A yard the kids could play in again in Hope Island
Wayne Hayes · Yard Clean-Up · Hope Island
The story
Living in Hope Island, you get used to council collections that are always months away. Our backyard had become a holding area for everything we didn't want inside: old toys, a broken trampoline, garden rubbish and a cubby house falling apart.
Broken pavers, a car seat, old timber, half a dozen garbage bags of who-knows-what, an old barbecue and a sun-bleached shade sail.
Hope Island is gated golf and canal estates with strict presentation standards, and getting things out isn't always simple. Gate passes and estate speed limits are arranged before arrival.
When I rang, the person who answered asked a few simple questions about what it was, where it was and how to get to it, and said they could come and look that afternoon.
The crew pulled up, had a look, and told me the price straight away. No surprises, no 'we'll see how it goes'. I said yes and they got started within five minutes.
The swing set was concreted in. The crew cut the legs at ground level and capped the stubs, so nobody would trip over them.
What I appreciated most was that nothing was rushed and nothing was a hassle. They explained where everything was going: charity, recycling or the tip. I felt good about it.
It's a small thing, but having someone else carry it all out made a much bigger difference than I expected.