British mum builds luxury 'woman cave' in Australian desert - nine hours from family home
A British mother-of-two is on a mission to build the "most luxurious cave imaginable" by digging a hole for a house all by herself in the sweltering Australian desert - complete with chandeliers, a sauna and a gym. Jennifer Ayres, 50, a water engineer from Darlington, Durham, is building a 2,400 square meter doghouse in the town of Coober Pedy, a nine-hour drive from her family.
Jennifer moved to Australia 15 years ago to work with her husband Julian, 51, and two sons, Arthur, 17, and Charlie, 26, who still live in the family home in Adelaide, Australia. South Australia. She started the project last year, living first in a tent for three months, then in a trailer as she dug her new home under the guidance of a local cave-building expert.
The aim is for it to eventually become a two-bedroom house and a one-bedroom "grandmother's flat" that she can rent out - being built on land that cost 20,000 Australian dollars, that's just £11,400.
Picture:
PA Real Life)
Picture:
PA Real Life)She personally moved thousands of tons of earth with machines she bought for herself, foregoing expensive contractors or an architect.
Jennifer has also collected key pieces for future installation, including a copper tub, a black free-standing sink, a Smeg built-in coffee machine, Indian temple doors she found second-hand, and numerous chandeliers .
As well as being inspired by her love for the Australian wilderness, over the past five years she has also lost both parents, which she says has taught her "how short life is" .
"It's not going to be a normal cave house," she said.
"I have very high roofs because of the chandeliers, and my whole house will be centered around the bathroom, with a copper tub and two showers - exactly everything I've ever wanted.
"My friends are laughing about it, but it will be the most luxurious cave house imaginable, complete with sauna and gym."
After buying the land...
A British mother-of-two is on a mission to build the "most luxurious cave imaginable" by digging a hole for a house all by herself in the sweltering Australian desert - complete with chandeliers, a sauna and a gym. Jennifer Ayres, 50, a water engineer from Darlington, Durham, is building a 2,400 square meter doghouse in the town of Coober Pedy, a nine-hour drive from her family.
Jennifer moved to Australia 15 years ago to work with her husband Julian, 51, and two sons, Arthur, 17, and Charlie, 26, who still live in the family home in Adelaide, Australia. South Australia. She started the project last year, living first in a tent for three months, then in a trailer as she dug her new home under the guidance of a local cave-building expert.
The aim is for it to eventually become a two-bedroom house and a one-bedroom "grandmother's flat" that she can rent out - being built on land that cost 20,000 Australian dollars, that's just £11,400.
Picture:
PA Real Life)
Picture:
PA Real Life)She personally moved thousands of tons of earth with machines she bought for herself, foregoing expensive contractors or an architect.
Jennifer has also collected key pieces for future installation, including a copper tub, a black free-standing sink, a Smeg built-in coffee machine, Indian temple doors she found second-hand, and numerous chandeliers .
As well as being inspired by her love for the Australian wilderness, over the past five years she has also lost both parents, which she says has taught her "how short life is" .
"It's not going to be a normal cave house," she said.
"I have very high roofs because of the chandeliers, and my whole house will be centered around the bathroom, with a copper tub and two showers - exactly everything I've ever wanted.
"My friends are laughing about it, but it will be the most luxurious cave house imaginable, complete with sauna and gym."
After buying the land...
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