Residential Home Builders in Melbourne

When looking for a perfect abode for you and your family, building one from scratch,rather than buying one is a great option in ways more than one. The primary one being that you can have it your way, the way that you have always envisioned or dream your own house of being. You don’t have to settle for someone else’s idea of a perfect abode. You can have the skylight that you had in your childhood, at your ancestral home, with the moonlight beaming down on your face or watching the raindrops make their way to earth, paying you a visit in between, through the skylight. In short, it’s always worth it to build than buy. There are many residential home builders in Melbourne who can realize your dreams of owning the perfect abode. When setting for a construction company for your home, it’s highly advisable to go with an experienced company rather than a newbie. 

Here’s the reason why:

Timely completion

 An experienced construction company will have the expertise and knowledge of working and completing a project on the deadline. Even if delays occur, which is a common phenomenon in any project, an experienced company would know how to amp up other areas to meet the deadline.

Quality & safety assurance

An experienced construction company will never compromise on quality of raw materials or the overall quality & safety of the project, for they have a reputation to protect and won’t jeopardize the reputation just for a few measly bucks. They will ensure high quality, safety and workmanship, as their reputation and goodwill is of more importance to them than a few extra percentage of profit.

Ease of permit processing

An experienced company, that has been working and surviving in the highly competitive market, has to have certain contracts in various departments regarding special building permits. These contacts are highly facilitating when you need special permits for your construction, an advantage no newbie company can provide.

Less or no chance of Mistake

A new construction company may jeopardize the project by committing mistakes  like not adhering to the design or wrong materials for construction due to inexperience, but that’s not the case with experienced ones for they have the professional expertise and experience of working high end projects.

These were the few basic reasons why you should go with an experienced construction company for your dream home. There are many Custom design builders in Melbourne, who are highly experienced in custom designs and residential projects.

Source By: Residential Home Builders in Melbourne

Learn Bush dancing: ‘Merry Widow Waltz’ & ‘Tempest’ dance instructions

Bush Dancing is highly popular dance form in Australia since its earlier times of settlers and aboriginals. It has now become a social dance, danced at many social occasions like dance workshops, private functions, luncheons etc. Many Bush dance bands are there who provide music for bush dances. Shenanigans Dance CD’s are also a good source of bush music. Below are given instructions for two popular Bush dances: Merry Widow Waltz and Tempest, follow these instructions to dance like a pro before your next bush dance ceremony.

Glossary and Abbreviations

Sicilian Circle = One couple facing another couple in a circle around the room.

Double Sicilian = Two couples in a line, facing two couples in a line, arranged in a circle around room.

Abbreviations used:

R = right L = left F = foot H = hand

M = man W = woman L.O.D. = line of dance (anticlockwise) ACW = anticlockwise

CW = clockwise Fwd = forward Sh = shoulder

Merry Widow Waltz

Source: Daryl Powell (from Liverpool Plains, NSW area)

Formation: Couples in upper promenade hold, both start on left foot.

Bars Description

2 Two slow steps forward 

2 Two forward diagonal steps to the left (with right foot stepping behind the left). 

4 Point right foot : in front; then to the right; then close and; then bend knees in a dip. (One count per move) 

4 Both step back on left foot slowly, then right, then 1-2-3 (L,R,L = QQQ). 

2 Rock forward by stepping on right foot, back on left 

2 Rock forward on right, bring feet together swiveling right and ending facing out of circle towards the wall. (Maintain upper promenade hold.) 

2 Two chassé steps to the left. 

2 Two chassé steps to the right. 

4 Ladies step out and away from partner, stepping around for 3 steps and back to face partner on the 4th. 

8 Waltz four turns. 

32 bars

Music: 32 bar waltzes

Tempest

Formation: Double sicilian circle - 2 couples facing 2 couples around the floor. 

Bars Description

8 Circle left. The two lines take hands and circle left, then circle right back to places, with slip steps.

4 Galop across. Couples take ballroom hold and galop across (men passing back to back) to other side with 8 small sideways galop steps.

4 They turn and galop back to places with 8 small sideways galop steps (ladies passing back to back).

4 Star round and swing. The centre 4 people (insides) put their right hands across (ladies’ right hands on top) in a star and walk round clockwise, while the outsides swing with their opposites.

4 Star back. Insides put left hands across and walk back in anticlockwise direction while outsides swing their opposites in the reverse direction as before.

