You have a large open area that could benefit from a little more zoning starting with the bbq and undercover area. If you could build in the bbq and add some bench seating which overlooks the back yard and add some vertical planters for herbs or succulents to separate this area. Zones create interest and you may enjoy the separation from the play areas while still maintaining supervision. Plants along the fence could certainly be a variety of lilly pilly or what about some citrus trees like limes for the cocktails, lemons for the salad dressing etc? Raised vegie gardens? A feature tree would be nice too but not sure what suits your area. Magnolias are very beautiful and the flowers are divine!

couches, angled island, powerpoint on island are good bt having dining table so far away frm kitchen not practical...I can imagine a tiff everytime the table is to be laid...who is going to ferry all the food and cutlery up and down?

Hi Patricia, that sounds like one of those 'rules of thumb' that can't necessarily be relied upon. There are a lot of factors to consider when burying or partially burying a water tank including the hydrostatic pressure (if you have a high water table there is a change the tank could float right out of the hole when empty), soil pressure which could distort your tank etc. I guess the first question I would ask you is 'why a 30,000L tank?'. Are you diverting all of your downpipes? How much roof area to you have? There may be other space saving solutions that don't rely on you partially burying a tank. Happy to help if you want to send me an email or just reply here.

I really can't stand the word mindfullness. It's like wellbeing - just combining two words to make a new one feels so clunky. How about being conscious, aware, present, in the moment. I voted for #3, as i appreciate fresh air and natural light more than silence or seclusion. I dont have a space like this at the moment, but maybe a stool in my courtyard could do the trick. Thanks for the inspiration!