Friday, June 19, 2015

The Empress...


The Empress is our little saddleback piglet. A gilt (female), she was orhpaned when her mother died during labour, and she was the only piglet to survive. She is named after the character out of PG Wodehouse's Blandings. We took her home and with a lot of help from friends who have hand reared her, she has grown nice and strong...


She goes almost everywhere with Peter, and I am sure she thinks she's a dog, having been reared by friends who had two small dogs.


Here she is in the back of the ute going to the orchard to collect apples for the rest of the pigs...


Here she is when she was smaller and being bottle fed...

And yet further evidence she has learnt from the dogs...



There has been lots of interest in having her to stay, with many friends loving the novelty of having a pet pig for the weekend (something which their grandchildren love as well). She really has been living the life of Riley...




I am not sure what she will do when she goes back to the paddock with the rest of the drift. There will be some harsh acclimatization having to eat from the trough and sleep in the sty with the rest of them. She has perfect saddleback markings too, so will make a wonderful breeding sow.

Above and Below: The Empress in Blandings.


Monday, June 15, 2015

Lakeside Folly...



Peter is currently building a classical styled folly to sit upon the hill behind the lake. Above is a mock up of what the finished folly may look like. He has been building it with the help of a friend, Dirk, who was a cabinet maker by trade, so is a perfectionist when it comes to carpentry! Below is a view of the hill without the folly...


They are building it from plans I drafted. The design is based upon many photos of other classical follies I have seen (shared below), with the dimensions and construction method ensuring that the building remains a permitted activity under council bylaws (no building consent needed for portable structures with an area of less than 10 square metres). It has been constructed with 2 large towable skids hidden under the floor boards, forming part of the foundation, so can be towed on and off if required...

You may notice similarities with these follies below...
Above and Below: A little wooden folly at Kew Gardens.
Above: A lakeside folly with windows in the side walls.

Below: A similar folly without side windows.

Some larger follies of a similar design...

And a smaller, simpler folly...

Below: The roof for Peter's folly, sitting on the base. The tiles are made from pressed sheet metal.

Below: Views of the front of the folly, showing the pediment...

Below: Dirk holding up one of the capitals which will be placed on the front of the side walls with a pilaster below.

Once it is completed Peter is going to paint it with a textured plaster finish paint, so that it matches the manor house. I can't wait to share the finished photos, almost as much as I can't wait to sit inside it and sip a G&T watching the sun go down over the lake. I think we should call it the Temple of Apollo, given that the sun will rise just above it if you were admiring it from the manor house. Does anyone else have any suggestions as to the name?

Friday, June 12, 2015

World Gin Day - My Top Twelve...

In celebration of World Gin Day tomorrow, I have collated my list of a dozen of the best, which I think we should stock at WBP.

No. 1. The Botanist.


The Botanist, distilled on the isle of Islay, one of the Hebrides islands, is a pot distilled gin made from 22 botanicals foraged from around the island. These locally sourced ingredients are "gently coaxed into releasing their complex signature aromatics". I find it has a cool and even initial taste, then as it hits the back of the tongue the aromatic compounds start to release themselves, unleashing citrus high notes on a base of peppery warmth. A decent gin for a martini as it drinks well in a minimally adulterated form.

No. 2. Tanqueray 10.

Tanq. 10 is one of my staples, as it is a good all rounder. Distilled in a small copper still, known as 'Tiny Ten' - from which it takes its name - it contains full but well balanced citrus tones from the whole oranges, grapefruit and limes which are introduced to the spirit in the still, along with other herbs popular to most gins such as coriander, chamomile and of course juniper. It drinks well in all cocktails and is perfect for a G&T on any occasion.

No. 3. Hendrick's.

Hendrick's thanks to its quirky marketing has become very popular in recent years, but then they do produce a good product. Slightly sweeter than many gins on the market, this will appeal to people who do not prefer a dry martini. I myself however, have only tried it in G&T. Its floral notes make it appealing for picnics and summer's afternoons, being popularly served with a slice or two of cucumber in one's glass. It would also be suitable for light cocktails perhaps with summer berries or elder flower liqueur.

I used to love Bombay Sapphire gin when I was a student. Like No. 10, it is a pretty good all-rounder, although not exceptional in a martini. Over the past few years they have released a few variations on the standard mix, the first being Bombay East (which Peter and I bought a bottle of last year when we went on holiday to Penang, and actually left it mostly full in the hotel room as it was unpleasantly peppery and did not make for an uplifting mixture). Last month they released "Star of Bombay", which in addition to their 10 usual ingredients also contains Bergamot and Arabella seed. I picked up a bottle from DFS on the way home recently and I must say it is the best gin in the Bombay range. I would happily use it for a martini. It is, however, only available for a limited time so if you wish to try it I suggest you go and treat yourself to a bottle soon!


No. 5. Bloom.
This gin stands out as something different. It is a light, sweet gin with honeysuckle notes. Suited for when you want to enjoy a more subtle drink without a heady alcoholic punch (only 80% proof compared to say the Leopold, at 114% proof). Sometimes referred to as a gin for ladies!


A crisp dry gin with floral hints mixed with undertones of Bramley apples, this gin is made in Hertfordshire from neutral spirit from fermented apples. It is re-distilled with lemon, hops and elder-flower among other ingredients to produce this fine gin perfect for an elegant martini on a summer afternoon, or perhaps a vesper (3 Oz Gin, 1 Oz Vodka, and 1/2 Oz Lillet Blanc. Shake with ice and strain into martini glass. Garnish with lemon after rimming glass).

No. 7. Rogue Society .

