Author Archives: Kiwihobos

We have been keeping up with our 5am starts and really enjoying having a fire in the morning before doing any work. Today the vinyl got put down in the house. It looks like it will be at least 3 weeks before we get the kitchen cabinet remade. Incredibly frustrating, we were so close and our plumber and electrician cannot finish the job without the kitchen in place.

I filled in all the nail and screw holes in the trim. I was able to sand towards the end of the day but I didn’t want to create dust for the vinyl.

The builders worked on the cladding for the other house.

A mid week break, no contractors on site until Friday. Rowan and I tackle the Herbert list. There are a multitude of items to tick off. Some of these jobs take a lot longer than we expected. Here is a photo of Rowan precariously on the roof putting up flashing tape and metal flashings.

On Thursday we help out Jo from Hospice Timaru with her jewellery. We end up spending most of the day there putting aside items that need to be valued by a jeweller. Rowan and I buy a bunch of gold from the cabinet that was already priced. A bit of a haul indeed!

Excuse Rowan’s hands, he used a glue yesterday and it ain’t coming off without a few days to shed it haha.

On Friday it turns out we don’t have builders. But the Skevingtons team turned up to change our swell into a culvert. Much better indeed!

We have guests with us for a few nights. James, Kate and Connor are here from Picton on holiday. Kate is pregnant so we weren’t sure if she could handle our glamping amenities. Kate lasted two nights. On the third night they booked a hotel haha. It has been extremely cold. Negative 6 degrees was the coldest. We have had hoarfrost, and frost so thick that it hasn’t disappeared through the day. We have got ourselves a new fireplace for the house truck, that was good to hang out in. We will be selling the truck later and we are making sure we make it comfortable for us now and more sellable.

The irony is the third night was rather mild with no frost. Typical! We managed to get all three of them in the bath on Tuesday night. Connor played this the rubber ducky and really enjoyed it.

It was great to see them. It was a rather busy week but we managed to be available Monday and Tuesday for them. We showed them around the place and went out for lunch in Moeraki.

Wednesday/Thursday the services are going in. It doesn’t take long at all to do all of the council side of things. It is complete except the dirt needs to be raked out nicely from the trench.

Rowan had a follow up for his finger on Thursday afternoon. It is healing really well and now he only needs a splint when working to protect the tenderness. It is not considered a wound anymore and doesn’t need to stay dry. The physio was really impressed by his movement and said he didn’t need to come back. Rowan has been regularly making his finger bend and exercising it. Well before he was asked to and it has gone in his favour.

I spent the time at Bunnings getting supplies while he went to his appointments. When we got back to Palmerston the boys had gone for the day.

Matariki, we planned to get down to Palmerston for the last coat of paint in the bathrooms. But I was too tired and Rowan has come down with a cold. Instead we sat around the fire until we were due at Waihaorunga farm to meet Jim for lunch. Gratefully he has let us but our GIB waste at his farm and has given us some black polythene pipe for our drainage. Not a bad swap for lunch!

Saturday/Sunday was a bit of a write off with Rowan being unwell. I did get a few jobs achieved like putting floor gaps into Bedford Bette to stop draughts. There is still a lot more to do to the doors and luton to really make it better. We just don’t have the time so it is far down on the list. Thankfully we have great feather blankets and sleeping bags to keep us toasty.

Back on site with Graham and Vaughan. The boys get most of the trim and skirting in. When we turn our attention to the kitchen we realise we have a few problems. One whole panel is missing and the corner cupboard has been made the wrong way around. The pantry broke in transit to Placemakers so that was already being replaced but now we have these issues too. Very annoying as we can’t put it together unit we have these two issues sorted. I am not dwelling on it as there is no point.

We had our council inspection at lunchtime and Skevingtons came back to fill in the trenches. I am missing my downpipe from the roof supplier and the next job is to get the stormwater done then it is just the internal plumbing with the hot water cylinder being external.

I don’t have much to report about Sydney. We spent most of the time in the apartment as Bette really can’t be alone for too long. We did take a quick trip to Dungog and back to see Heather, Kaity, the boys and their latest addition Pearl-Rose. it is a 3 hour drive away so we left at midday and was back at 2am. Bette was fine as she had her cleaner for three hours and then her neighbour and friend Margaret came over at dinner time to keep her company.