4 Advance and retire. Take hands in lines of 4, and walk 4 steps forward and 4 back.

4 Pass through.

32 Bars

Notes: This dance was very popular here from the 1860s onward, and similar versions can be found in dance books written by several dance teachers here last century. 

Music: Track 11 CD1

Source: Two Hundred Dancing Years, Shirley Andrews and Peter Ellis, p.51 

Source : Contra Dance Melbourne

Be a Bush Dance Pro: Jubilee Jig & Kings Waltz dance instructions

Bush music is the testimonial of life and survival in Australian wilderness and bush by the everyday ordinary people living there. These songs record and testify about both the hardships and colorful slangs of Australian bush life. Accompanying the Bush music is Bush dance, a social dance form native to Australia, with external influences. There are many 0Bush dance bands, providing bush music for private functions, school dance workshops etc.

Mentioned below are two popular bush dance instructions. Follow them and you will be dancing like a pro in no time.

Glossary and Abbreviations

Sicilian Circle = One couple facing another couple in a circle around the room.

Double Sicilian = Two couples in a line, facing two couples in a line, arranged in a circle around room.

Abbreviations used:

R = right L = left F = foot H = hand

M = man W = woman L.O.D. = line of dance (anticlockwise) ACW = anticlockwise

CW = clockwise Fwd = forward Sh = shoulder

Jubilee Jig

Author: David Johnson 1979 for the BMC’s Silver Jubilee

Formation: Large Single Circle, man’s partner on right, all holding hands

Bars Description

4 Circle left — (8 slip steps to the left)

4 Circle right — (8 slip steps)

2 Men to centre — (starting with the right foot, take 4 steps in joining hands on the way in)

2 Men out, ladies in — (ladies, starting with right foot take 4 steps in under raised arm of men then ladies join hands)

2 Ladies out, men in — (men in under ladies raised arms, clapping on the 4th step in)

2 Men out

8 Grand chain — (for 7 persons, partner is no. 1)

8 Swing — (your new partner using a longarm hold. Finish with lady on man’s right ready to start again) 

Alternative: Caller can vary number of persons in the grand chain and use the swing to take up time until the end of the tune. (The maximum number of people in the grand chain is 15 with no swing.) 

32 Bars

Music: 32 bar 6/8 tunes. From BMC “Bush Dance Instructions” by Lance Gree

Kings Waltz

Formation: Couples in open waltz hold, facing L.O.D

Bars Description

4 Walk forward four slow steps — on last step lady moves across in front of man to ballroom hold (facing clockwise).

4 Rock forward & back twice — man LF, lady RF.

4 Chassé in & out — two slide steps each way, moving to man’s left.

4 Waltz — two turns. 

16 Bars

Music: 16-bar waltz 

Source: Maria Zann and Mark Schuster, Toowoomba Qld from A Queensland Selection.

Student Guardian visa

For many years Australia has been a pro choice for students looking to migrate for higher studies. The high rankings of Australian Universities in the list of top universities worldwide have only been a high contributing factor in the influx of students to Australia. There are many immigration consultants in Sydney who facilitate the entire process of student immigration to Australia.

In addition to having multiple student visa programs, the Government of Australia has a Student Guardian Visa (subclass 590) which allows the applicant to stay in Australia as the guardian of an international student who is younger than 18 years of age and is studying in Australia on a student visa.   

According to DIBP, in order to be eligible for this visa, you must:

• be a parent or person who has custody of the student, or a relative who is 21 years or older and has been nominated in writing by a parent or someone who has custody of the student
• not bring family members younger than 6 years of age, except under certain circumstances
• be able to provide accommodation, general welfare and other support to the student unless you are applying for this visa with the support of the government your home country.

 You can stay in Australia for the same length of time as the student visa holder or until the student turns 18 years of age.

If the applicant is in Australia, then according to DIBP, you must hold a current substantive temporary visa, other than:

• Domestic Worker (Temporary) – Diplomatic or Consular visa (subclass 426)
• Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (subclass 403) in the Domestic Worker (Diplomatic or consular) stream
• Diplomatic (Temporary) visa (subclass 995) - primary visa holder only. This means a family member of a Diplomatic (Temporary) visa (subclass 995) can apply for a Student visa in Australia.
• Transit visa (subclass 771)
• Visitor visa (subclass 600) in the ‘Sponsored Family’ stream or in the ‘Approved Destination Status’ stream.

