A big hole

After buying our first house in South Golden Beach and with our first child looming, I spent a lot of time thinking about my perfect backyard. The property is a standard 600m2 block with the backyard facing north. I've always wanted a big spectactular pond in my backyard. There was a stand of bananas right off centre in our backyard. There was an old concrete septic tank between the bananas and the back of the house. I pictured the septic tank as a pond leading to the stand of bananas as an island with water around it.

As our family expanded as did our house. We extended it out over the septic tank. My dream of the spectular pond was diminishing. A month after our extension was finished we had a little disaster during a big storm. A tree fell into our new bathroom. We had to replace the bath tub. The builder suggested I use it as a pond. So I did. I used the tub as the top pond below the waterfall then cascading into the main pond.

I began to dig. It wasn't soft fluffy soil, but compacted fill and rock and clay. After chipping away for a week or so it was dug. About 3m3. It was the spectacular pond i was after. After googling the ideal pond depths and aeration I came accross a youtube video. Using an areator, a guy was able to push water up a tube out of a drum full of fish and into troughs where veggies were growing, then flow back into the drum. I had a eureka moment. This is what I was to do with my pond and back yard.

After mastering aquaponics I finally worked out my perfect backyard. Combine the ecosystems of aquaponics and bush regeneration as well as fruit trees! Now my kids are aware of where there fruit and veggies come from. They love being a part of it!