Hi-vis vests and tripods …

This week we had land surveyors visit the farm. Their brief was to identify/verify the existing boundary markers and also do a detailed survey of the contours and features immediately adjacent to the house and shed. Two young guys pitched up at our place without warning, so it was lucky we were around at the time and could join them on the identification phase. 

Now forgive me if land surveying doesn’t immediately spring to mind as an exciting profession;  surely just high-vis vests, tripods and a poor apprentice who carries the pole? I concede that it is an old and highly-respected profession and that the accurate measurement of the land is crucial to society. Indeed, admirable individuals like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln were all land surveyors, but still this knowledge has never really moved me to suggest land surveying to anyone as a profession. 

Imagine my surprise, therefore, to find that the life of a rural land surveyor appears to be more Indiana Jones than worthy ex-president of the US. Much of the work is done prior to arriving and programmed into a little GPS device. Once at the property, however, the surveyor appears to be part bloodhound, part detective and part archaeologist trying to identify hidden markers from previous surveys. These roles require vaulting fences, hacking through impenetrable blackberry thickets, digging great chunks of turf and wading in streams while simultaneously wielding a metal detector and taking readings using the GPS tracker. Of course their task was made immeasurably easier because of the help offered by Pepper!

It seems the modern land surveyor is also an individual who enjoys the finer things in life. As we approached the house after twice circumnavigating the boundaries of the farm, I offered a coffee to our bold explorers. They declined but then rapidly changed their minds when I mentioned that I had on offer a single-origin Peruvian bean on a medium roast with hints of citrus at the front but with a beautiful chocolate finish. After a leisurely shot of espresso they got onto the detailed survey of the house and surrounds, which took an extraordinary amount of time. I reckon they were hoping for a second shot of the Peruvian – but by that stage Cath and I were back to work as well. 

The detailed survey will form part of our deliberations on what to do with the current cottage which, although perfectly comfortable, has two main problems. The living areas (particularly the kitchen) are way too small for our liking. Equally problematic is that the current orientation largely ignores the fact that we have a spectacular view down the Huon River towards the south. 

The options are to work with what we have and commission a serious renovation and alteration, or simply raze the current abode to the ground and start again. I sense another titanic struggle about to commence along the lines of the battle for the silver wattle – my instinct to destroy against Cath’s instinct to preserve. I just hope that pesky white-breasted sea eagle stays out of it this time …