On Mon, 08 Oct 2007 21:32:40 +1000, Chookie
wrote:

Try a lid on your bucket. Secondly, it's worth a daily trip to the compost
heap to prevent the vinegar flies from hovering in the kitchen. The other
option is of course to move the heap closer, but that seems to be a problem
for you.

I think I've got a working system now. I have cut the bottom off an
old plastic dustbin. I then upturned it and drilled some holes around
the rim for ventilation. On this, I'm using a heavy rubber lid from
another old dustbin. This compost bin will be used for kitchen scraps
plus possibly seedless weeds from my veg beds. It now sits a few paces
from the kitchen door and about one pace from my veg beds. The idea is
that the bin can be lifted off once it is full, leaving a neat pile.
The unrotted protion can be forked back into the bin for further
composting. I'm told that if you chuck a handful of garden soil in
occasionally, it accelerates the composting. Here's a pic:

http://tinyurl.com/2acpyf

Thanks all for the input.

JD