Tuesday

80T Excavator

DavId will be back on the Coast next week to appeal the decision the University handed down last month. He, Katherine and his Dad will be up next week the hearing. Either way, they'll drive David's car back to Sydney.

Hopefully Mouse will be better by the time they arrive. She hasn't been feeling well the last few days - she had no voice the night of her Birthday Dinner - and even though she has been feeling a little better, she was unwell enough today to go to the Dr. She has bronchitis ... and now has antibiotics to take and hopefully she will lay low for the next couple of days to give her body a chance to get better. It will be interesting to see if she fronts up for Bingo tomorrow or whether she gives herself the day off.

Bridge works

Sooz busied herself on our first non-rain day for a while today with some washing - although she didn't beat M to the washing machine - M was putting on her first load as I was leaving this morning! When I arrived home, Sooz was out the back folding smalls - so the rain had managed to hold off! And just as well because there was no way AC, Le or I wanted to don that aforementioned rubber gear so we could go on our site visit.

We set out at 2:30pm and visited 1N first - where two crews were busy on drainage lines. We watched as Iain did a Safety Inspection and Safety Observation report - and then as he talked to various guys on site about things that could be done immediately to make the site safer. The real work done, he then drove us along the length of the project - and we stopped near the 30T Excavator with GPS - and while we were impressed and in some awe - Le and I couldn't help looking at the plant and equipment as an hourly rate. Of course, when we got to the 80T excavator, it was a slightly different story ... that thing is absolutely massive - so big, and so heavy, it actually leaves "tank" tread marks in the bitumen it goes over. Just as well those parts of the road are slated for demolition and rebuilding! It was good hearing about the environmental issues they are keeping in mind too - and incredible to think that the footings and surrounds they are putting in place to allow the building of bridges along the new sections will be completely removed once the head stocks (the things the bridges will sit/stand on) are in place. The Project also have an obligation to make sure that nothing leaves the site via the natural waterways so elaborate filters have been put in place to ensure that any water that leaves the site (via the creek and elsewhere) is actually "cleaner" than when it comes onto site. We stopped at BR70 to have a look at the head stocks and Robbie pointed out various things about the construction ... and that before he started on the job he had no idea that red-bellied black snakes like water so much ... they are apparently quite common where they're working. We didn't see any today though.

AC in the cab