Pier base has been poured with reo cage set in place. The base is approximately 750x750x800deep with 100mm packed sand underneath. It is dug in hard packed shale about 400mm under the soil surface. It was dug out by hand (with help from my son Ryan) using a long iron bar to penetrate the shale. All concrete was mixed in the electric mixer just in view - still hard work that took most of the day for the base. If you do this be careful to use correct materials; ie. blue metal / crushed gravel, washed river sand and obviously cement. Be careful of hardware / landscape suppliers passing of rock ash as blue metal; it looks like blue metal but is only good for drainage, you can break it with your bare hands.