Only six weeks after that first meeting, they purchased an unwanted triangle of undulating gorse and scrub in the nation with a vision to build. Interestingly, the real property itemizing read: "Rural constructing site. Just some kilometres from Moutere Highway, almost 1 acre pleasant undulation contour. Elevated soothing pastoral views. Ground cover principally fern and some pines, nothing a match could not clear." Oh, actually? It was true pioneering spirit that stored them going through these first few years when they cleared the land and deliberate their dwelling whereas dwelling in a single, uninsulated, tin storage. This humble dwelling formed the nucleus from which they fed, socialised with, and gave English classes to as much as 12 staff regularly. Even for an ex-restaurateur, catering was no imply feat contemplating there was no operating hot water and the one two hot plates couldn't be run at the same time because the oven.
The ever-altering and multi-national workforce of WWOOFERS (Keen Employees On Organic Farms) embraced the approach to life that had them boiling a copper for two hours before siphoning the steaming water into the out of doors bath. The pleasure of soaking underneath the stars at night was nicely earned and far commented on, a lot in order that an outdoor bath has been added as a feature to The Peach Suite which permits friends to imagine the sooner prototype. The WWOOFERS had been an integral a part of the process of making adobe bricks and engaged on the construction of The Mudcastle however more importantly, perhaps, EcoLight they kept morale up and the dream focussed. Why clay although? An opportunity comment about the mountain of clay they'd must truck off site energy-saving LED bulbs Glenys to the library and the more the couple read about earth constructing, the more satisfied they turned that, though never having built anything in their lives, this was one thing they could do.
As a bonus, it was discovered that the clay on their property had the best composition for making adobe bricks and so utilising the earth beneath them as a resource without cement or sand stabilization was to be the first point of difference for The Mudcastle. Subsequent began the strategy of adapting clay sieving and brick manufacturing methods written for Australian circumstances and nice-tuning them to accommodate the uniqueness of The Mudcastle site. As with most adventures, there were peaks and troughs. In batch one, the labour intensive, textbook foot-stomping technique was used. Nonetheless hobbling three days later for a pitiful yield of 70 bricks, and quick working out of associates volunteering to repeat the expertise, this technique was shortly abandoned. With the refined process they dubbed the Cake-mixer Method using a customised rotary hoe, production improved to 300 bricks on their greatest day. Three rotary hoes and one entrance end loader later, the required 10,000 bricks have been produced for EcoLight the primary section of constructing.
The bricks had been solar-baked in picket moulds with temperature extremes moderated by polythene covers however there were occasions when, exhausted, they took the risk of leaving the bricks exposed to the weather at evening and lost the lot. All a part of retaining the dream alive. Clive Johnston, Kevin's father and a conventional block layer by commerce, trained Glenys to dam lay the adobe bricks coming off Kevin's production line and worked alongside the couple sharing and increasing his experience on the way. Opened to new influences, Clive discovered and perfected a revolutionary constructing product utilizing waste sawdust and this product has been used for the first time in the construction of the castle turrets, the second part of constructing. As this new building product was grey and appeared nothing like clay, the couple experimented using an previous pioneers’ recipe they discovered for making limewash. In true Kiwi trend, they used a 44-gallon drum. The recipe integrated beef tallow with lime and resulted in a white limewash.
This was then tinted to a clay colour with a mix of pure earth ochres. The method was, without doubt, excitingly explosive and not for the faint hearted and the unusual "earthy" fragrance was, and remains, unique. As a pure preservative coating, the distinctive scent recedes very gradually and friends staying in the Gold Turret, as the only interior accommodation house the place it has been used, may still discern it. Peter Harte, Glenys' father and an electrician by trade, has enhanced The Mudcastle with dramatic lighting and inventive ideas, and was a constant, encouraging presence within the forward momentum of Glenys and Kevin's dream for a few years. To not be overlooked, Kevin’s mom Margaret helped with cleansing and baking and Glenys’ mother manned a second sewing machine to make curtains for the principle turret. Particular design consideration was given to sunlines for producing passive solar heating and sightlines to seize views from every room. On one or different stage, all 4 faces of The Mudcastle are graced with interesting joinery, superbly crafted in local timbers by Michael Bender of Riverside Joinery.