Mr onetwo
Well-known member
Fantastic!
Above 1200 Sq/FT The Cow Pasture Garage - Australia
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Wokspaces above 1200 squarefeet.
@ajohno thanks Aaron.
Yeah, with a bit of tidying up from time-to-time and keeping on top of the mowing of the pasture, spraying/pulling weeds, removing rubbish etc., even I can see the potential slowly emerging.
Once we can mow ourselves, this should really start to transform the pasture. Everyone tells us, regular mowing will really help with the management of the weeds in the pasture. I hope so
@Mr onetwo. Thank you. Next up we're thinking smart and taking action to lesson our ongoing workload.Fantastic!
Post #0071a - War of the weeds – Tidying and solarisation - Part LXVI
This update is about what we spend a substantial portion of our time doing from day-to-day, rather than what we pay others to do that we can’t do. Let me think
out aloud about that. Actually, some activities covered in this post are ones we do pay for, so that makes it a little worse than I thought 
. It’s only money! You can’t take it with you! Please cheer me up…
Speaking of costs, we’ve got a well-developed MS Excel workbook that is a budgeting tool which also tracks the cost of this build. So, if you have a question about cost, hit me up for an answer. Maybe there would be some interest in a post on building costs????? What should it cover? How much detail? Share your thoughts.
Anyway, I digress, there’s 40+ photos to follow, so I’ll have to split the update across at least four posts, so I’ll do this over at least a couple of weeks.
Way, way back in update posts #0052a & b 2 August 2025 I showed some of the work we were doing to tame this overgrown, weed infested block of land (see page 9, GJ posts ID #335 and ID #336).
Here are four photos that look back to the period (March 2025) when the photos for those posts were taken, that serve as a reminder of the state of the block.
Whilst the block was being mowed, it wasn’t being done regularly enough to really keep on top of the growth and hence weeds. However, it is possible to see improvement with the weeds being reduced and the pasture was improving. When this photo was taken it was only the fourth time it had been mowed in 2025. The really green areas in the distance that haven’t been mowed comprise a lot of weeds.
At the gully, it’s possible to see the area that can be mowed with a ride-on mower.
On the left-hand-side, I think that large tree is a Whelan's macadamia or Lasjia whelanii and the small one is what is commonly called a wild tobacco tree or Solanum mauritianum.
Further up the gully, the purple tinge is the flower of blue billygoat weed or Ageratum houstonianum, although there are variety of weed species in the gully, to say the least!
I’ll describe the gully as one of those wicked areas, which might have the potential to ultimately be transformed, but not without a huge investment of labour and funds. So, the question facing us, is what to do in the short to medium term?
The best answer I could come up with was to eliminate/reduce the worst of the worst weeds, leaving the non-native grasses (technically also weeds). Doing so would still require the ongoing management of those worst of the worst weeds.
Closer to the shed, areas that couldn’t be mowed (likely because of the size of the ride-on mower’s deck and or proximity of the retaining wall) were still just weeds.
I think by this stage, the runners trying to establish on the edge of the driveway had been sprayed but there’s also a lot of grass clippings present.
Over on the other side, the same problem exists with mowing up against the retaining wall.
At the swale drain behind the upper house pad retaining wall and the bank, a number of things were going on by the time the fifth round of mowing was occurring.
The swale drain itself was being regularly mowed with a push mower. In the immediate foreground to the right, is a raised berm covered in tangled kikuyu grass that deflects water into a stormwater pit (obscured from view).
About where the wheelbarrow is, on the steepest part of the bank, it’s quite patchy as the grass (good or bad) has yet to fully establish. Further in the distance to the left, there are patches of South African pigeon grass or Setaria sphacelata.
Behind the shed, the grass in the swale drain was beginning to improve with regular mowing using the push mower. I also trialled some targeted spraying of the paspalum. The are many, many species of paspalum and I think the species being sprayed is likely Paspalum dilatatum.
Spraying the grass on the edges of the driveway was also undertaken to stop runners getting into the road base and to try to define a clean edge or line to the grass.
Downslope of the house site, one area near the water tanks was also problematic for the ride-on mower due to the presence of the tanks, headwalls and electrical conduits. The good news is that there’s evidence of the pasture improving.
In this next photo are two very mature, coarse, tufted grass clumps. These were the largest examples I’d seen of this type which I think is Goose grass (Crows foot grass) or Eleusine tristachya.
A start had also been made removing the dead weeds that had been sprayed. The plan was to get into a position to place some mulch around the perimeter of the concrete tanks.
Continued below.
This update is about what we spend a substantial portion of our time doing from day-to-day, rather than what we pay others to do that we can’t do. Let me think
out aloud about that. Actually, some activities covered in this post are ones we do pay for, so that makes it a little worse than I thought . It’s only money! You can’t take it with you! Please cheer me up…Speaking of costs, we’ve got a well-developed MS Excel workbook that is a budgeting tool which also tracks the cost of this build. So, if you have a question about cost, hit me up for an answer. Maybe there would be some interest in a post on building costs????? What should it cover? How much detail? Share your thoughts.
Anyway, I digress, there’s 40+ photos to follow, so I’ll have to split the update across at least four posts, so I’ll do this over at least a couple of weeks.
Way, way back in update posts #0052a & b 2 August 2025 I showed some of the work we were doing to tame this overgrown, weed infested block of land (see page 9, GJ posts ID #335 and ID #336).
Here are four photos that look back to the period (March 2025) when the photos for those posts were taken, that serve as a reminder of the state of the block.
Whilst the block was being mowed, it wasn’t being done regularly enough to really keep on top of the growth and hence weeds. However, it is possible to see improvement with the weeds being reduced and the pasture was improving. When this photo was taken it was only the fourth time it had been mowed in 2025. The really green areas in the distance that haven’t been mowed comprise a lot of weeds.
At the gully, it’s possible to see the area that can be mowed with a ride-on mower.
On the left-hand-side, I think that large tree is a Whelan's macadamia or Lasjia whelanii and the small one is what is commonly called a wild tobacco tree or Solanum mauritianum.
