After a whirlwind romance that began in a Queensland motel, the couple bought a five‑acre plot outside Geeveston in 2004, determined to build a castle that would outshine any fairy‑tale.
The council’s nod in late 2009 was a surprise, as the proposed 17‑metre structure broke the region’s eight‑metre ceiling – a decision that drew both admiration and scrutiny from local officials.
Christina turned her home in Mackay into a funding source, while Francis, a tiler by trade, worked evenings and weekends, breaking and laying roughly 100,000 bricks to fashion a 600‑tonne edifice with a three‑metre‑deep basement.
Financial strain and health setbacks have stalled progress, yet a network of family and friends, including Francis’s mother Hope, has stepped in to hand‑paint mosaics and carve stone, keeping the project alive amid rising costs and damp Tasmania weather.
With only three of the eight turrets finished, the couple now aim to complete the remaining five before their long‑delayed wedding, slated for late 2026, and are exploring opening the castle to guided tours once construction concludes.