Hard yakka begins

The soil beneath is alive with worms - a good sign!

The thinking, and the hand-wringing had to stop. Had to be replaced by action. 'Money where mouth is' time - use a spade and slice through the thick runners of grass, making Hansel's curve a reality.

All this is really just a boy-excuse to visit Bunnings and stock up the shed. One mattock-purchase later, it is on for young and old as, like a surgeon with a scalpel, Darren slices the grass layer away. It is carted down to the backyard, in part to repair damage done by brush turkeys, which could equally have been wrought by the three massive deciduous trees that provide summer respite.

Although much grass is removed, the patch remaining is like a gathering place