Further up the gully, the purple tinge is the flower of blue billygoat weed or Ageratum houstonianum, although there are variety of weed species in the gully, to say the least!
I’ll describe the gully as one of those wicked areas, which might have the potential to ultimately be transformed, but not without a huge investment of labour and funds. So, the question facing us, is what to do in the short to medium term?
The best answer I could come up with was to eliminate/reduce the worst of the worst weeds, leaving the non-native grasses (technically also weeds). Doing so would still require the ongoing management of those worst of the worst weeds.
Closer to the shed, areas that couldn’t be mowed (likely because of the size of the ride-on mower’s deck and or proximity of the retaining wall) were still just weeds.
I think by this stage, the runners trying to establish on the edge of the driveway had been sprayed but there’s also a lot of grass clippings present.
Over on the other side, the same problem exists with mowing up against the retaining wall.
At the swale drain behind the upper house pad retaining wall and the bank, a number of things were going on by the time the fifth round of mowing was occurring.
The swale drain itself was being regularly mowed with a push mower. In the immediate foreground to the right, is a raised berm covered in tangled kikuyu grass that deflects water into a stormwater pit (obscured from view).
About where the wheelbarrow is, on the steepest part of the bank, it’s quite patchy as the grass (good or bad) has yet to fully establish. Further in the distance to the left, there are patches of South African pigeon grass or Setaria sphacelata.
Behind the shed, the grass in the swale drain was beginning to improve with regular mowing using the push mower. I also trialled some targeted spraying of the paspalum. The are many, many species of paspalum and I think the species being sprayed is likely Paspalum dilatatum.
Spraying the grass on the edges of the driveway was also undertaken to stop runners getting into the road base and to try to define a clean edge or line to the grass.
Downslope of the house site, one area near the water tanks was also problematic for the ride-on mower due to the presence of the tanks, headwalls and electrical conduits. The good news is that there’s evidence of the pasture improving.
In this next photo are two very mature, coarse, tufted grass clumps. These were the largest examples I’d seen of this type which I think is Goose grass (Crows foot grass) or Eleusine tristachya.
A start had also been made removing the dead weeds that had been sprayed. The plan was to get into a position to place some mulch around the perimeter of the concrete tanks.
Continued below.
Post #0071b - War of the weeds – Tidying and solarisation continued - Part LXVI
Just looking at the next photo, I see dead Cobbler’s pegs or Bidens pilosa.
That’s South African pigeon grass or Setaria sphacelata with the flowerheads. Obviously, it’s not a native grass. Our neighbour to the east maintains areas of it to provide an ecosystem for wildlife and to reduce the overall amount of mowing he must do. There’s a big area of it in the southern part of our block and we might do the same or something similar.
The strip of greenery to the right-hand side is both full of weeds that keep reemerging and awkward to mow, so the plan is to cover it over and solarise the weeds.
It’s not so obvious in the next photo but when Kikuyu or Cenchrus clandestinus is left to grow it turns into a tangled mat of runners. So yes, the grass is long but there’s runners in all directions, including those invading the rip rap.
As Wikipedia states, Kikuyu is native to the highland regions of East Africa but is a popular lawn in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the southern region of California in the United States. It suits livestock, hence why it’s here.
First up was a general tidy up.
Before.
After a tidy up, now ready for mulch.
Up on the northern boundary, the slightest puff of wind brings down tree branches from the trees on the block to the north. If they’re going to hinder mowing and aren’t too big to tackle, they get cut up straight away.
That’s our $200 hand-me-down Stihl chainsaw from my father-in-law…
Despite tackling the weeds behind the shed at least once before they had reestablished, so another session of hand weeding was needed. The slightest area of bare ground is all that they need.
Before.
After.
With the area cleared, some more plastic was laid to limit their regrowth.
Our neighbour to the east grows bamboo of several types. There are some huge, tall clumps located on the eastern boundary that provide a windbreak and screening.
The neighbour has sold some of it each year to the Woodford Folk Festival for use as lantern poles. The festival is an annual music and cultural festival held near Woodford, Queensland which is located about a 45-minute drive from here.
It’s damn messy though. It drops both the leaves and those tan coloured auricles.
I’ll do a couple of more posts next weekend to complete this update, so to be continued.
Just looking at the next photo, I see dead Cobbler’s pegs or Bidens pilosa.
That’s South African pigeon grass or Setaria sphacelata with the flowerheads. Obviously, it’s not a native grass. Our neighbour to the east maintains areas of it to provide an ecosystem for wildlife and to reduce the overall amount of mowing he must do. There’s a big area of it in the southern part of our block and we might do the same or something similar.
The strip of greenery to the right-hand side is both full of weeds that keep reemerging and awkward to mow, so the plan is to cover it over and solarise the weeds.
It’s not so obvious in the next photo but when Kikuyu or Cenchrus clandestinus is left to grow it turns into a tangled mat of runners. So yes, the grass is long but there’s runners in all directions, including those invading the rip rap.
As Wikipedia states, Kikuyu is native to the highland regions of East Africa but is a popular lawn in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the southern region of California in the United States. It suits livestock, hence why it’s here.
First up was a general tidy up.
Before.
After a tidy up, now ready for mulch.
Up on the northern boundary, the slightest puff of wind brings down tree branches from the trees on the block to the north. If they’re going to hinder mowing and aren’t too big to tackle, they get cut up straight away.
That’s our $200 hand-me-down Stihl chainsaw from my father-in-law…
Despite tackling the weeds behind the shed at least once before they had reestablished, so another session of hand weeding was needed. The slightest area of bare ground is all that they need.
Before.
After.
With the area cleared, some more plastic was laid to limit their regrowth.
Our neighbour to the east grows bamboo of several types. There are some huge, tall clumps located on the eastern boundary that provide a windbreak and screening.
The neighbour has sold some of it each year to the Woodford Folk Festival for use as lantern poles. The festival is an annual music and cultural festival held near Woodford, Queensland which is located about a 45-minute drive from here.
It’s damn messy though. It drops both the leaves and those tan coloured auricles.
I’ll do a couple of more posts next weekend to complete this update, so to be continued.
