Shipping containers for Woodgate

A village at the end of the road

Woodgate sits on its own at the end of Woodgate Road, between a long beach and the Burrum Coast National Park. It's a small town with a lot of holiday houses and weekenders, a fishing and boating culture built around the beach and Theodolite Creek, and permanent residents who like the quiet. There's no through traffic, which is part of the appeal.

Container demand here comes mostly from homes that sit empty for weeks at a time. Owners want somewhere to lock up the boat gear, kayaks, fishing tackle, outdoor furniture and tools they'd otherwise haul back and forth from Bundaberg, Childers or further away.

Security for houses that sit empty

A holiday house that's empty for weeks is an easy target, and garden sheds and roller doors can be opened in seconds. A container with a lock box, a welded shroud that stops bolt cutters reaching the padlock, is far harder. Put it where the neighbours can see it, and don't leave the key on site.

It also saves the drive. Leave the kayaks, the outboard, the fishing gear and the beach furniture here, and the car only carries people and food.

Sand, salt and the national park

Nearly everything at Woodgate is built on sand, and salt spray comes off the beach on the south-easter. Both affect how you site a container. A loaded truck needs something firm to stand on, so a driveway slab or compacted pad is usually the best drop point. Once in place, get the container off the sand on pavers or sleepers, because sand holds moisture against the underside.

Near the beach, start at a used cargo-worthy unit, checked wind and watertight, or buy new if it's going to stay for a long time. An as-is unit is sold as seen and not watertight, and existing rust is where salt starts working. Rinse it down after a blow, and touch up bare steel as soon as it browns. The salt-air guide explains the rest.

Sizes for a beach block

A 20ft holds a tinny on its trailer or the contents of a holiday house during a renovation. On a narrow block, a 10ft fits where a 20ft won't, though it costs more, as it's cut down and rebuilt. If you want to work on a boat or hang wetsuits and gear inside, the extra headroom in a high cube helps.

For a build, hiring can make sense: it's there while the trades are working and gone when they've finished.

Woodgate and the road in

Woodgate Beach, the blocks along Woodgate Road back through Goodwood, and the rural lots towards Childers. For the farms on the ridge, see Childers. For Bargara and the Coral Coast, see Bargara.