A deck that lasts in the Hunter is decided before the first board goes down: what it sits on, how water leaves, whether it is covered, and what the balustrade is actually rated for. Here is the short version of those calls.
The structure under the boards
The frame has to carry people, furniture and weather, and it has to stay still. Bearer and joist size, span and fixing are not a taste decision. They come from the load, the timber grade and how far the members have to run. Undersize the frame and the deck bounces; get it right and it feels like part of the house.
Posts and footings are the other half. Hardwood posts stood on proper supports, packed and fixed, are what keep the frame off the ground and in line. A pretty board on a soft frame is still a soft deck.
Covered or open
An insulated patio roof changes the job. It keeps the sun off, it changes how the space is used, and it has to tie into the house without dumping water behind the cladding. Products like Versiclad are a common Hunter cover: they sit over the outdoor room, take downlights, and need the fall and the flashing done properly or they leak.
An open deck is simpler, but it takes more weather on the boards and the frame. Either way, the cover decision belongs at quote time, not after the posts are in.
Water has to leave
Decks fail from trapped water more often than from a loose screw. Fall away from the house, gaps in the boards, and a clear path off an insulated roof are the unglamorous parts that keep the timber and the house wall sound. If the landing is against a door, that junction needs a detail, not a hope.
Railing is a code item
Once a deck is high enough to need a barrier, the balustrade is not decoration. Height, infill and how it is fixed to the posts all have to meet the National Construction Code. Cable and stainless systems look light, but they still have to be installed to the manufacturer’s spec and to the height the code asks for.
The boards are what you see. The job is the frame, the cover, the water path and the barrier. Sort those four on paper and the outdoor room reads as part of the house, not an add-on.