On the other side of that fence it was definitely green, but very little of it was actually grass.
Buried amongst that greenery we found:
- a livestock pen, complete with loading ramp and electrified gate
- an avery/third coop with a two-layer-deep paver brick floor but pooly structured walls
- two solid cast-iron bath tubs – one filled with stagnant water and black sludge and the other filled with dirt, weeds & tomatoes
- copious amounts of concrete, both in slab form and broken chunks of debris
- a green house with disintegrated shade cloth and a door that can’t fully open
- a wood shed filled with wire, wood, sheet metal and cobwebs galore!
You couldn’t see through any of it – the weeds were so thick, they stood as high as the fence and you had to cut your way through to even see how much work there was.
It took months to work through it all. We had to tackle the weeds (and they were the aggressive, spikey kind!) first so we could see the structure of the fence to be able to take it apart. Once we got the fence out of the way, we found 3 rolls of different kinds of wire with vines and a very dwarfed palm growing *through* them.
Then we could finally see the trunk of the Bunya Nut tree (species still not confirmed) only to find it completely wrapped with a strangler vine with a trunk as thick as my wrist! It laid out about 1/4 the length of the paddock once we yanked it down – Ridiculous!
Once we’d freed the tree we had the fun job of kicking down the avery walls and taking up all the floor pavers followed by dismantling all fencing. Now, I understand if you’re containing lifestock or even just want longevity for your fence posts that concreting them in is a necessity… but getting them out – what a job! (It’s over 6 months later and there is still posts back there we haven’t had a motivation to try to shift).
Clearing behind this fence has by far been the biggest and most impactful project so far. The transformation has made such a huge difference to the backyard, freeing up the view to overlook the paddock and marvel at the land. There’s still a lot to do in this area but we’re looking forward to the next big overhaul that has grants the same wow factor at the end – it really helps to breed further motivation when the result is such a dramatic change.
Onto the greenhouse next, I reckon!
