It was something of an adventure really - explaining to Mikey how little they had told us of the operation and how it worked, and that us just going there to find out what was going on turned out to be more informative that going through the official channels.

More surprises were around the corner.

As we rounded the corner at 132 once again in the becoming-familiar way, our eyes came across another new feature. "They've poured the slab!!" Yes, from Thursday to Saturday, the whole waffle pod had been prepared. It was still cold to the touch as it cured in the fresh air.

Looking north-west across the poured slab from the verandah and garage side.

Looking from the back of the house, across what will be the meals area jutting out. Note the various stages of other houses in the street.

Looking east across the slab to the next door neighbour's house. There is a 3.25m gap between our house and property boundary on that side.

And that is what we found. How excitement!

We finally got letters from the builder saying "any day now".
Then late in June, a colleague from John's work says, "I was driving around the area you are building and I came across your land. And there was a porta-loo on it." News to us - but good news just the same. "Are you sure it was OUR land and not someone on the next block?" He's sure it was us as it was just half a metre from the sign we had erected on the block to point the builders in the right direction.

Hearing this, John suggests that we go and look at it for ourselves. I agree of course, so we drive out one Thursday after work. Being in South Melbourne, it doesn't take long at all (maybe 25mins in peak hour) before we are rounding the corner at 132.

"They've started!!!" we scream.
And they had, in the fading light we could see plumbing pipes sticking out of the scraped out dirt area of the house. The portaloo sat next to our sign, and a huge pile of stone screening and rubble sat at the front of the block. They had finally started.