Lick of Approval

After 2 million laps of the property Dolce LOVES Island living! And his mummy has no fears he is going to run off!! Too far to the main land
tm...

Zip Bike Chick

Versus the Hunter 125cc which is a baby machine of zip and agility, more me I think though Callvm said no way! Does he mean no to the bike or no to me still being agile and zippy?? Don't answer that Cal!

love mama x

Quad Choices

Now we seriously need a few quadbikes. 163 acres is too far to walk! Another business we visited in Melbourne on Thursday.

Checked the fences out in the tractor today being Sunday, which was fun, but wickedly bumpy!

This one is 250 cc but maybe too bulky?? Makes me feel too old too! I want to do a few circles whilst I'm out there. Probably so I feel a little younger along the way!!

Tragic I know...

tm x

Boat Shopping

Oh Yeah, 25 ft Chris Craft at an auction house in Melbourne on Thursday, Cameron knows so much about boats they assumed he was a boat dealer!

OK so every little extra from the boat interior like eskies, cups, flags, you name it is missing but its still a hot boat at a great price! Director partnership split = good deal for us, now it's time to negotiate.

Good luck Bish

tm x

Paradise

Tabby Tabby Island

Our Dream Home

love Toni-Maree, Cameron and Callvm Bishop

& Dolce, 2 Geese, 3 Chickens and Lucy our Duck

xxxxxxxxxx

Overseas Delivery Service

Well as you can see I am posting our last 3 days worth of adventures now that it is Sunday night and we have a minute to breathe. We are still not finished unpacking of course!! Writing blog instead...
Here is Cameron directing traffic as we pack the barge called Freight Train with all our stuff as we are finally moving into our dream island home. Here's the Mini Movers muscly dudes ferrying a HUGE truck and even more HUGE Pod worth of gear, 21 years of flotsam, one box at a time down a skinny ramp into our awaiting barge.
Next is over water from Horizon Shores Marina to...???
tm x

Laundry Self Service

OK so I own a laundry and drycleaning company with 5 vans, yet here I am delivering my own clothing, OVERSEAS no less! As viewed when I turn around in my car, off to the coast Friday morning, readying to move into our Island home.
tm x

Sleeping on the job

Cameron and Dolce Sleeping on the Job

OK so amidst the mega moving saga there must be some down time however as you see the boys sleep whilst this girl packs!

tm x

Success!

Well today, during my final Churchie Mother's Luncheon, we agreed via text on the terms of our moving into our dream Island location in Moreton Bay...Will name it as soon as it's signed!!!
We are all so excited as well as nervous...now the real work begins!
tm x

Shop Open, Home Subject Closed

Ok so the shop renovation went superbly yet the location for our dream farm is still undecided with the lovely vendors having to check some info before committing to our sale. 8 days to go, still no where to live!!!

Sleeping in makeshift offices at our equipment shed in Newstead?

Talk about sleeping on the job

tm x

Outside the Box

Cleaning out and moving from Apex St, in style, however, totally out there, since we still have not finished negotiating on our chosen place!

At least, I can show everyone how to engrave and monogram their luggage in old world ways and put them on display when I am done in our "soon to be gorgeously renovated" Stones Corner shop. Too late to worry about everything happening at the same time...

Shop has matt black walls, will look fab, feature our products and perhaps reflect my mood?

Does panic actually have a colour?

tm x

Insightful View

Dune Road is where we are going, our sandy road to the Australian Eastern coast, to our seaside farm.

Where did our inspiration for the name come from? My sister, Peta-Anne, has a beach house in South Hampton, New York and close by is a divine long road of ocean front mansions called Dune Road.
Breath takingly beautiful.
The drive itself inspires you to achieve success enough to afford such a vista and as we drove, I knew this was my direction, it felt so clear. All of the business ideas, successes, products, services and directions I have, almost aligned inside my head and the path for our seaside cabins became clear. I looked over at Cameron and he felt it too. We were ready. What for, was up to us.
We LOVE to entertain and cook daily with our fresh produce making amazing gifts with our excess. These gifts are zealously sought after, hence, we began to sell them in our Suite Coffee and Juice bars. Mascarpone cheese, yoghurt, banana breads, oatmeal and linseed chocolate chip cookies, all loved and sold out immediately. Savouries too, like Spiced Aubergine Chutney and preserves like cumquat, vanilla bean and Strawberry Liquer Marmalade...so many divine tastes. Accolades received has meant good sales and loyal clients and now we can share our story and grow our love of organics and wholesome living online here with you.
Next, is to settle on our coastal location so we can invite you to come, stay and share.
We'd love to meet you!

Hence, we dedicate this insightful record of our abundant next decade of passionate family, food, friend and life loving to our journey down Dune Road.
tm x

Duck Egg Surprise

Well Lucy, our pretty white "birthday present" duck, has given us a sweet present. We thought perhaps she was a Luke, instead of a Lucy, due to no eggs forthcoming since Spring starts all wonderful things like reproduction happen.
Check out the wonderful surprise we found today underneath the large roots of our 70 year old Poinciana tree - 16 eggs. Away from the sharp raking feet of the chickens, or "evil wenches" as I call them, since they dig up everything in sight, including my veges, if they break out of their corner and into my patch! Great for turning over the mulch...
Anyway, Lucy - What a clever girl!
They made the most delicious omelette this morning for my boys for breakfast. Duck eggs and home grown wilted spinach and sweated onions sliced finely through it.
Callvm especially wanted to know what the secret ingredient was...
tm x

Farm Life in the City

The chickens and Lucy (the duck) turn our grass clippings and the clippings that Victor, the local mower man (seriously, don’t laugh, that IS his name) bring and mix it with veggie waste from the kitchen and our 2 Suite Commuter Coffee & Juice shops, into the best mulch and produce eggs that make the Banana cake that she bakes which we sell in our shops at a sell-out success…

I’m not giving away the recipe cause the main ingredient is LOVE! Make it yourself. Hehehe.

