Should you have the need and privilege to use the toilet located on the range and find that there is no water to flush it then fear not! It is a simple process to solve the problem that anyone can do. Chances are it is an airlock in the pipe.

Firstly to the side of the toilet are two taps. One feeds the toilet and the other is an open outlet. Ensure both are open. Then climb back up the hill and walk towards the bridge. On the right hand side of the bridge, just before the cattle grid is a black pipe. Climb the fence and follow the pipe and after about 30 meters is a water tank with a cover on it. This is a bit precarious so be careful with it otherwise it will go tumbling down into the stream. Remove the cover and check that water is flowing into the tank from the blue pipe. If not then keep climbing up the stream, following the blue pipe and check the end of the blue pipe is in the water. It should be held in place by brackets although the top one was broken.

Back at the tank there is a short length of green garden hose. Around one end is some red insulation tape. This needs to go into the inlet hole which is connected to the blue pipe. The other end needs to be fed into the outlet pipe as far as it will go. Yes, you have to get your arm wet to do this and the water is COLD!!

There may be some air bubbles blown back from the outlet pipe and you may have to hold the hosepipe in place for a minute or two till these stop. This process forces the water down the black pipe and removes the airlock. Then it’s a case of removing the hose and putting everything back as you found it.

Finally pop back down to the toilet and turn off the tap that will have water flowing out of it. Leave the other tap alone. Don’t forget to flush the toilet to test it.

Now it’s a case of sitting down and enjoying the view. As they say ‘Job done!’.

GREG WARD 8/6/08