Snowy Mountains, Australia

My sister Katie and I traveled to the Snowy Mountains this weekend for a day of horse back riding.  This is the setting for the film The Man From Snowy River (and The Return of the Man from Snowy River) which I have been a big fan off since childhood (horses + mountain scenery are a big win for me).  The trip was beautiful and a fun experience to share with Katie.

We took the coastal route to reach the Jindabyne (day trip from Melbourne) where we started our ride and for the return trip we drove through the mountains and high country.  The drive was very scenic as we traversed winding roads,  crossed over the crest of the mountain range and passed through green valleys.

 

 

 A lookout point

 

 

 About to run up the hill at the end of the day.

 









The road close to Jindabyne

 

 Katie at the high point of the mountain pass at an elevation of 1580 m (on the Alpine way).

 

 Green pastures in the valleys

 

 Approaching the Hume River

MCHRP - Winter 2014 Timelapse

Timelapse video of the project since piling works (Winter 2014).




Visit youtube for higher definition video (720p).


Jon

Ground Floor Slab (Basement Ceiling) Casting - Completed

Over the past two days we were able to complete the Ground Floor casting over the basement.  It took over 240 workers on site a total of 15 + 11 hours over these days. The hot season is now definitely upon us with high temperatures and humidity (39C/102F). This completes the second of a planned 12 major slab castings.

Site overview day one casting

Head loading the concrete to be placed

Completed retaining wall with slab casting ongoing above (First layer of bitumen, poly then Platon installed on exterior of wall)

Site overview on casting day two

Completed casting - preparing for ponding

 

Jon

 

Basement Ceiling Slab - Ready for Casting

The basement ceiling slab is ready for casting.  Additional workers are due to arrive Friday night so we can start early Saturday morning. The electrical conduits for lighting, fans and outlets took a few more days than anticipated to complete. Similarly with the through slab plumbing - the workers took longer to mobilize than expected. The on site workers are currently focusing their attention to the grade beams in the Southeast wing of the building.

 

Site overview from South (April 6, 2014) 

 

Reviewing the slab reinforcing rod and electrical conduit work

 

Waterproofing basement retaining wall

 

Finishing the last of the steel tying

 

 Steel work around a column 

Opening for the main central stairway

 

Jon

Malumghat to Melbourne

Holly made her journey from Malumghat to Melbourne last week to visit with her siblings who are living there. I was surprised to find out that it is still a 4 hour flight to Kula Lumpur Malaysia then another 8 hours to Melbourne, despite feeling like we are both on the other side of the globe. Thankfully there are some good discount airlines that service these major Asian routes.

Holly catching the local bus from Chakaria to Chittagong (the most difficult part of the journey through the crazy Thursday evening traffic -start of the weekend).

 

Holly, Katie and Zach in Melbourne

 

Holly at a wildlife sanctuary with kangaroos, Koala bears, etc.

 

Once we get the ground floor slab casting completed and finalize the plans for the next slab casting I will head off to Australia for a week to meet up and hopefully visit the great barrier reef.

 

Jon

 

 

 

Basement Ceiling Slab - Prep Work

We are quickly getting ready to cast the basement ceiling slab (ground floor slab above the basement) which is roughly 14,000 sq feet. This section of slab will contain 40 tons of steel rod and 10,000 cft of concrete. We are scheduled to have everything complete for casting early next week.

Basement ceiling slab - bottom steel

Progressing on top steel placement 

 

Other work is ongoing around the site. Mass fill work is starting to make significant progress within the building area. The primarily below grade brick retaining walls are taking shape. These walls will ensure the newly compacted soils do not slowly migrate away from under the slab as well as providing a surface to install an exterior stone veneer.

