Saturday 24 February 2007


Number 5, the number of weeks, is dead and buried. It's been a week of trials and tribulations. As much as I'm enjoying my own space, it hit me this week, how good it is to have someone else rambling around the house with you. Especially when all poo hits the fan (well that's what it feels like at the time) and there is no one to vent too, apart from the neighbours in the form of loud music. Chris Lowe from The Pet Shop Boys is spinning my wheels at the moment, but I digress! The aforementioned poo in the fan was in the form of a plant, a Masi Palm to be more specific. Without going into a great deal of detail, this beasty gave me a good deal of trouble. Digging from deep in the jungle and all that entails to placing it 'nicely' in the ground in it's new home. It decided to fall over through unforeseen circumstances, getting him upright with the appropriate machinery and stabilized with a number of strops, he decides to commit suicide by beheading himself of his growth tip in the gentle wind. So 95% chance of having to do it all again!!! On the positive, I now know a few new tricks about transplantation.

Apart from that the week has been good. Got my teeth into my first real job that i could call my own. 6 coconuts in the ground and the front yard looking somewhat like a front yard. Royal,
Beetlenut Palms and Frangipani in next week which will transform the property no end. Get the irrigation sorted the following week, then we can get 500 ground covers to finish off the tropical lushness that will enhance the holiday abode.

Took a quick trip down to Momi, about 30mins south of Nadi, which is a large resort development that will house The Marriott Hotel and a large residential development with 300 odd lots and an 18 hole golf course. Sadly the whole project has come to a grinding halt due to a number of factors and after driving around the site, it has a spooky ghost town feel and leaves you with a sour taste in the back of your throat, that with all the work that has been done, it is now just sitting there decaying whilst a resolution is sought. And after being approached by the landscape consultant in charge, for some assistance, you wonder where the hell you'd start considering the scope and size of the project and the ever nearing deadline for hand over. It's a staggering, mammoth feat to start let alone finish!

Anyway, enough about work, sadly, that is all that has encapsulated my life in the past week. The weekend will be spent sunning myself and resting my weary head. Might head to the beach tomorrow. Still haven't been for a swim in the sea since I got here. Shame on me! The pic above is the property I'm currently working on. The orange dots indicate the bodies of the local boys siestaring in the early afternoon warmth. Will continue with pic updates of the site as we progress. Sorry about all the work related speal, but had to dislodge it out of my head somehow!!!

Nadi 11:41am 31°C Sunny