Who goes where?: Building Camp

We were on a tight deadline. Our generous hosts at the temporary camp had a big celebration planned for their harvest festival and we were right in their way! We had to be out by the Thursday, Friday at the latest. We started clearing the space for the camp on Saturday and by Wednesday were ready to start construction.

Bob headed to town with a huge shopping list for the hardware store and we headed to the camp to make a start. We felled selective trees for posts to support tarpaulin canopies, collected drift wood for posts, steps and flooring and started to erect tents.

Chris was in charge of toilets, sanitation and water supply! A huge hole was dug with the intention of using it as a long-drop toilet for a few says before a septic tank could be installed. A toilet block was constructed and a temporary wooden plinth for some water tanks.

When Bob returned from town he'd done us proud, water tanks, septic tanks, toilets, piping, taps, electrics - the lot! The long-drop toilet idea was scrapped and the hole enlarged for the septic tank, trenches dug for soil pipes, wooden floor installed in the toilet and the basins added. Sarah was part of the hardware store team keeping Bob in check and when they returned to site she joined the tarpaulin and tent team, digging holes for posts, erecting posts, tarpaulins and tents.

Our progress on the Wednesday had been so good we decided to make the move Thursday - the day of chaos! More hardware was expected from Kudat and a truck from Pom Pom was due at 10am to deliver the remaining TRACC stuff we hadn't brought with us!

That Wednesday night we held a party for Sam, Bob and our hosts at the Temporary camp. It was Sam's 21st (what a way to celebrate), Bob's last day and a big thank you farewell to our generous hosts.

Thursday dawned too soon and with foggy heads we packed up camp, loaded the boats and set sail for a new home. A few of us took the car and met the truck from Pom Pom guiding it to our new location. By 11am the truck was unloaded including our old faithful boat Flying Fish, which was given a new beach home. We then set to work getting things completed.

By Thursday evening we had water tanks installed and filled, two working and connected toilets, temporary lighting, two rows of tents erected, a temporary dive store, kitchen and a dining/common area overlooking the beach! Everyone was shattered but happy!

Over the next few days the generator was hooked up, electrics installed, more tents and tarpaulins in place, a permanent water tower erected, a water supply to kitchen and dive store installed, the well was enlarged and the walls bricked to prevent it filling with silt and leaves.

Within a few days it really started to feel like home!

Jennie and Jason building the kitchen