Geoff289
Well-known member
That sure is a lot of work.
@Geoff289 gotta agree with that.
It's certainly demanding at this stage, when you're not yet ready to start any real landscaping and you're simply trying to tame it and in doing so bring about some minor improvements, that will improve how the site looks. e.g. less weeds, improved pasture (thicker, less patchy, reduced amount of non-desirable grasses etc.)
It is rewarding though, seeing that with consistent effort it is changing.
Coolabah
Well-known member
Well, after spending 5 years being responsible for 50 acres of paddock maintenance after the cattle were sold off and my in-laws were too frail to take care of the property, (leaving just the wombats, red belly black snakes and rock wallabies) , I would love to know the theory behind "regular mowing keeps the weeds down". I do get that if you cut a weed's head off before it goes to seed , then it can't spread any seed , but the weed is still there and my only solution to that problem was glyphosate ( yeh, I know!) or for lantana- a machete and scratches all over me. My experience much further south than yourself is that the kikuyu won't smother the weeds and is not the alpha over the weeds- YMMV.
Lantana and blackberry will almost sneak up behind you and strangle you when you step down from your tractor for a sandwich. (The day of the Triffids was nothing compared to lantana LOL)
I think I missed the details of your ride on mower , but FWIW I absolutely loved the zero turn for where the tractor with slasher couldn't get to and of course around the house.
@Coolabah my observation is that with regular mowing (warmer months at least weekly and cooler months at least fortnightly) our Kikuyu has spread more rapidly (rather than putting the energy into excessive length) which has reduced the bare patches (weeds thrive in disturbed areas) and generally become more dense. Improving the density/thickness is supposed to deprive weeds of the sunlight they need to germinate. That's what we seem to be observing.
It's early days for us in terms of how long we've been at it but the before and after photos speak for themselves. We recently attended a few field sessions where representatives from the Sunshine Coast Council discussed the results from invasive weeds management trial projects at two sites near us. The results from various strategies including machine mulching, brush cutting to spraying using drones were discussed. We left feeling pretty good with the results we can see here on our patch.
In the pasture we're still hand weeding and spot applying a selective, broad leaf weed herbicide. We haven't done a broad scale herbicide application using a boom sprayer for more than six months. We've largely eliminated the Curly Dock or Rumex crispus.
Yesterday when I mowed I saw probably less than six plants. This is after not mowing for two weeks, over 100 mm (4") of rain in the last week and not having done any spot spraying (of that area) since 30 March 2026. Whereas, I remember that when we first started I did countless spraying campaigns where I focussed solely on it because there was so much of it to target on its own, and so many other weed species that I would get nowhere if I tried to spray all of them.
Same too for the Cobbler's pegs or Bidens pilosa, I rarely see or find mature plants in the areas of pasture being regularly mowed. If I do, their stems will be fairly thick (5+ mm), as it's likely they've had time to develop and been mowed a few times. It's still in the wicked areas like the gully and some other spots that we haven't invested a lot of time in but in far less quantities than what we started with. Here it will be flowering and going to seed (and we'll spray what we have time to get to). Having said this, we still find plenty of very immature plants (grass length high, single stem) in some but not all areas, typically near the shed and garage in the grass and barer areas (bordering the gully, areas of patchy grass). I think next year we'll trial a pre-emergent herbicide to tackle it.
What is interesting is the succession we've observed. That is, how once one species is brought under control another species then begins to dominate. We do now have various species of clover in the pasture and doing some boom spraying is going to be necessary.
Also interesting, is how some areas seem to be dominated by a particular species of weed. To the north of the shed where it's very steep there has been a lot of Catsear or Hypochaeris radicata. I tackled it once before and thought it was largely dealt with. Fast forward a few months and I've had to start a second campaign comprising two intensive hand weeding sessions and two spraying runs.
The guy that we were using to mow had a Cub Cadet Pro Z 972SD zero turn steering wheel ride-on, with a 35 hp engine, 72" deck and dual rear wheels. We've bought a smaller model and I'll do a post about that in the future.
Anyway, it's raining today, so that means no weeding
Post #0071c - War of the weeds – Tidying and solarisation continued - Part LXVI
Next up, some leaves were bagged up and auricles collected. All of this was moved over to a spot behind the shipping container. The auricles are probably hard to compost in the tumblers. Without an incinerator, the remaining choice is to compost them in a covered pile with some green waste.
Back at the shed, the grass around the concrete headwall had been sprayed with herbicide and died, so it was ready to be cleared.
Job done, now ready for mulch.
We’d ducked down the coast and picked up some rolls of black plastic. First up, we laid some adjacent to the concrete water tanks. My wife suggested a change of plans, and we left a strip of grass. No problems! Just the right size for the push mower.
The piles of materials from excavating the buildings’ foundations were a constant weeding problem. Here we’ve covered the largest pile and the black plastic in the foreground will cover the pile that’s out of view to the left.
Job done, next!
On the upper house pad this area was problematic too, so it was covered. Far fewer weeds seem to grow on much of the entire rest of the pad, excluding the area at the shipping container, than this much smaller area.
Below is a slight problem area. It was being eroded when there was significant rainfall. We created some rip rap using the rocks found on site. You might have noticed we’ve placed some mulch around the tanks, but I’ll do a separate post on that task.
In the next instalment, we start by returning to the block’s entrance.
Next up, some leaves were bagged up and auricles collected. All of this was moved over to a spot behind the shipping container. The auricles are probably hard to compost in the tumblers. Without an incinerator, the remaining choice is to compost them in a covered pile with some green waste.
Back at the shed, the grass around the concrete headwall had been sprayed with herbicide and died, so it was ready to be cleared.
Job done, now ready for mulch.
We’d ducked down the coast and picked up some rolls of black plastic. First up, we laid some adjacent to the concrete water tanks. My wife suggested a change of plans, and we left a strip of grass. No problems! Just the right size for the push mower.
The piles of materials from excavating the buildings’ foundations were a constant weeding problem. Here we’ve covered the largest pile and the black plastic in the foreground will cover the pile that’s out of view to the left.
Job done, next!
