong?

One of the more time-consuming elements of the operation was building the access point and hatch for the underground drain. Legally, this can't be permanently covered, even though it may never be used.

The deck is now fully erect; we were at Castle Burke for the Australia Day when there were around 20 friends and family on Pete's deck - all having a great time! I don't have a final photo, but watch this space as next time we're there I'll one.