Meet Jennifer Ayres, a water engineer from Darlington, Durham, who’s determined to dig a cave and make it her residence.
And never simply any residence, however the ‘most luxurious cave possible’.
Jennifer, 50, moved to Australia 15 years in the past for work and began her cave venture within the city of Coober Pedy in 2021.
At first, after she purchased the land, she lived in a tent for 3 months after which a caravan as she dug her new residence beneath the steering of native cave-building knowledgeable Andy Shiels.
Jennifer was impressed by each her love for the Australian desert and the lack of each her mother and father within the final 5 years, which she stated drove residence ‘how quick life is’.
The plan is to show the two,400 sq. metre cave right into a two-bedroom home and one-bedroom ‘granny flat’.
‘It’s not going to be a traditional cave home,’ she stated.
‘I’m having actually excessive roofs due to the chandeliers, and my entire home can be centred across the rest room, with a copper tub and two showers – simply the whole lot I all the time needed.
‘My associates are killing themselves laughing about this, however will probably be probably the most luxurious cave home possible, together with a sauna and a health club.’
The property is situated a whopping nine-hour drive from Jennifer’s husband Julian, 51, and her two sons, Arthur, 17, and Charlie, 26 – who're nonetheless dwelling within the household residence in Adelaide, South Australia.
Residing in a tent after which a caravan wasn’t all the time the simplest, particularly given Australia’s excessive temperatures.
‘I needed to retailer my electronics in my fridge as a result of they stored powering themselves off attributable to overheating,’ she stated.
Jennifer was first requested if she’d be occupied with transferring to Perth by her employer in 2007.
‘At first, I assumed it was Perth in Scotland and stated “Why not?” she recalled.
‘It didn’t cross my thoughts that it’s Australia, however now right here we're.’
She and her household ultimately settled in Adelaide, however Jennifer moved round as and when her tasks wanted.
That's till the deaths of her father and mom, in 2017 and 2019 respectively, impressed her to take a yr away from her profession to carry her ‘dream cave’ to life.
‘Within the final 5 years, I misplaced each my mother and father and realised how quick life is, so it is best to do what you need and what makes you cheerful,’ she stated.
‘It was only a joke one night time once I stated to my husband “Why don’t we simply run off and dwell with the miners?”
‘From there, I simply went wild.
‘The subsequent morning, I phoned an property agent, and we went to Coober Pedy that weekend to search for land.’
Temperatures in Coober Pedy can attain highs of practically 50C in the summertime, which is why many locals dwell in both previous mines or dig out their very own – the caves keep at a snug 22C to 24C all yr spherical in accordance with Jennifer.
After shopping for the plot in April 2021, Jennifer needed to await her plans to be accepted earlier than she may begin digging.
So whereas she was finalising the plans, she lived in a tent on her land for 3 months throughout the Australian winter, when temperatures can drop as little as 0C within the desert.
Now, she’s nonetheless dwelling within the caravan she first parked on her land.
When choosing the situation, value was additionally an element they thought of.
She added: ‘I turned 50 final yr. At my age, you don’t wish to get into debt or get extra mortgages, so we’re self-financing.
‘We have been our funds, and I realised I had to return to work to get a bit more cash in for the venture.
‘I’ll earn a bit, after which I can do a bit extra on the home.’
Jennifer is presently working for a contractor on a venture in Sydney, however comes again to Coober Pedy at the very least as soon as a month to maintain on prime of the work.
To date, it’s price round 100,000 Australian dollars (£60,000).
To chop some prices, slightly than paying for contractors, Jennifer purchased machines and makes use of them to do the work herself.
‘I've already moved hundreds of tons of dust with a conveyor belt and I assumed it might be simpler if I additionally acquired my very own Bobcat – a machine to simply transfer supplies from one location to a different – so I can dump it on my own as properly,’ she stated.
‘I couldn’t afford an architect to attract the plans, so I taught myself to do it.’
Fortunate, Jennifer has had the assistance of Andy, an area she calls her ‘knight in mining armour’ who’s an knowledgeable in constructing cave homes in Coober Pedy.
‘Andy and I began with simply scraps of paper and a tape measure,’ she stated.
‘We stored going forwards and backwards with the planning division with my drawings till they have been accepted.’
The plan is for Jennifer to in the end hire out the ‘granny flat’, which is able to embrace a sauna and a health club, on Airbnb.
The blueprint of each houses totals a mixed 630 sq. metres, and the hope is that the tunnels all be accomplished by Christmas.
Jennifer has needed to dig six metres right down to hit floor strong sufficient to construct her cave, which suggests her driveway goes to be fairly steep.
‘After tunnelling, I nonetheless must do quite a lot of work on the internals – I’m going to be doing most of that myself as properly,’ she stated.
‘I have to learn to lay concrete or tiles on the ground – I haven’t determined which one I would like but – in addition to placing plumbing and the electrical in.’
The air conditioning-less summer time she spent in her caravan wasn’t precisely nice for her, however now she’s been in a position to park the car underground.
‘Typically it acquired to 49 levels – some days I actually cried as a result of I hated it that a lot, however you simply preserve going since you’ve acquired that aim in thoughts,’ she stated.
‘Once I acquired my first tunnel, I put my caravan underground, the place it’s a continuing 22C to 24C. It's wonderful.’
Jennifer’s husband and youngsters come to Coober Pedy to go to her now and again, however more often than not she’s out there's spent diving into the area people.
She stated: ‘I’ve by no means identified a city with a lot occurring.
‘I’ve performed golf within the desert with a Catholic priest, joined the gun membership, went to underground pubs and eating places – it’s unreal.’
Jennifer’s in no nice rush to complete the cave as a result of she is aware of she’s decided to do it it doesn't matter what.
‘Waving your mum off on the airport, just for her to die the primary night time she’s again residence – you realise life’s too quick,’ she added.
‘If I would like the cave home, I'll have it, even when it takes me 10 years. I’ll sit there and do it, as a result of it’s enjoyable.
‘I don’t simply wish to get a staff of builders, however I would like it to be my home, that I constructed.’
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