Pizza Oven - Finally

After digging out the hole a while ago, it was finally time for the first working bee. I'll let the photos tell the story of the laying of the slab...

The slab was laid and then sat there for a few months. It was "drying out". Next working bee was the brick laying. Thanks to the 'bring-a-brick" party, we were well supplied. Fons was the expert mortar man so we were well on track too.

Above the blocks was a layer of gravel and sand, then fire bricks. Llew and Luisa laid them with mortar round the edge. Then for the final working bee. The sand mold and the clay. Time to get dirty!

Use for old weber parts too!

With the oven taken care of, and only a week to the party, a set of steps needed to be built too, so Fons and I took care of that.

Sand bags for stopping the downhill crash!

Next load.

Steps coming together too.

Last layer done.

Some smoothing out and cleaning up and just as dark fell too.

The steps weren't done for another few days. So many screws!!!! AAAAAhhhhhh!

Friday night everyone was invited. Fired up the oven at 4pm and the first trial pizza (just a base) went in about 7pm. This is the last bit.

Then rolling out and topping the first real pizza.

Waiting patiently.

Watching... waiting...

Preparing...

Of course a few drinks helped.

Finally cookng that pizza.

YUMMMMMM!!!!!

It all worked so amazingly well. It was fantastic. About 30 pizzas in all, including 2 dessert pizzas with apple and caramel sauce. A wonderful time had by all and all were stuffed completely. Plan to have a pizza party once a month.

Easter

For Easter we went to the Sunshine Coast. Now there is a saying: "Don't go to the Gold Coast and expect Gold, don't go to the Sunshine Coast and expect sun".
Too true. It was quite rainy and overcase. Only one little swim in the freezing pool and one little fish off the pier.
We drove down on Wendesday afternoon arriving at 7:30pm long after Pat and Ralph. The next morning we walked along Duporth Avenue and found a coffee shop for bacon and egg breakfast.



We then went to Sunshine Plaza and shopped all day. Llew joined the revolution and bough an iPhone. Just some trouble having Vodafone release the number - Goodbye Vodafone! That night we went to the Boatshed for dinner on the water front. Food was OK, but service was very poor. Wouldn't go again.

Friday was swimming and fishing.

Saturday we went to the plaza again - yes more shopping :) then had prawns and smoked salmon for lunch.

Saturday night we went to the Wyne Bar. Really good food, great souffle - the specialty. The service was better than the Boatshed, but still not good.

Yay Easter Sunday. The rest went out to the market at Cotton Tree and I waited for the Easter Bunny who came and left a couple of hundred eggs around the place. Such fun! Luisa really liked her massive kinder surprise.

The toy in the middle was big too.

The ordinary kinder surprise had something in it that we had actually heard about on the radio. A woman was asked by her son how the little green fuzzy rabit could have 5 legs. Look for yourself.

If you don't get it, the thing on the table on the right of the photo is actually an ear! Really.

The view from the apartment was over the Maroochy River out to sea. Fabulous except for the weather.

The pool, apart from being freezing, was usually filled with screaming kids and that echoed up the balconies and disturbed the peace.

Sunday lunch Mum and Dad drove up and had the day with us. We relaxed and drank a lot, ate wonderful chickens, potatoes, beans, tomatoes, and of course chocolate :) While most of us relaxed, you can guess where Llew was!


On Monday we drove home in lots and lots of rain. Most of the way to Gin Gin it bucketed. After Miriam Vale it was pretty dry. Overall a relaxing weekend and great to catch up with both families.