One Sunday in October 2002 my wife Robyn and I chanced upon an overgrown 1.734 hectare of w**d infested land at Bli Bli. A closer look revealed the land sloped gently away from the road with the long boundary fringed by saltwater mangroves and bordered by the North Arm of the Maroochy River. The established trees consisted of eucalypts; big, old casuarinas; box trees and some wattle trees. As we w
ere still running a business in Brisbane it would be 2004 before the dream would become reality. We commenced by clearing the middle section of the land where the vegetation was dense and mostly consisted of feral w**ds with lantana everywhere. From that humble beginning we chose a site for “The Shed” which would be our home until the house was built. An entry road was constructed to the site. Sleepers formed a wall on the high side of “The Shed” while boulders of all sizes reinforced the lower side and the first dam was incorporated. Mass plantings began from the many hundreds of cuttings which Robyn and I propagated. Between the front boundary, on the high side and the “The Shed” we planted many different species of fruit trees while on the lower side the plantings consisted of Frangipani, Bromeliads, Heliconias, Gingers, Palms and Macadamia trees, just to name a few. We transported an old wooden gatehouse to the site. This added character and interest while providing a refuge and safe haven to chickens, guinea fowls, peacocks, turkeys and the odd carpet snake! That was the early days. We were now in full swing with “Bali Hai” and our dream! It was all systems go! Plans were drawn and construction began on the house. At the same time, design and construction of raised boardwalks and the introduction of many and varied, tropical and colourful plants occurred. The development of “Bali Hai” was to slow and falter with the sudden and untimely death of my wife Robyn. After a time, and with increased passion to realise the dream, the development of our beautiful garden continued with increased vigour. Stone water features, Buddhas and Geai Jong Women statues arrived from Bali. These statues show their presence alongside water features, in the shade of dense and colourful plants and at the entrance to Spirit Houses. A restful Balinese pavilion overlooks a rectangular pond where waterlilies thrive and during a still night, the reflection of the moon dances on the water. All of this to the sound of the river gently lapping at the gardens edge. Today the house stands amid a kaleidoscope of colour. The garden is a “work in progress” giving great pleasure as it continues to evolve. Doesn’t all gardens? Michael Miley.