Ok Ill get some snow peas from the garden for lunch later, she is making me type, my usual snail pace, and choose vegies from the garden, what - 2 things at once… but I’m only a mm!

Bish

Universal Message

Dear Universe,
Right now things are little exploded and I appreciate how lucky I am for everything to be going so very well. It's like we are being dragged forward on this adventure and it really is both fun and empowering... SO I just thought I'd say thanks!
tm x

27 Hour Sale

Shit, the agent just called and the house is SOLD, unconditional in 9 days settle in 25. Thankyou Brian Austin of Alma Clark Realty! We thought it would take a while and all our farm negotiations are still very casual thinking we had so much time. Isn't everyone saying that the property market is really soft right now??
Well the hard decision was to a 10% off the asking price- it's acceptable, right? Just need 10% off next purchase...OK so I am after all an agent amongst many other things. All of which she takes advantage of!

Well, we are on our way,
Q: Do half incubated Goose eggs relocate?… OR will we have goslings in the removal truck???
Bish

Eccentricity = Mad with Means

You guys are mad, some friends would say, the pair of you have too much energy say others…

Well our businesses all rock, our staff are wonderful, we love them but there must be more….  Our only son is finishing school in a couple of weeks, he is so magnificent, and our world is about to change.

For years we have been hatching a plan, experimenting in the back yard, keeping geese, chickens and a duck, Lucy. We practice permaculture, study bio dynamic agriculture, we have grown our soil, built veggie patches,  been worm ranching.

Plenty of people want to go green but we reckon that that doesn’t need to mean cheese cloth wearing sandal sluggers - weed smoking rabble! 

There must be a way to go green gracefully and still entertain…

Well we think there is, so, we are on our quest for a location that we will never get sick of and where friends and guests will beg to stay.

We don’t even care about the soil… she went to school and learned to grow it from the best “Organic Phil” then deceived me into the toiling between gym bouts to grow it, saying it made my biceps look bigger (ok…it worked). 

So, we can do it again but this time I’m insisting on using brains (read machinery) and not so much brawn so it can be of a grander more sustainable scale.

Bish

Getting High

How does one get to an island in  Moreton Bay?

Fly with us of course!

Cameron hovering and fuel testing here in stripey Ralph Lauren polo with his initials embroidered on the back by us elaundry chicks! Yes, he hates it - I think it looks cool...

Both Cameron and Callvm have been learning to fly Robinson 22 helicopters with Aeropower at Redcliffe for the entire of 2010. The cool Aeropower guys have the amazing skills to fly their helicopters and swing a maintenance man out from the helicopter to service power lines whilst the power is still live!!! Hail Mary.

They are airborne electrical contractors and can patrol, inspect, construct, string, wash (my department!), repair, maintain and analyze powerlines and save large companies, hence us, a lot of money! 

This up in the air service means that we consumers have no power interruptions and better services without even knowing it. 

Cue- internet happy girl stuck on island.

As well, AP has an incredible equipment service agreement with none other than Rolls Royce providing AP with access to spare engines, accessories, technical manuals and training. Rolls Royce is the world leading producer of light turbine engines in the helicopter market!!!

For a cool $1 Million, do you think rotor blades are included or an optional extra for your RR Phantom?

tm x

http://www.rolls-royce.com/civil/news/2010/100223_aeropower_m250_totalcare.jsp

The Meeting

Donned the Lacoste navy striped suit and met with my money. 

Yes, these besuited gentlemen tell me how to play with my own money. Actually, they teach me how to make my money play for me, so I can do something else! 

What's that catch phrase...Oh yes, Work ON the business not IN it! 

Straight from my father in laws very successful lips.

And trust me, the man knows!

tm x

What to do with our Garden?

We have been growing our soil for 6 years here at Clayfield and our produce is proof of this. We grow 90% of our fruit, vegetables and salads here in 38 perches and this makes for a glorious evening meal. Picking fresh everything at a moment's notice. My cooking is so very experimental nightly and this is due to the sheer abundance I have within a few steps. 

Google ingredient = surprise dinner for all.

What are the new owners going to do with my veges? 

Hopefully, love them, like me.

tm x

The Flaw in the Plan

OK so we thought we'd renovate our home and sell it for the eco cabin farm ( choice of 2! ) and, as per normal, we predicted it would take a few months to sell so we can politely negotiate our choices for our dream farm - Well - it took 27 hours to sell - cash contract - How could we say no?
Hail Mary.
The flaw being, that the negotiations are only casually underway on our 2 farm options and in 21 days we need somewhere to live!!!!
Bugger it all, let's borrow Cameron's dad's vintage jag and go to the coast! We can pack next weekend.
Here's Cameron and Callvm, our son, out the front of our just sold Clayfield home with Grandpa's pride and joy, his convertible e type jag.
tm x