On the upper house pad this area was problematic too, so it was covered. Far fewer weeds seem to grow on much of the entire rest of the pad, excluding the area at the shipping container, than this much smaller area.
Below is a slight problem area. It was being eroded when there was significant rainfall. We created some rip rap using the rocks found on site. You might have noticed we’ve placed some mulch around the tanks, but I’ll do a separate post on that task.
In the next instalment, we start by returning to the block’s entrance.
Post #0071d - War of the weeds – Tidying and solarisation continued - Part LXVI
In this next photo, the berm constructed to deflect surface runoff is clearly visible. It was planted with quick growing rye grass to stabilise it, with a row of turf in the drain.
Here, some more bamboo leaves and other debris are being raked up. The grass to the right-hand-side is mainly clumps of Paspalum, leaving the bare patches. Apart from keeping the weeds out of it, there’s not a lot (?) that I can think to do to improve its appeal until it is landscaped.
In this next photo most of the weeds being sprayed are immature Cobbler’s pegs or Bidens pilosa. Over the following months, the whole area needed revisiting more than once.
The conduits are to provide power and communications for a possible gate incorporating lighting and an intercom. It might be a while before that is completed…
On the western boundary it was time to brush cut along the fence line. It would then be sprayed to manage it. There’s no way I’d have the time to brush cut it 6-8 times per year. On the east side of the fence the vehicle tracks are a result of the fence being constructed.
Although the neighbour was mowing right to the fence line, they were not brush cutting their side. Worse was to come as they eventually stopped mowing the strip against the fence.
These next photos were taken after I’d brush cut along the fence line on both sides. I just used a ladder to climb the fence.
Something to note in this next photo is that the Kikuyu isn’t particularly thick and lush.
Here’s a couple of photos looking up the gully.
Whilst carrying out a reconnaissance inspection I came across this common thistle or Cirsium vulgare. It was at least a metre (40”) wide. It wasn’t the only one. Time to take some serious action!
It’s probably hard to pick the difference between the earlier photo but here’s the after photo at the upstream side of the headwall after being tidied up.
The wild tobacco is starting to wilt after being sprayed with herbicide. Its seeds are spread by birds and it’s an ongoing problem requiring attention.
I didn’t manage to get a before photo but here’s an after photo at the downstream side of the headwall after being tidied up.
In the next instalment we tackle the gully.
In this next photo, the berm constructed to deflect surface runoff is clearly visible. It was planted with quick growing rye grass to stabilise it, with a row of turf in the drain.
Here, some more bamboo leaves and other debris are being raked up. The grass to the right-hand-side is mainly clumps of Paspalum, leaving the bare patches. Apart from keeping the weeds out of it, there’s not a lot (?) that I can think to do to improve its appeal until it is landscaped.
In this next photo most of the weeds being sprayed are immature Cobbler’s pegs or Bidens pilosa. Over the following months, the whole area needed revisiting more than once.
The conduits are to provide power and communications for a possible gate incorporating lighting and an intercom. It might be a while before that is completed…
On the western boundary it was time to brush cut along the fence line. It would then be sprayed to manage it. There’s no way I’d have the time to brush cut it 6-8 times per year. On the east side of the fence the vehicle tracks are a result of the fence being constructed.
Although the neighbour was mowing right to the fence line, they were not brush cutting their side. Worse was to come as they eventually stopped mowing the strip against the fence.
These next photos were taken after I’d brush cut along the fence line on both sides. I just used a ladder to climb the fence.
Something to note in this next photo is that the Kikuyu isn’t particularly thick and lush.
Here’s a couple of photos looking up the gully.
Whilst carrying out a reconnaissance inspection I came across this common thistle or Cirsium vulgare. It was at least a metre (40”) wide. It wasn’t the only one. Time to take some serious action!
It’s probably hard to pick the difference between the earlier photo but here’s the after photo at the upstream side of the headwall after being tidied up.
The wild tobacco is starting to wilt after being sprayed with herbicide. Its seeds are spread by birds and it’s an ongoing problem requiring attention.
I didn’t manage to get a before photo but here’s an after photo at the downstream side of the headwall after being tidied up.
In the next instalment we tackle the gully.
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Coolabah
Well-known member
What a great and interesting update !
I'm trying to work out the difference between your experience and mine with weed control. I guess I came into the scenario well after the cattle were gone , dealing with -minimally- waist high growth over 50 acres and there was no "bare earth". It was probably 80 percent weeds , the kikuyu was no longer in the majority but it used to be when there were cattle.
It was also like painting the Sydney Harbour Bridge- once you finished you started all over again. Since I also had other jobs- eg servicing the equipment, fixing all sorts of stuff, removing lantana by hand etc the "complete paddock mow cycle" was about 4 weeks . Anyway, you certainly seem to be making better progress against "The Triffids" than I did, and I am enjoying an (unseemly) vicarious pleasure from that. Nil carborundum bastardi !
I'm trying to work out the difference between your experience and mine with weed control. I guess I came into the scenario well after the cattle were gone , dealing with -minimally- waist high growth over 50 acres and there was no "bare earth". It was probably 80 percent weeds , the kikuyu was no longer in the majority but it used to be when there were cattle.
It was also like painting the Sydney Harbour Bridge- once you finished you started all over again. Since I also had other jobs- eg servicing the equipment, fixing all sorts of stuff, removing lantana by hand etc the "complete paddock mow cycle" was about 4 weeks . Anyway, you certainly seem to be making better progress against "The Triffids" than I did, and I am enjoying an (unseemly) vicarious pleasure from that. Nil carborundum bastardi !
@Coolabah, at the field days we attended some very interesting points were made. These included:
- There is so much information available that it's overwhelming.
- You must have a goal in mind and know what you are working towards e.g. decrease weeds, increase native planting, create fauna habitats etc.
- Read your landscape e.g. what weeds are present, why do you think they are where they are, are they performing a function etc.
- You must work to a plan e.g. if the weeds are removed/obliterated, then what?
- Pick your battles and prioritise e.g. trees like Wild Tobacco and Bleeding Heart can be retained to attract birds, create shade to deprive weeds of sunlight. They then can be removed later. To late for us as I've cut them down!