Margaret and Wayne took us out to La Perouse for lunch on the last day in Sydney, which was really good. Joanne got home that morning.

Most of our time was spent cooking and baking. I did get through two books and wish I had one more to read.

Back home we wait to pick up our bags and I bump into some cousins who were on our plane and live in England but want to come back to NZ to retire. It is a small world.

We pick up our camper from AA with its fresh WOF and drive down to Herbert. We find some residents in our bed, or evidence of them. Bloody mice, I put baits out before we left but it hasn’t deterred them fully. Once we had de-moused the bed it was great to be back in our comfy bed. It hasn’t deterred been a month!

A 5am start, which is 3am body clock time. I am determined to get us back into our routine. A supply trip to mitre10 then down to site shows a blank slate ready for paint. I give the place a good clean from the dust and we mask up ready for the sprayer. The weather is not good outside. We cannot paint today but at least we are ready for tomorrow.

Annoyingly our first coat didn’t quite make it to the ceiling in the living area. Running out of paint sucks, but it sucks even more when it is an hour away to get more. Nevermind we will buy some more tomorrow.

It looks like Rowan went to Columbia. Let’s hope he doesn’t get pulled over and questioned.

We got it 90% there on Monday. We have another coat to do on the ceiling tomorrow morning.

The last exterior cladding board went up. I finished painting the exterior of the house this week. The plaster board is well under way with all the ceilings are done.

I have used all the leftover insulation on the inside walls of the bathrooms to help dampen any late night toileting stop coming through to the bedrooms. Another bonus is this stops wastage and it going into landfill.

Sue (step mum) pointed out my work of art is actually a work of art!

Painted exterior. Early or late walks with Gem! The lantern worked well to be able to see her on early morning walks.

I had an epiphany and realised we forgot our anniversary. Life has been so hectic I totally forgot. It’s not the first time and I am sure it won’t be the last. We don’t need to celebrate we try to appreciate each other every day rather than once a year.

Early Sunday we hop on a plane to Australia. We are here for a couple of weeks to look after Bette.

Yay we now have our doors!

With the help of the builders we got the rest of the insulation in. Dave the plumber came for the preline inspection as the water pipes need to show they don’t leak. He put the shower trays in while he was at it.

One of the bales went for a roll into the stream haha. Luckily it stayed dry!

I got two and a bit of the exterior walls painted with the final coat.

GIB has started to be put in.

We are house sitting for a week for Chris and Ferne again.

Rowan is in a lot of pain but is sleeping most of the day. We have been taking the camper to site each day so he can stay resting.

A lot of progress this week. The cladding on the exterior is finished as it can be until we get the ranch slider.

A lot of early mornings and we are getting really worn out.

Electricians did a big day and got all of the wiring in. The house is looking a lot more finished.

Ouch!

Saturday afternoon we were chopping wood to be shorter with a drop saw to fit in our pot belly fires. The wood got caught in the blade, it forced Rowan’s left hand back toward the metal plate and it squashed the tip of his finger between the wood and the metal. Our ute has a special additive in it to fix a leak so I couldn’t drive it. I rushed over to our neighbour Silvija and Jim and I asked Silvija if I could use her truck, I am not certain I even used my manners. We got to the Oamaru hospital around 3pm and it took 2 hours to be seen by a nurse to triage him. Then a longer wait before the doctor finally saw him. The took an xray and the doctor said the bone has been smooshed. Luckily it didn’t get the knuckle just the very tip. But the nail broke through the skin and the whole nail bed detached. It looked bloody gruesome like he chopped half his finger off. The doctor couldn’t do much and gave him some iv antibiotics cleaned it and wrapped it. A little bit of laughing gas as the wrapped it but only paracetamol and ibuprofen for the pain. Rowan was told that Dunedin hospital will call tomorrow to let us know when to come in for surgery. Five hours later we left Ōamaru hospital, I got some tramadol for him. Silvija and Jim made us dinner and let us shower at their place. They also said we can use their fancy ute on Sunday. 

Bit of a side story, Kate here is not used to modern vehicles and I couldn’t work out how to get the ute into reverse. Trying as hard as I can just keep getting into 6th gear. I asked Rowan to come out and put it into reverse. I even tried googling. My sister Sarah suggested I try pull it up first, it was a great hint as this one is push down! These mod cons I am not used to at all haha.