This is the only NZ gin on the list, but is definitely one to compete with the others. If one could suggest that Bloom is a gin for the ladies, then this is definitely a gin for the men. It's masculinity comes from notes of leather, sap, and coriander. It has an intriguing depth and woodiness to it. Great for the classic dry martini (2 1/2 Oz Gin, 5 Oz Dry Vermouth and a dash of orange bitters. Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass. Serve with a twist of lemon).

No. 8. Monkey 47.

Bold flavours of lime with herbal overtones from spruce, lingonberries, lavender and hibiscus. These are but a few of the 47 aromatic ingredients used to make this revival gin from a post war Black Forest recipe. A heavy gin to be savoured on its own or in a cocktail such as The Aviator (2 Oz Gin, 1/2 Oz Maraschino Liqueur, 1/4 Oz Creme de Violette or Creme Yvette, and 3/4 Oz fresh lemon juice. Shake with ice and strain into martini glass. Serve with a cherry).


A hot peppery spicy dry gin suitable for classic dry martini. It has fresh pine and citrus beginnings with a warm and balanced end palate. 

This American gin is a powerful 114% proof strong flavoured gin. Good for the G&T, or for a lethal martini!

No. 11. Bulldog.
Made from neutral spirit distilled from Norfolk wheat, flavoured with 12 botanicals including liquorice root, lavender, and almonds, this London dry gin is another good all-rounder. It is not as aromatic as say Bombay, and so suits someone who doesn't usually drink gin, and is good in cocktails such as a Negroni (1 Oz of Campari, 1 Oz of Gin, and 1 Oz of Sweet vermouth. Mix the ingredients in an old fashioned glass filled with ice, and serve with an orange twist).


Now, I'm not a fan of  Gordon's London dry gin, as I find it too highly perfumed and a little like drinking eau de cologne, but I do like their sloe gin. I'm a big fan of sloe gin. I usually have it in my hip flask when I go hunting; and have plans afoot to make some of my own at WBP. Gordon's sloe gin is easily drinkable and smooth. It is also very reasonably priced too. They have recently released an elder-flower gin which I look forward to trying soon.

Caution: Please drink responsibly. 
Willowbrook Park endorses the responsible service of alcohol. 

Monday, June 8, 2015

Lake Progress...



As shared in a previous post, due to several issues with the lake liner, we had to have it removed, and the lake relined with a different product, one with a long life guarantee! The dimensions of the lake remain unchanged, but the liner is now made of a plastic product 5 times thicker than the previous liner, and there is special gas venting geo-textile underneath with 10 vent ducts around the perimeter to allow for escape of natural gasses which build up under usual conditions. Here are some pictures of the lake once the old liner had been removed...

Above: The jetty being deconstructed to allow the liner to be placed over the posts.

Below: Peter standing on the circumferential ledge upon which we will plant marginals in shallow baskets.
Above: The ledge and the hillock.

Below: A view towards the bridge.

Below: The jetty posts sans boardwalk.

Below: The re-lined lake, quickly filling with the aid of the wet weather. The white sand bags started off in the centre of the lake to hold the liner down until there was enough water, and have slowly been shifted towards the outside. It shouldn't be long until they can be removed altogether. They are currently on the marginal ledge. Just outside them is coconut matting which has been sown with grass seed so that once the lake has filled one will never see the liner.
 Above: The view from the balcony.

Below: Panorama from the hill, the view from the future folly.

Friday, June 5, 2015

Beyond the Black Stump: A NSW Road Trip...

Sorry dear readers about the lack of posts last month, but I have been kept busy with some different activities around Dubbo...


Last week I took a road trip with a colleague around western NSW with the purpose of visiting the new hospital at Tamworth ahead of its opening next month. This was to get ideas and advice, as we are now planing the construction of a new hospital at Dubbo, including a $150M emergency department. Over the next few months I will be visiting other recently opened or about to open emergency departments to help plan the layout etc of our new one. I also took the oppurtunity to stop at some of the smaller hospitals and health services in our catchment area to meet the GPs there and look at their facilities. On the map above we started at Dubbo, 7 O'clock on the red ring, and travelled counter clockwise around it. We first stopped at Dunedoo and met the staff there and looked around their hospital before travelling through to Coolah to look around the hospital there. We stopped for lunch their and then headed northwest past the black stump...


Most people in Australasia will be aware of the colloquialism "beyond the black stump" which means someone lives in the middle of nowhere. This is the site of the original black stump outside Coolah which gave rise to the saying.

We traveled on past hundreds of kilometers of varying countryside, which was nice as I had formed the impression that most of the greater NSW area was barren red dirt, but a lot of it is arable farmland with a mixture of grazing stock...


We arrived in Tamworth by nightfall, and then met the staff at the emergency department the next morning, where we discussed several issues facing healthcare in our areas before taking a tour of their new department. I can remember taking the walk-through of the new department at Waikato before it opened. It is very odd to walk through a space so empty and still which you know will never be that way again once it opens. Here are a few pictures...

Above and below: Views of the nurses and doctors stations in the main acute areas.
Below: The treatment cubicles in the acute areas.

After our tour we set off for home, travelling from Tamowrth at the top of the loop left towards Gunnedah, then through Coonabarabran and Gilgandra before making it home again at night fall...


We did encounter a few minor obstacles on the way - it is never comfortable rounding a bend to find cattle strolling across the road...

So May was a fairly busy month, punctuated by some different tasks rather than the daily grind on the ED floor. Having experiences like this and opportunities to be involved in creating a new department and taking on more leadership roles really makes the job worthwhile as it is something which most people don't get to do as early on in their career, so it makes one feel a valued part of the team. In the coming months we are going to visit St George in Sydney, and Wagga. 

Hopefully I will be able to share some pictures of the progress at WBP this month.
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