- Adopt a shift in mindset from battling weeds to managing weeds.
- Zero weeds (perfection) is not possible.
- Starting from the best areas and extending them outwards is one strategy/tool.
- Identify your constraints and be realistic.
- Work efficiently if time is a constraint e.g. bundle up Lantana spp. and leave it in place, rather than moving it. It will create a temporary habitat. Place mulch around plantings in rings, rather than covering entire areas.
- You often learn by trial and error.
We are constantly juggling tasks, to achieve a balance between maintenance (e.g. cutting up fallen branches, mowing, etc.) and making improvements (e.g. mulching to reduce weeding, filling low spots and digging out rocks to aid mowing etc.), not to forget just making time for yourself, partner and friends and the rest of life.
Just to provide some perspective, there are weeks and weeks when we put in 5-7 days a week, so 60-100 hours across the pair of us. So, we are throwing an enormous amount of time into managing the five acres and this is a huge factor in the results. When it rains that will typically stop us and we'll tackle paperwork, do planning, pick up supplies, service equipment etc. etc.
The rain here can be a big problem (and we've had a dry start to the year that was very beneficial, otherwise the weed situation would be worse). It only fined up late last week and I was able to undertake the mowing on Saturday (new record of 3.3 hours!). This week is forecast to be wet and I can see (from mowing) we're falling behind in terms of returning to areas that require followup. Two weeks is the current limit for mowing, even as we head into winter, particularly if there's a few days/week of rain. Every 2-3 months I like to do a walkover of the pasture on the southern half of the block and the area down slope of the garage and spot spray any weeds that have established.
When doing targeted spraying of wicked areas, I find that an area might need monthly intervention for a few months, then the time frame might be able to be lengthened but all of this is really just a stopgap measure until more permanent fixes can be introduced.
In the next few weeks/months we'll be moving around between QLD and NT and within South East Queensland, so I think we'll have our contractor return to do the mowing and some targeted spraying.
I will sign off with some recent photos from March 2026 (spoiler alert). I will eventually do a before and after update that shows the transformation of the pasture from early management to current day (at some point in the future). Keep in mind my regular update posts lag what is the current status, so you'll see a new asphalt driveway
The bare patch was from some regrading works. Of course the Crows foot grass has taken hold.
Adjacent to the dam we're solarising a large patch of Paspalum sp. using black plastic.
Lots of Crows foot grass on the edge of the driveway where there's been disturbance. You can just see a strip of turf that was laid.
The silt fence still needs to be removed from the gully.
There's the new asphalt driveway
The north end of the block. Lots of Paspalum sp. in the foreground but beyond that is some nice Kikuyu that is spreading.
The north end of the swale drain behind the shed. It was initially turfed. Either side is not so good. To the left (mostly out of frame) is a large patch of Crows foot grass and to the right is Paspalum sp. but clover is taking hold (hard to see).
The swale drain behind the shed. The spots where rocks were removed need some topping up with soil. You can see a neighbour has planted some trees on their fenceline.
This pile of rocks were removed from just the area to the north of the shed (and some have been given away).
There's a very compacted area just to the right of the pit. The clover (hard to see) there is worse now and will need spraying.
I was going to do a couple of more update posts that focussed on the condition of the pasture (in the past, mid 2025). I'll still do these and this will allow a comparison between then and March 2026 using the above photos. I'll still eventually do a before (start of 2025) and after (current day at the time) post.
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Geoff289
Well-known member
The driveway looks good. Any concerns about it melting when it gets real hot up there?
@Geoff289 no not when it's hot. I think the big problem will be when it's wet and something heavy finds a soft spot or the vehicle gets onto the shoulder. There is the geofabric under the road base though.
@Mr onetwo was right about the driveway. The other day a furniture truck drove over some new turf
I have a funny story about my brother-in-law involving a fire brigade rescuing him from a shed roof and their truck sinking into the asphalt driveway at my in-law's place. Well, funny in hindsight.
Mr onetwo
Well-known member
Looks great....that is a tremendous amount of work right there! However, rust never sleeps and neither does nature
@Mr onetwo that image reminds me I have some minor rust on the shipping container to attend to...Looks great....that is a tremendous amount of work right there! However, rust never sleeps and neither does nature
Mr onetwo
Well-known member
glad to be of service
Post #0071e - War of the weeds – Tidying and solarisation continued - Part LXVI
Hi everyone,
Just a short update this time. We’re away and flat out dealing with our property in Darwin.
So, continuing on, it was time to call in the contractor who does our mowing to spray the gully. I was busy cleaning the north wall of the shed and didn’t focus enough to stop and shoot some nice photos. Anyway, there he is standing in the gully using his spray gun which is connected to a 200 L (50 US gallon) tank in the Can Am side-by-side.
I had some genuine concerns about doing this, given the dam located downstream. The gully hadn’t been flowing for ages, and we picked a time when it was thought there wouldn’t be much rain for at least the next two weeks, possibly longer.
This lime coloured grass that started sprouting everywhere had me puzzled. I thought it might be a species of nutgrass but those I asked said it was more likely some form of rye grass, sprouting from seeds that were sown when the land was used as pasture. If so, it would eventually die in the warmer weather.
Many, many months later here’s the result of spraying gully.
As mentioned earlier, the strategy going forward would be to keep the worst of the worst weeds under control and leave the different species of grasses to grow back.
Was it a good move?
Hi everyone,
Just a short update this time. We’re away and flat out dealing with our property in Darwin.
So, continuing on, it was time to call in the contractor who does our mowing to spray the gully. I was busy cleaning the north wall of the shed and didn’t focus enough to stop and shoot some nice photos. Anyway, there he is standing in the gully using his spray gun which is connected to a 200 L (50 US gallon) tank in the Can Am side-by-side.
I had some genuine concerns about doing this, given the dam located downstream. The gully hadn’t been flowing for ages, and we picked a time when it was thought there wouldn’t be much rain for at least the next two weeks, possibly longer.
