Ripping and banking's been a bit of a topic of conversation around here for quite a while.

For a start we've got the back dam which is working a treat:

And one that doesn't work so well (although this is an pleasing amount of water in it, given local knowledge about it never being full):

Basically the problem is the location of the dam - when it was cut it was put where there is basically sod all run off into it. Adam had dug a channel to it with the tractor and we'd taken the lip off the thing so that we'd improved the situation somewhat, but it's hard to do a proper bank with a tractor.

Enter Ashley - the bloke down the road with some seriously big gizmos.

Firstly he marked out the contours around the rise at the top of the paddock and sorted out where he could put in a bank which would catch water and channel it to the front dam. Then he got in his ute and headed home to get his grader.

Next thing we know there's a roadwork size grader charging around the paddock. And we've got a bank that, frankly, I reckon could double as a luge track.

Couple of days later and the next big boys toy that arrived was a dirty great big bulldozer - and the lines for planting the trees were ripped.

This was particularly exciting as the ground, right down into the clay was surprisingly moist (so we're rethinking the holding pen for the trees plan and may actually go into the ground this year). The other exciting thing was the amount of worms and activity in the soil!

Along the way we've started planting out the dam banks - and now the channel bank with an assortment of natives and tough as nails herbs - but more on that later.