Sunday morning we get a call at 8.30am to get our butts to Dunedin as soon as possible. Arriving there about 10am and he went into surgery by 12pm and was out by 2pm. Rowan was really worried he would loose his finger tip and was certain he would loose his nail. Well the nail came out in surgery but the surgeon reattached the nail bed. Overall it was a success. Rowan gave me his nail in a jar (how nice of him). We left the hospital just after 4pm and had to go to the pharmacy to get all his drugs before getting back to Herbert. The lovely Silvija and Jim made us dinner and gave us a shower. We are very lucky to have their support! 

With a man down, I had the lovely Laura drop everything and come down to Palmerston to help me get the insulation in. It was such a big help. We got a good amount done.

A bit of progress this week. The rear part of Jo has been deteriorating for years. Tony the terrific came out and gave us a day of his time. He did a great job fixing it up for us.

We sold the reliable UM (Corolla) we just $1res it and got $1200. Which is exactly what we paid for it. A dealer in Christchurch purchased it who will no doubt do some work to it and resell it up there.

Inside we have added more storage and put up some mirrors. Rowan has closed in the back to stop any southerly rain coming in the door.

Wahoo we have windows! Unfortunately the doors are yet to be made, but we should have those next week and then we will be weathertight!

Chris is back to scarify the land, this is to ensure the levels are correct and the water runs off the properties into the stormwater drain. I got around to finishing the seahorse bird bath. I enjoyed painting it up. I just had to find time between a hundred other more important jobs.

Herbert is a bit of a shit show. We have been too busy to put things away and it shows! Rowan and I get through a lot of tidying up jobs and finishing off projects. We have a couple of Germans come and stay. Rene and his friend Johanna come for a couple of nights and we put them in Jo. Rowan and I met Rene a few years ago in Levin when walking the Te Araroa. We stayed with the lovely Geoff at the same time. Rene got in touch to let us know he was coming our way. It was great to have them come, I wish our fire was up and running for them but the blanket levels were high and hot water bottles kept them warm. We got some more use out of the brazier. Hanna serenaded us with her beautiful voice. It was a great to have them.

Our milk friends are well into the autumn calving season. Look at that face! ❤️

Our scaffold comes down, the windows are a lot easier to get in without it. All the weatherboards that can be put in prior to the window installation has now been done.

Chris came out and raised the earth around the front of the house and raised the path. It is much easier to get in and out now.

The “gang fence” iron has been taken down and replaced with Oregon pailings. It looks much better.

Lovely neighbour Dianne has given me some wonderful flowers from her yard. Look at all the different colours!

Rowan and I get to live in a real house for the long weekend. Our neighbours in Herbert Chris and Ferne have this amazing earth house and lots of animals. We are house/pet sitting, with one dog, two cats, one wild pig, 40ish chickens and countless sheep. Chris who is our very talented digger driver pretty much built the whole house himself. Ferne who is an artist shines throughout with some really cool quirky features. I would show you inside but I haven’t asked permission so I don’t want to breach their privacy. However I do believe it has been in a magazine so you could possibly find some images online.

Busy week, found time to start cleaning out Gypsy Jo. There is a lot of rats nests but luckily only one body. The place needs a bit of love. It is looking better already.

Also busy on site. The weatherboards for Stromness are painted, the colour is Dulux Manorburn Half. Also started Brough painting and the colour is Franz Josef Quarter. The soffits are completed, colour is Haunui Half. The rondo is done in one house, Rondo is metal bracing that goes on the ceilings for the plaster board (GIB).

On a late flight to Auckland. I left Palmerston and went straight to the airport. I had a chance to change clothes as I got quite hot and sticky. Mum picked me up from the airport and we stayed at Nanas house. Saturday is Woolfy’s Day Out at Runamuck . Nana made the decision that we will bury Grandpa’s ashes at the end of the day. It was a fantastic day, heaps of people came. There was a very nice celebration for Grandpa. The grandkids got together and we made flax flowers and woven mats to decorate the area. My sister Emma and I went out for a drink and she dropped me off at the airport in the morning. It was a quick trip and I was very tired from the week. I had a good nap on Sunday, but it took a long time for me to perk up.