Masons laying the soil retaining wall

Retaining wall and backfill work ongoing 

A lot of fill still required in the central courtyard once the ceiling slab is cast and basement retaining wall is waterproofed 

 

One of the many local inhabitants checking out the building progress

Jon Barrett

 

Chittagong Train, Teknaf, Golf and More

We were able to pack quite a few final adventures into my parents last couple days in country. We were able to drive down to Teknaf to visit a building that a partner in the construction company building the new hospital had recently completed. The shoreline road from teknaf to cox's bazar is very beautiful. While we were in Chittagong I was able to get dad out golfing at one of the maybe 3 or 4 golf clubs in this country of 160 million people (and it only had 3 other golfers on it that morning). We then took the train from Chittagong back to Dhaka before they returned home.

Bob and Elsie putting their feet in the Indian Ocean, while Holly looks at seashells

Jeep loading up some straw (guy in the foreground is carrying a load of salt)

Teknaf Beach at night

Teknaf beach at night - Holly, Elsie, Bob and Milky

Milky's Resort in Teknaf

Marine road back to Cox's from Teknaf (Ocean on left - hills on right)

Cox's Bazar port

Bob motorbiking in the hills

Golfing in Chittagong

Getting off the train in Dhaka

Some new photos have been uploaded to the photo gallery

Jon

Hebron Hostel

This past week we were able to go for a drive in the hills to a kids hostel in Hebron (close to Lama) to review some much needed repairs before the rainy season. The tin on the girls dining hall and kitchen has rusted through, a new 50'x4" grey water line to carry food waste to an already dug pit is needed as well as an extension to a brick wall between the boy's dormitories. A number of fairly basic but much needed repairs. My parents were able to bring out some money that was raised before their trip to help with the repairs of these facilities. As this hostel is only about an hour and a half drive into the hills from our home so we will be able to go back out to see the repairs as they take place.

Out in the Chittagong Hill Tracks past Lama

Hebron girls hostel

Bob & Elsie looking at the holes in the tin roof

Jon talking to the property manager about the needs

Jon

Barrett Visit and Balloon Animals



Bob and Elsie (Jon's Parents) have been in Bangladesh for one week now ('tis the season of visitors!).  After quick stops in Dhaka and Cox's Bazar,  they have spent most of their time so far on the hospital compound.  Elsie has been helping some of the ex-pat home school kids and Bob has fixed our property telephone system (PBX) and helped in identifying electrical requirements for existing hospital equipment which will be moved to the new hospital.  He was particularly amazed by the Picker X-ray which had been manufactured in 1955. 

 

Our nephew Kyler, with the help of his sister Brielle, made bracelets and raised money back in Canada to be used here in Bangladesh.  They sent us two big bags of twisting balloons and money to repair a roof on a school hostel (more in an upcoming post).  Today we visited a school in the Hindu fisherman's village near our house to make balloon animals.  The school is free to attend for families who cannot afford to send their children to a governement school (uniform, supplies, testing fees).  The kids welcomed us with two boisterous songs and then enjoyed hearing the story of Jonah and receiving their own balloons.  None had been popped by the time we left and we have lots of balloons left for future use. 

 

Bob and Elsie riding a rickshaw in Dhaka.

 

Watch your step Bob.........best to steer clear of open sewers.

 

Bob reading a panel in the sterlization area.

 

Jon telling the story of Jonah and the Whale with balloon illustration (thanks for translation Shawne!)

 

More kids sneaking in the school to watch (and many were peaking in the windows).

This little guy was looking for help in repairing his dog who was untwisted.

 "Look at my hat!" (boy with the dog balloon)

 

The kids posing for a photo with their balloons. 

 

Walking home (school in left corner of photo).

 

 Steep banks to cross.

 Jon, Elsie and Bob overlooking the Malumghat River.

Holly

Project PhotoSphere - February 2014

New project PhotoSphere uploaded below or click February 2014 PhotoSphere to view.

Project Panorama - February 2014

Views: February 19, 2014 by Jonathan Barrett

Move the mouse over the window and drag to Rotate, Zoom, etc around the construction site.

Jon