Do you have saw palmetto, it is a native groundcover plant in Florida, that has a tropical look and covers the ground through underground shoots, and would give you a bold look, in which you could weave an entrance walk from the street to your entrance terrace at the foot of your front steps. A less tropical choice would be spreading juniper. No lawn, just beds of shrubs. Be simple and bold. When you build your front steps, please use dimensions for outdoor steps. That is, the tread should be at least 12'(30 cm) and the ratio of risers to tread should be approximate: two risers plus one tread equals 26"(66 cm).

Millie on ABC gardening did a segment awhile ago where she made a rustic pergola out of found objects. She used branches and held them upright using old gal rubbish bins filled with bricks and rubble. Then she put more branches across the top. Free if you get the materials from hard rubbish or tip shops!

As you're going to be in a windy coastal area what you need to think about is that most retractable awnings don't like too much wind and can (depending upon the type - I'm assuming you want it to extend your outdoor living space) prove to be expensive for you if it's damaged and can be a public liability. Have you thought of having a louvered pergola - there are many around (some even automated and motorized so that they respond to the angle of the sun). There are quite a few companies doing them and they suit the coastal areas and style well.

Thank you for all the ideas. Sometimes you think about something so much you can't see solutions. Like the ideas of umbrellas or awnings. We have 80 mm of the timber beam available to put an awning on. I think they're wider than that.☹️☹️ (There is a bolt in the beam that protrudes 2cm, it's not easily seen in photo as it is painted cream). An awning would need to sit underneath this bolt. The panels are plastic not glass and their track would need to be clear for when we open the pergola up, which we do during summer on long hot spells. We did plant callistemons about 3 -4 m away but they have not grown according to plan...lol I'm thinking the most achievable solution is a cantilevered umbrella. I think we'd need to concrete the base into the ground and remove the pole during winter. The brick area is a play area - netball etc. Any pros or cons to this idea?