Time flies so fast, and now October is here, with 2024 al...
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Time flies so fast, and now October is here, with 2024 already three-quarters gone. Looking back on September, I can hones...
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In 2017 we hosted through Airbnb, (to comply with CC privacy guidelines I will call them David and Sarah, and not include any identifying photos of them) two professors from the Helsinki University in Finland, Each year they return here twice and we have become firm friends.
Although Sarah is a Dutch national she has fallen in love with this part of the world, to the point where they have bought a block of land on Kangaroo Island at a place called American River and ultimately want to build a Studio and a main residence there.
Being half our age we have this sort of Parent/Offspring type relationship with David and Sarah, and because of my practical past in the building industry David has been eager to get some of my knowledge and assistance. So at the start of last year I went over and helped them fence their newly acquired property. I also helped them design the buildings they wanted to erect, which have subsequently been engineered, drafted and approved for construction. I told them I would give them 5 days when the time came to have a crack at getting this project under way, and with the help of a really fine subcontractor we have spent the last week (8th-12th Jan) putting in a bit of hands on effort. David had his subbie help had already built the sub floor and put down the flooring when I arrived.
Kangaroo Island is a 45 minute ferry trip from the mainland, serviced by two identical ferries which run an hourly service each way. Each of these ferries has a capacity of 50-60 vehicles and around 400 passengers......
Being summertime the crossing was smooth, there was a small cruise liner at anchor in the Penneshaw harbour as we approached KI.
First project for me was to set up my accommodation......At least I could stand up in it, David couldn't in his!!
As there had been a bit of rain about we set about cleaning off the tarps and the floor that David and Damien had put down in the previous two weeks.
And set to work cutting and fabricating the timber stud walling......
I had brought over a heap of tools including my drop saw so all the timber cutting in the building fell to me.
The Island is absolutely teaming with wildlife and, as there are no predators (apart from humans) on the Island the wildlife has nothing to fear and is almost.....friendly.
This huge Western Grey, must have been 7 Ft when he stood up, came up by my tent and watched us work for 20 minutes or so......
And I could have almost reached out and patted this fellow.....
At night-time you could feel a presence around you as the locals searched for any scraps of food we may have discarded.
Over 2 days we got all the studwork up.......
The building is enormously over-engineered but, you have to follow specifications or local council will not approve it during their regular inspection visits......
Everything had to be strapped down and braced with metal strapping......
Always time at the end of the day for a Red or two.......
Well, day 5 and here we are, Fascia's on and ready for foil insulation sheet and roofing.......
Hopefully my days there has saved David and Sarah a few thousand dollars in fabrication costs, by next weekend they hope to have the place to lock-up stage......roof on and walls clad, windows are being installed next Wednesday.
I have volunteered to go back there again and do the internal wall sheeting when they are next back here again in June!
The neighbours can't believe how David is managing to drive a project like this, and have it run so smoothly from the other side of the world.
It goes without saying we are offered whatever we want when next in Europe which hopefully might come to pass, but we have this camaraderie and great friendship thanks to Airbnb.
Cheers........Rob
How right you are...this precious couple came to our cottage from Germany 5 yrs ago and we became friends and have kept in contact all through time. I am so excited to say I will be spending time with them soon in Germany and meeting their little 2 yrs old...some folks just relate, connect and touch our lives and hearts. I have to thank hosting on Airbnb for so many special people and especially these two. 💥🩷
I think most people we take into our hearts Clara.
This evening I received some bad news, the sub contractor on KI who is responsible for this project had an accident today on his mountain bike and has been flown to one of Adelaide's major hospitals with kidney damage and can take no further part in David and Sarah's project for the time being.
David and I came back to the mainland on the same ferry last night and both he and Sarah are presently staying in our cottage.
My voluntary involvement ended yesterday but, there are independent contractors booked for next week to fit windows and doors, and the roof is not on at present! Tonight David sent me this message.....
He and Sarah came in, they were in tears, not just for their sub contractor but for the issues it is going to create for their project.
I calmly went through the practicalities of what has to be done before the window contractors can do their job and have told them I will go over with them again on Monday morning and we will get this roof on and the building wrapped ready for the windows and doors.
Clara, I have guests but we can work our way around that, Ade and my regular help Fran can do what needs to be done here.
this is what you do for friends. They can go to sleep happy tonight that, between us, we can make this project work and keep it on track.
When you are young Clara, friends are so prolific you don't know how to fit them all into your life. But as you age they thin out. Some climb the ladder of success and move to another state or country. Some divorce and it's hard to stay friendly with a failed couple. Some like my best man die before their time....I remember my godson saying the last image of his father was his joggers sticking out from under a sheet. why is it that a sheet is never large enough to cover a human body,!
But those friends that stay with you over the years become like gold to you, and it was not until I started to Airbnb host that my friend pool has grown again.
I will do anything for David and Sarah and I know they will do the same for me, so Monday morning I am off back to KI again........and we have Airbnb to thank for that! At the risk of sounding a bit pretentious, I think everyone needs friends like Ade and I.
This is worth more than money, this is what the essence of life is all about.
Cheers........Rob
**[Image edited in line with the Community Center Guidelines]
@John5097 @Mike-And-Jane0 @Till-and-Jutta0 @Laurelle3 @Marisa182
As I previously said when David's sub contractor had his accident (which in fact turns out to have been a blessing in disguise, scans revealed he had pre cancerous polyps in his kidney which are easily treatable at this stage)....God works in mysterious ways!
I gave my 5 days to get the building structure up but, I could not leave David and Sarah in limbo with window contractors booked to come across from the mainland in mid the next week and no roof on or protection, which was one of their requirements.
So I made a decision to go back to the Island with them on Monday and let Ade handle the first 2 Airbnb bookings this week as best she could.
Another ferry trip on the 'second' most expensive service in the world and we were at it again. First step was to get all the iron up on the roof at one end while there was little or no wind, then to affix and align the gutter.......
Next to transfer sheet by sheet and start from the front of the building with roofing sheets on top of a foil insulation blanket.....
I'm too bloody old for this!!! That's no easy job trying to handle 6 meter colorbond sheets without scratching them!
Roof on, just fixed down in the odd spot so as not to compress the sheets out of shape as I went.......... Finish off by putting in all 400 tech fixings.
Then tape the foil blanket underneath.......
Once that was done on to the wrapping of the building with sizal sheet.....
Then the window installers arrived.......
They are just thrilled with where they are up to in the space of 8 working days and they are now going to spend the next 2 weeks doing the outside wall cladding so that when they go back to Finland on Feb 15 the place will be all weather secure, lockable and ready for a second fix on their next visit in June.
@Mike-And-Jane0 Make no mistake Mike, this building would pass any inspection code.
Finally 'David & Sarah' are aware that I have published this story on the CC and wanted to include a photo before I left yesterday......
This is how Airbnb builds friendships across the world.
Cheers.......Rob
