Miallo cottage returns from the ashes
REAL ESTATE
IT'S almost three years ago that Miallo resident David Vivian watched in horror as his timber cottage was burnt to the ground and his life turned upside down.
And as much as the cruel turn of events changed his life, he now has the satisfaction of knowing he overcame the setback and can proudly enjoy his recently-built ‘The Perch’, which has just picked up a major award.
At the recent Master Builders Far North Queensland Housing and Construction awards, his house won the inaugural regional medal in the ‘Best use of Steel Framing’ category sponsored by BlueScope Steel.
“This is a fabulous result based on the quality and craftsmanship of local builder Alan Jenkins and the various local trades who made this possible. ‘The Perch’ will now compete for State and then National awards. I am keeping my fingers crossed.
“There was a time when I didn’t think this was possible after the devastation of the fire. It just goes to show when you pull together, anything is possible. Every aspect of the build was produced locally with the fabrication being done at Mareeba with Homefab – a great little business with a big heart,” said Vivian.
In thinking back to what occurred in 2014, he says: “The fire was on 28 October 2014 – three days after the house sale had settled. Investigations failed to establish the cause. The original timber home was razed in 10 minutes, with emergency services containing the fire from neighbouring properties.
“It took some months of soul-searching, to get through the setback. I was determined to design a new life here. There were times early on I didn’t think it could be done, but with perseverance and some guiding help of the local building trade ‘The Perch’ came into being.”
A long-time marketer and graphic designer, Vivian has found a new love in bird life photography which consumes a fair amount of his time.
“With a new house, I have a fresh passion and there is an outstanding number of birds to capture through my lenses,” he said.
Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.
* Readers are encouraged to use their full details below to ensure comment legitimacy. Comments are the opinions of readers and do not represent the views of Newsport or its staff. Comments containing unlawful, obscene, defamatory or abusive material will not be published.
