Nothing like the beach! This place is great, unfortunately shore dumpers one end and flat as a lake at the other - but still great fun. Lots of bush walks and a lovely waterfall to walk to which has a number of water holes and a swing rope which the kids love.

VERY CLEVER and looks SO inviting!! The way you've created such a usable and friendly area and atmosphere. Congrats.

Thanks Fiona. We'd love to landscape the far side but sadly that is our neighbour's property and the river rock lined area right beside the pool fence is an easement that runs like a creek when we get rain so can't plant in there :). I do plan to sneak in a few more of the Golden Cane palms onto the neighbouring paddock as some have self seeded anyway- hopefully create a nice screen. I have my eye on some nice pots and two lovely wooden loungers with cream cushions, all in budget. But I'll only get them once I decide what to do with the paving area to better blend with the pool surround. I've just had the area pressure washed about 2 weeks ago so my thinking is to go with the repaint in the medium grey and hope we get 5 years out of it.

I voted for neither. Growing up my family always had a pool. Although I am sure it's much easier to maintain the pool during the winter months nowadays, I will forever my father's grumbling about how tedious it was to maintain a pool throughout the year. Of course, I've always lived in Melbourne. Unless your pool is heated, a pool is something that doesn't get used for much of the year. I guess a spa is different, indoors, it could work. But then I'm more inclined to pamper myself in other ways - A good massage will always win over a spa any day in my book.