These were the basics of the Student Guardian Visa. If you require any assistance regarding these visas, you can take the assistance of migration agents or immigration consultants from Sydney.

Source:  immigration consultants in Sydney

Tourist Refund Scheme: explained and elaborated

Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS) as the name suggests is a part of the Australian government’s taxation system that allows people, both travelers and Australian citizens alike, to get refunds on GST and other taxes.

With TRS, travelers from overseas and Australians as well can get refunds on the Goods and Services Tax and Wine equalization tax paid on goods bought in Australia and then out of Australia that too in a checked luggage or carryon bags, provided they meet certain conditions. Air and sea crews who are in operation are not eligible for TRS. To make a claim at the TRS facility, you need to take your bought goods, the respective tax invoices in original, your passport and boarding pass. Different goods have different conditions applied to them. For instance to get refunds on oversized items and LAGs goods you must get them verified at the Australian Border Force ‘s client service office.

According to Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP), you can claim a refund if:

• you purchased the goods in the 60 days before you leave Australia
• Your purchases are from a single business with the same Australian business number (ABN) and total AUD 300 (GST inclusive) or more. For example, if you bought items from one business, even on separate invoices, that together total AUD 300, these items could be eligible for a tax refund under the TRS
• you, as the travelling passenger, paid for the goods

·         You have an original tax invoice for the goods.

·         If the shop has issued you with an electronic tax invoice you will need to provide this on your device when making a claim.

• you wear or carry the goods as hand luggage aboard the aircraft or ship as you leave Australia
• If the goods are liquids, aerosols or gels (LAGs), or oversized or bulky goods that the airline requires to be checked in as hold luggage you need to have these good verified at the ABF Client Service office before checking the goods in with your luggage.

   

Get rid of that persistent stump: Stump removal methods & tips

Stump removal, going by the name seems like a herculean task in itself. A sudden sight of some tall, broad-shouldered & brawny lumberjack, going all out on the tree stump with an appropriately sized axe, formulates in front of our eyes. Although these visions are true but predominantly it doesn’t fit, largely stump removal is done in various ways by expert professionals from the field. There are many companies providing stump grinding services in south side Brisbane. But apart from the professionals, among the common people devoid of stump grinding knowledge, the stuff is full of myths and proverbial quick fixes. There are many solutions for the stump removal problems but they generally hardly work.

The following is a list of such methods and whether they worthy of the effort or not.

Chemical process 

On the market or online, there are a multitude of products that claims to remove the eye pricking stump, quite magically, by making it decompose and vanish into thin air almost within weeks. In reality there are no such chemical in the market that can do so. Some chemicals can only accelerate the process of decomposition but even so it’s a long haul.

Burning

There are some chemicals in the market that can make the wood porous thus facilitate the process of burning the stump. Burning may sound like a quite an easy and obvious way of getting rid of it, but it’s not that effective of a method. Stumps actually are so deep inside the soil, that they don’t enough have enough oxygen to facilitate and ensure a thorough burn. This in turn leaves behind a charcoal material which is impossible to burn or decompose.

Grubbing

This method comes with a classic, whole lot of manual labour, of digging out the entire stump from the ground. One or two feet out from the circumference of the stump, dig a trench several feet deep. After start making your way towards the stump, cutting out and severing the roots and parts. Sounds like a formidable task, and that it is. Using the right tools like shovels, pick axe and axe and having tons of patience, persistence and strength will help you succeed in removing the stump.

Nature 

One of the most effective and proper way of removing the stump is taking the help of nature and let her go at the stump in her own way of decomposing. It’s a slow process and takes years but it’s the most effective one. One can accelerate the decomposition by drilling holes in the stump and filling them with high nitrogen fertilizers. Also keep the surrounding area insulated and damp which will stimulate and accelerate the process of decomposition. After year one, use carbon additives instead of the nitrogen fertilizers, they will enhance the rate of decomposition.

Stump grinding 

This is by far the most effective and quickest way of stump removal. Stumps are grinded and removed using a large equipment called stump grinder which takes around 2-3 hours to completely grind a stump. It takes a top to bottom approach, grinding from the stump to the roots deep down into the soil. One can always rent a stump grinder but it’s highly advisable to hire a professional arborist or taking the services of a stump grinding company. There are many companies offering tree stump removal in Logan village.

Source : Stump Removal