Air condition is called aircon, the combo air conditioner & heaters that you hang high on a wall are called swingers. Countertops are called benches, yards are called a gardens, closets-wardrobe, bonus room-rumpus room, hardwood floors or any wood is called timber. Living in the country is living in the Bush. Carpenters are called a Chippy, electrician -Sparky, brick layer-bricky, plumber-dunny driver. Downtown is called CBD. Neighbor is spelled neighbour. If a room is painted and decorated in updated colors & pattens they are called “Fresh”. If a house is updated in higher end-sophisticated materials it’s called “smart”. Fittings-are basically light fixtures, plumbing fixtures, appliances. Color is spelled colour. Picture rails are still pretty common. Queenslander-is a traditional style of home in Queensland that has a bungalow/Victorian/country/cottage feel. “security screens” are popular on windows & doors-which is a metal lattice. Full fences around your property are also popular.

Gum trees are provide a stunning canopy to any garden, but as with any large tree close to your home, you need to be mindful of its health and possible future limb failure. Sudden limb failure in Eucalypts is the result of periods of dry weather, impacts on a tree's root zone and subsequent moisture stress. I recommend creating a beautiful native garden in this area with groundcovers and grasses that are suited to the sunlight available. Make sure the area is properly mulched (organic mulch is best) and that you water the area during periods of hot weather. It's also worthwhile having an arborist look at the tree every 12 months of so to make sure it is still healthy.

the photo of you chosen style would be very easy to add to your home but a narrow verandah will not be much use for anything more than a couple of chairs so my first thought would be to suggest converting the existing carport into extra indoor out door living areas with a new carport added to the side or a double steel garage towards the fence could be more cost effective OR a square deck with gabled roof (with or without a verandah along in front of the master bedroom) would have more space for a barbq table and chairs

The cracks are in our walls though I note our old tiles in our bathroom floor have lifted slightly so I suspect cracking may be an issue for us?? But I will explore the polished concrete/terrazzo option if you think it can be overcome as this is certainly our preference. We moved into our home recently and have basically lived downstairs so have not used the bathroom upstairs at all. A guest showered in it one time and it leaked through to our bedroom ceiling!! So we suspect there is an issue with the waterproofing and there are cracked tiles however we won't really know what the issue is until we pull it all out to see what is happening under the tiles. Thanks for your comments Ann I've appreciated your insights - good to talk with someone who has actually lived with these floorings rather than just going on what you read or are told by a salesperson.