This lime coloured grass that started sprouting everywhere had me puzzled. I thought it might be a species of nutgrass but those I asked said it was more likely some form of rye grass, sprouting from seeds that were sown when the land was used as pasture. If so, it would eventually die in the warmer weather.
Many, many months later here’s the result of spraying gully.
As mentioned earlier, the strategy going forward would be to keep the worst of the worst weeds under control and leave the different species of grasses to grow back.
Was it a good move?
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Mr onetwo
Well-known member
Coolabah
Well-known member
Well if your contractor was spraying glyphosate and you have fish in your dam then there is indeed reason for concern !
I like your weed strategy, there is plenty of room to maintain your sanity -and even better if it works
I like your weed strategy, there is plenty of room to maintain your sanity -and even better if it works
@Coolabah yes indeed. Having spoken to a few professionals, there's no way you can successfully manage acreage without the use of some herbicides. The growing conditions are just perfect.
It's a complete contrast to suburban Darwin where I had to look hard to fine a single weed on my plot.
This semi-rural tree change does/will involve some changes which we are very conscious of. For example, no washing paint brushes in the sink, even if using water based paints, separating fats and oils to ensure they don't end up in the wastewater treatment system etc.
I have been dwelling on what to do with oily water contaminated from parts washing and how to clean the engine and engine bay of my Torino, which had an intake manifold leak leading to oil leaking down the rear of the engine. Still thinking about this...
Coolabah
Well-known member
Oh, apologies I might have come across the opposite of what I was intending! Mate of course you need to use chemicals unless you want to hand weed 24/7 in some organic farm hippie thing ( not that there is anything wrong with that )
Glyphosate has been implicated, then un-implicated, then implicated once again in causing cancer, but it is used worldwide so there you go .
I was merely referring to the really bad properties it has on any and all aquatic beings, and was supporting your timing for any predictable near future washout ( ie rain) of this stuff into your dam. For some inexplicable reason, I just love my fish pond and in the early days before I knew better a few decades ago , the rain runoff from my lawn was permitted to run through my fishpond that I had just established with 24 fingerlings. It wasn't glyphosate , probably something else that I innocently used on my lawn but all 24 died. I still feel like a mass-murderer.
Actually, 23 died. I was cleaning out the by now drained pond a few days later and found a single fish alive, buried in a sludge of mud on the pond liner. Rambo is still alive today. I don't normally name my fish as superstition dictates this will ensure their imminent demise. This is perhaps a "reverse Uno" exception ?
Anyway, hope you get Darwin sorted without too much drama,
cheers, Greg
hewey
Well-known member
Lots of work and thought behind it all as always. I dont comment on every post, but enjoy you sharing your progress. Asphalt driveway looks great!
@Coolabah, no, no, I didn't take it like that at all.
Some (on acreage) do try the no herbicide approach and fail. I still do periods of removing weeds by hand but there's a limit.
Eventually, I'm trying to reach the point where I can do most of the spraying with Bioweed, an organic herbicide based upon pine oil. I haven't tried it yet but some friends of our swear by it. I referred them to it.
Darwin is moving along. I'm currently packing my diecast model car collection. I'm about half way through. These really kicked off in the early 2000s, starting with Biante Classics, then Classic Carlectables. I soon realised I couldn't buy them all and gave up shortly after the run of more modern Bathurst winners and V8 Supercars started being released.
Considering they are diecast or pot metal (which is unstable), they're all mostly in great condition for 20+ years old. Some have an occasional blemish here and there with the exception of that **** Johnson XE Greens Tough No. 17 shown in the photo. It is totally buggered. I had the boxes stored in bigger boxes in the roof cavity and they are mostly fine too. The occasional certificate has some yellow/brownish age marks.
Those glass cabinets are being moved too
By chance we found out the annual All Ford Day was on the Monday public holiday which has just passed. . I just need to resize the photographs, then I'll post them.
@hewey thanks for keeping involved.
I planned ahead and put together a few more updates that I'll post. I knew I'd be busy. At the moment, I don't have much time to read any other threads.
We've started the process of selling our home in Darwin, one in Brisbane and one on the Sunshine Coast, plus there are the eight cars (including the daily driver) and a hoist to be moved.
I started the process for moving the cars in March and it's kinda coming together. The first two leave Darwin on 29 June, fingers crossed. Two are coming from Perth WA in July/August, one from Tasmania in June/July and two from Wamuran in July/August. Long story as to why they are where they are.
I'm returning to Brisbane on 1 July and stop off at Wamuran QLD (near Caboolture) to bring the two cars there out of hibernation, then back home to meet the cars from Darwin. They will need a double move as the access to our property is too difficult and they are not running.
My brother-in-law and I will then fly back to Darwin on 11 July to disassemble the hoist which has to be at the removalist's depot by 17 July, then they do the final uplift of our personal effects on 20 July. The keys then go to the estate agent, we go back to QLD and we do what we need to do to get all three properties on the market and sold.
There is already a hiccup with the one in Brisbane. We found out this week its roof was damaged by a storm in November 2025 and we've had to make an insurance claim. I'm not sure why you pay property managers
We were the last to find out.Well, that's what's currently keeping me busy.
Coolabah
Well-known member
I planned ahead and put together a few more updates that I'll post. I knew I'd be busy. At the moment, I don't have much time to read any other threads.
We've started the process of selling our home in Darwin, one in Brisbane and one on the Sunshine Coast, plus there are the eight cars (including the daily driver) and a hoist to be moved.
started the process for moving the cars in March and it's kinda coming together. The first two leave Darwin on 29 June, fingers crossed. Two are coming from Perth WA in July/August, one from Tasmania in June/July and two from Wamuran in July/August. Long story as to why they are where they are.
No, I get it. Darwin has been bombed before, sensible to risk only two cars there.
I'm returning to Brisbane on 1 July and stop off at Wamuran QLD (near Caboolture) to bring the two cars there out of hibernation, then back home to meet the cars from Darwin. They will need a double move as the access to our property is too difficult and they are not running.
