yup, that's what I figured re: the seasoning. Oh well, it sounded good in theory.
Unlike the other pines, Austrailian Pine is "supposedly" considered a hardwood without sap and is plentiful here. Add that it's considered a problem exotic because its shallow roots don't work well under hurricane conditions and you'd think it'd be cheap! I'm going to give it a try but the price is still an issue. A face cord runs about $150 for both the pine and live oak...
There has to be a better solution...