Quiet Celebration of Settlement

I know it sounds a bit corny but I wanted to pop a cork over our newly acquired piece of sand. I didn’t think anyone would mind, especially not the government, who had just that morning charged us over ten grand to send us a copy of a piece of paper via email. Still, I put all that cynical (but rational) thinking behind me and dragged her indoors up to the block for an outdoors sip of fizz and a nibble or two.

On the menu was a lovely Pommery blanc de blancs, which had been sitting in my wardrobe for nearly a year. It was a freebie from a case of Qantas wine that Judith had bought me a while ago. It was described by a wine snob as a “meticulous and confidential selection of magnificent terroirs”, so I thought it was apt. I’d got together some Cheds, some cheddar cheese, half a pork pie, half a scotch egg and some smiths crisps. I fried a coupla sausages before I left, and they were still warm and delicious – but I forgot the branston pickle. I also took up a small bluetooth speaker and put on some oldie tunes, just playing UK Gold from the radio.

I stood on the edge of the block and pointed the champagne bottle towards the back. I was expecting to get halfway down the block at least but instead a restrained pop took the cork barely a metre. Still, I took that to be a sign of maturity and hidden promise, like the new owners. We drank, we stood around, we hugged. We admired the views and admired the sunset. Judith’s a seasoned landowner, but this is the first time I’ve bought land in Australia and it felt good.

The sun went down in the West as it always does. Despite my awareness that it was really only an optical illusion based on the rotation of the earth in orbit around a stationary star, the effect was great and I could imagine us sitting in our back garden or out on our porch viewing the red clouds and sun disappearing behind the trees towards the horizon. The mossies were absent as well, which is a good sign for me as they feast on me like hungry Vikings. Judith never loses the opportunity to inform me that they usually only go on bad meat.

The wind was refreshing, and came off of the ridge from the South. This will be a good thing we think, as the house will face South with the living areas off to the North at the back. Hopefully, the prevailing wind will cool the front of the house in the evening so sleep will be easier, and the house itself will act as a natural windbreak to keep strong winds from spoiling that ‘al fresco’ experience. The wind gusted a few times, and one gust blew over my champagne glass, rolling it from the table to the pavement and smashing it. One could think of this as a bad omen, or simply like breaking wineglasses at a wedding – I’ll stick with the latter.

A couple of cars drove by and people shouted congrats out of their window. As the light faded we packed up and drove the longer scenic way back home. Not the wildest of parties we have held, but quietly satisfying and enriching. Now onwards with the task of choosing tiles and taps.