My brother-in-law and I will then fly back to Darwin on 11 July to disassemble the hoist which has to be at the removalist's depot by 17 July, then they do the final uplift of our personal effects on 20 July. The keys then go to the estate agent, we go back to QLD and we do what we need to do to get all three properties on the market and sold.
There is already a hiccup with the one in Brisbane. We found out this week its roof was damaged by a storm in November 2025 and we've had to make an insurance claim. I'm not sure why you pay property managers
We were the last to find out.Tell me about it ! My father has rented out the family home that we all grew up in for many years, as he has moved to a different state. One example that I still fume about is that , apparently , a garden tap was dripping for about six months ( the tenants weren't paying for water usage anyway) yet the agent organised an emergency plumber to come on a Sunday to replace the tap. I kid you not , not much change from $800 for a $15 tap that could have been replaced during the week !!!!!
Love your car collection and those display cabinets are very cool .
I imagine it will be nice to stop having to think about all those properties , simplifying both your life and I would imagine also your bank account ! Not allowed to mention politics so I will make no comment about CGT
@Coolabah, didn't think of that reason lol. What did Basil Fawlty say, "Don't mention the war!". Different axis power but they were all on the wrong side.No, I get it. Darwin has been bombed before, sensible to risk only two cars there.
It was a long time ago, and let's hope our world leaders heed the lessons that war has no winners. Mind you, it is a worrying time at the moment with a number of conflicts raging around the world.
I can say though, I've been more than just concerned watching the roller door move six inches inwards during a few cyclones.
We can honestly say we've seen it all and had it all done to us. The house in Brisbane we plan to sell, seems to have never had reasonable tenants. The current one has been breached for the state of the gardens and lawn, punched a hole in a wall, tore the toilet roll holder off the wall, broke three doors off their hinges and more.
Before that, a tenant was storing furniture in a tent placed on a tarp on the back lawn. Just great for the lawn! Another one, parked his boat, box and camper trailers on day one of the new lease on the newly established turf. He also installed some air conditioners and used my left over pavers as a base to build a garden shed on. Another lot simply walked out at the end of the lease and what about those tenants that steal all the sink plugs, refuse to replace bathroom heat bulbs, claiming they're special bulbs or won't tighten some wing nuts on a toilet seat.
Thank you. On the first cabinet you can see I had a pipeline of scale model kits in-progress. I went through a phase of building factory muscle cars for ages, then went on a tangent building mild customs. That was long time ago though. I have a big collection of old out-of-production kits from the 1970-1990s that I might make some type of display from using those with the coolest box art.
Yes, that's hit the nail on the head. You tire of managing property managers and dread the end of leases. It's not all caviar and champagne and we went without a lot to get to where we are now. During 2022, when mortgages doubled we were on the brink of going under.
The best thing to come out of the federal budget is the increased awareness of people and the exposure on social media of issues like the lack of taxes paid by gas companies, how politicians set themselves up for lucrative jobs after politics and the waste of taxpayers money (Anita Wells is the champion), including how spouses and family members benefit. I'll say it now, Labor will lose the next election because Australia is heading into a recession and Labor's budget will be blamed.
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These photos were taken on 8 June 2026 at the Classic Ford Club of the Northern Territory's All Ford Day held in Darwin, Australia.
It was all blue skies and very dry.
Album 1 of 6.
Ford LTD P5, Ford's flagship Limousine from 1972-76.
Ford's ZG Fairlane incorporated a facelift after the ZF. Together they spanned the period 1972-76.
Owners complained the styling of the LTD and Fairlane was too similar to that of the Falcon range.
Tribute AC Cobra.
Ford Mainline Utility 1956.
Ford Compact Fairlane 1963.
Ford Falcon XA GT sedan 1972. I think this colour is Summer Gold. This model spanned 1972-1973.
Aftermarket AC is a good idea.
The owner of the XA GT sedan had recently gotten this two-door hardtop or coupe running. Barn find meets Mad Max?
It was all blue skies and very dry.
Album 1 of 6.
Ford LTD P5, Ford's flagship Limousine from 1972-76.
Ford's ZG Fairlane incorporated a facelift after the ZF. Together they spanned the period 1972-76.
Owners complained the styling of the LTD and Fairlane was too similar to that of the Falcon range.
Tribute AC Cobra.
Ford Mainline Utility 1956.
Ford Compact Fairlane 1963.
Ford Falcon XA GT sedan 1972. I think this colour is Summer Gold. This model spanned 1972-1973.
Aftermarket AC is a good idea.
The owner of the XA GT sedan had recently gotten this two-door hardtop or coupe running. Barn find meets Mad Max?
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Geoff289
Well-known member
Ford heaven. Since I don't have a truck anymore, I'll have the Mainline ute. For our US readers, this is basically a '56 Crown Vic based Ranchero. They came to this country as CKD (completely knocked down) kits from Canada which, as another British Commonwealth country, avoided some hefty import tariffs.
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Album 2 of 6.
Ford Falcon XW GT Tribute. The XW spanned 1969-70. This car is a regular entrant in the Variety Aussie Muscle Car Run which is a charity event. Owned by a great local couple.
Ford Galaxie 1963.
A tidy Ford XC Falcon in Pine n Lime. The XC was produced between 1976-78. With the twin headlight grille, this is possibly a genuine GS or Grand Sport optioned car. This car also runs in the Variety Aussis Muscle Car Run.
If the 351C and four-speed single rail gearbox are original, it's a pretty rare car. The only rarer XC would be a Fairmont with the GS option. Not possible you say. Many would agree, but yes it was. I think there was only single digit production.
Ford Falcon XC Cobra which was a limited edition (aka run-out) model in 1978. The idea from Edsel Ford II was to produce 400 cars to use up 400 hardtop body shells. There were 200 351C equipped cars and 200 302C equipped cars with a mix of manual and automatic gearboxes or transmissions and options. Car nos. 0002-0031 were fitted with homologation extras to satisfy the racing regulator.
One interesting detail is that they are painted blue first, and then the white is laid over the blue. Today, they are one of the most desirable Australian muscle cars, although their performance isn't anything to get excited by.
This example is a 302C, automatic equipped car owned by the same couple that own the XW GT tribute.
