Building ‘forts’ is ‘better than sitting on the X-Box’ – Max, 10
AN EPIC stone structure has been taking shape at the Richmond end of Vazon over the last few weeks.
It is all the vision of 10-year-old Max Laine, who created it with the help of his father Chris.
While 14-year-old brother Lewis walks the dog, the pair have been working for up to two hours a day for the last 12 days.
‘I’m pleased with it,’ said Max.
‘I like getting off the X-Box and getting out in the fresh air. This is the biggest one I have done yet.’
The creation stretches more than ten metres along the shore and several metres wide.
Max said he did not see it as a fort or a city plan, but rather it could be whatever anyone wanted. He draws the plans in the sand with a spade and then creates the structure with the help of his father.
Rather than use the granite stones, he prefers to use the rubble and bricks at the top of the beach, which have been rounded through time in the sea.
He first started building these stone creations two years ago, as the family live just around the corner from the beach. The family estimate Max has created about 50 in that time. They are eventually washed away by the tide.
The last fortnight of neap tides, calm weather and sunshine has meant the family have been down the beach more than usual and the ‘fort’ has survived longer than normal.
Mr Laine said it had attracted a lot of attention.
‘We’ve had lots of people making comments and taking pictures,’ he said.
He wanted to highlight what had been done now, as the tides would be getting bigger over the next few days and then it would start to be washed away. The family hoped other people would enjoy seeing it.