They are all based upon the Grand Sport (GS) option, hence the sports instrumentation.
Ford Falcon XR 1967. I recall this car was totally written off in an accident, so it's been brought back and saved.
Ford Thunderbird. I think this model was produced from 1964-66 and was made famous by the movie Thelma and Louise.
Ford Falcon XW GT Tribute. The XW spanned 1969-70. This car is a regular entrant in the Variety Aussie Muscle Car Run which is a charity event. Owned by a great local couple.
Ford Galaxie 1963.
A tidy Ford XC Falcon in Pine n Lime. The XC was produced between 1976-78. With the twin headlight grille, this is possibly a genuine GS or Grand Sport optioned car. This car also runs in the Variety Aussis Muscle Car Run.
If the 351C and four-speed single rail gearbox are original, it's a pretty rare car. The only rarer XC would be a Fairmont with the GS option. Not possible you say. Many would agree, but yes it was. I think there was only single digit production.
Ford Falcon XC Cobra which was a limited edition (aka run-out) model in 1978. The idea from Edsel Ford II was to produce 400 cars to use up 400 hardtop body shells. There were 200 351C equipped cars and 200 302C equipped cars with a mix of manual and automatic gearboxes or transmissions and options. Car nos. 0002-0031 were fitted with homologation extras to satisfy the racing regulator.
One interesting detail is that they are painted blue first, and then the white is laid over the blue. Today, they are one of the most desirable Australian muscle cars, although their performance isn't anything to get excited by.
This example is a 302C, automatic equipped car owned by the same couple that own the XW GT tribute.
They are all based upon the Grand Sport (GS) option, hence the sports instrumentation.
Ford Falcon XR 1967. I recall this car was totally written off in an accident, so it's been brought back and saved.
Ford Thunderbird. I think this model was produced from 1964-66 and was made famous by the movie Thelma and Louise.
Geoff289
Well-known member
I've never seen one but have heard they exist too, There were always the odd special order available to those with the right contacts inside Ford. I've seen a factory produced four speed manual ZD Fairlane and been told about an XF Falcon that emerged from the Broadmeadows factory with a cleveland in it after they'd stopped V8 production during the XE model run. There was also Bill Bourke's famous 428 Cobra Jet XW GT, I guess he had contacts.
That T bird is a '66 and I'll take that too.
@Geoff289 in the flesh me neither.
You don't see this colour very often Y397 Mediterranean Blue.
From the Ford letter I'd interpret the numbers as eight in total across all Falcons and Fairmonts, but it could be eight across simply Fairmonts.
Looks like there were dealer added cloth seat inserts.
I have never, ever seen whatever it is hanging off the driver's side shock tower.
Geoff289
Well-known member
Very interesting.
I'm about 90% sure the gizmo on the shock tower is an early aftermarket cruise control set up.
I'm about 90% sure the gizmo on the shock tower is an early aftermarket cruise control set up.
M.Brane
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Thanks for sharing that. Cool things going on on the other side of the planet. Lots of stuff we didn't get here. Gotta love marketing.
Album 3 of 6.
The inside of the 1966 Ford Thunderbird.
Ford Mustang Mach 1 1973. This must be an early import because it had been converted to right hand drive.
Ford Falcon XY GT Tribute. This model was produced from 1970-71.
Many years ago I went for a hot lap lap around Hidden Valley (a V8 Supercar track in Darwin) in this car on a hot Dry Season day. The owner did not, I say did not baby this thing. I remember coming onto the straight and the windscreen being slowly covered in fine dots of water from the radiator overheating. The owner said, "Don't worry it will cool down by the time we reach the end of pit straight."
A tidy Ford XC utility with the twin headlight GS front grille.
A very tidy Ford XE with the EFI six cylinder engine. The XE was produced from 1982-84 with the last of the V8 cars being produced in 1982. I didn't take a look at the compliance plate, so I can't say whether this is a Falcon or Fairmont. It looks to be running the 18" x 8" aftermarket Snowflake rims from Global Trim, the design of which is based upon the original rim.
This is a restored ex police car. Again an XE but factory fitted with the 351C.
The rims are the original design of the Snowflakes found on ZL Fairlanes (silver Snowflakes) and Fairmont ESP Ghias (Gold snowflakes).
This is a Ford Falcon XE S Pack fitted with a turbocharger. Back in the day Mike Vine offered turbocharger upgrades. I know of them but not that much. There was an XE for sale recently at Seven82Motors. I'm not sure whether the car below is an original Mike Vine turbocharged car. As far as I know Ford had nothing to do with the Mike Vine turbocharged cars.
The inside of the 1966 Ford Thunderbird.
Ford Mustang Mach 1 1973. This must be an early import because it had been converted to right hand drive.
Ford Falcon XY GT Tribute. This model was produced from 1970-71.
Many years ago I went for a hot lap lap around Hidden Valley (a V8 Supercar track in Darwin) in this car on a hot Dry Season day. The owner did not, I say did not baby this thing. I remember coming onto the straight and the windscreen being slowly covered in fine dots of water from the radiator overheating. The owner said, "Don't worry it will cool down by the time we reach the end of pit straight."
A tidy Ford XC utility with the twin headlight GS front grille.
A very tidy Ford XE with the EFI six cylinder engine. The XE was produced from 1982-84 with the last of the V8 cars being produced in 1982. I didn't take a look at the compliance plate, so I can't say whether this is a Falcon or Fairmont. It looks to be running the 18" x 8" aftermarket Snowflake rims from Global Trim, the design of which is based upon the original rim.
This is a restored ex police car. Again an XE but factory fitted with the 351C.
The rims are the original design of the Snowflakes found on ZL Fairlanes (silver Snowflakes) and Fairmont ESP Ghias (Gold snowflakes).
This is a Ford Falcon XE S Pack fitted with a turbocharger. Back in the day Mike Vine offered turbocharger upgrades. I know of them but not that much. There was an XE for sale recently at Seven82Motors. I'm not sure whether the car below is an original Mike Vine turbocharged car. As far as I know Ford had nothing to do with the Mike Vine turbocharged cars.