Tuesday morning time to say goodbye to my Nan & Ma. It has been awesome spending time with them and showing them around the area.

When we got back to Herbert we had a large debrief. Mum got us thinking about our second stage and if that is really the direction we want to head in. There are lots of decisions for us to make about our houses with its specifications. We will need to focus on getting that done soon.

There has been some progress made with the Bedford. I have got the stain done on the replaced floorboards.

Rowan has attached the last windows. I painted them green. You won’t see them a lot with the iron but thought it was easier to paint them now.

It took a good 7 hours of sanding for these floors. I even burnt a sander out and had to replace it. The floor hasn’t been oiled most likely since the 60s. It is very dry and splinters easily. It is going to take a lot of oil. It soaked up the linseed oil like a sponge.

No one informed us or the builders that the roof came to site on Tuesday. So we have had no builders all week! On Sunday we went to check out where they left it (not where the builders wanted it). However we have it now and the roof people should have called the builders or mitre10 to let us know.

While we were here we did the crop swap.

It’s Monday, we have procrastinated for as long as we could. Let’s start making some decisions about our houses! I have locked in the lighting plan. Now to get the bathrooms and kitchens done!

Kitchen light that will be seen in the picture window. Will also had LED strip lights under cabinetry.

Another sneak at more lights!

Tuesday, progress on the houses. All cost and wrapped up. Our trailer arrived a day late from Christchurch. We will get it unloaded as soon as we can.

Wednesday, we got some work done on the Bedford in the morning and spent the afternoon in Palmerston unloading that trailer! I was a bit useless with the shoulder. We managed to get it all in with ease.

Thursday, a really nice sunrise in town but by the time we got to the water we were just that little bit too late. After sorting paperwork in town, Rowan and I worked on the Bedford. This is the back deck in progress. It will be screwed with stainless steel screws from below which will give it a very clean finish.

Friday, Tony has come to help us. We have the wonderful Tony back to help us with the truck. Rowan and I need help with these Leadlight doors. We get the main big window in and Rowan puts in a leadlight window on his own. But the next window he gets in okay, but breaks it when he attempts to open it. It was rather stuck and he is lucky he didn’t cut his hand up too bad!

I got a chance to sand the bench chair and now I just need to oil it.

Saturday, we have some visitors from the north! My Mum (Jane) and Nana (Colleen). Last year they wanted to visit but didn’t quite get here so they came down and had a we road trip. Arriving in Christchurch and flying out of Dunedin. We stayed in an airbnb in Ōamaru town the first night and went out to Cucina for dinner. It has been a place we have wanted to visit for a long time and this is a great excuse to go out and experience the wonderful food. I requested somewhere quiet for Nana as I know restaurants can get rather noisy and we got put into this prep room which was perfect for us. It was very easy to hear each other and we had a great night.

Sunday, with some time to kill between leaving this airbnb and staying at another in Moeraki we went out for a lovely lunch at Riverstone Kitchen. We looked around the gardens and in the gift shops before sitting down to eat. There was a tour of the castle but no one was interested in seeing inside it. It was a lovely lunch, the food was perfect. Really large meals here and no way to fit in any dessert.

In a little rush to be in Dunedin for dinner with one of Mums friends we dropped our bags and Rowan in Moeraki and raced down to Dunedin for dinner. We made it with plenty of time to spare. Turned out she was running late so we didn’t need to rush. Mum and I were really full from lunch so we just had some bread and dips. Nana had the seafood chowder. Good thing about an early dinner is we were early back. I got to see the sunset in Moeraki which was stunning.

When we left Mum grabbed Nanas cardigan off the back of the chair and unknowingly took the canvas off the chair with her. They hung the jumpers up while going to the loo and still didn’t realise. It wasn’t until we got to Dunedin and I handed Nan her cardigan that I realised. So I told her she stole it and we needed a picture of shame. I will return it and apologise.

Monday, today is a chill day. Rowan cooked up some breakfast. Then we went out to see Herbert and show them our two houses in Palmerston. We made sure we were back for a nap and we just relaxed the afternoon away. Staying local for dinner at the Moeraki Pub. The food was fantastic and we had a nice view over the bay. There was even a boat called Kiwa (my cousins daughter’s name). A lovely meal to end our trip.

Had a funny moment when I went to refill the coffee container and ended up making myself a very strong coffee!

Each day as this week goes on my shoulder feels better. I have also bruised in my ribs. No actual bruising to show for but quite sensitive. I just take it easy this week.

We avoid Palmerston all week, I am sure the builders will have it under control. I have a lot of decisions to make about kitchens, fittings and fixtures so we focus of the Bedford truck and getting organised. As you can see it is a Project with a capital.

Rowan sisters up the rotten beams and we replace the wooden floor. We are aiming to use as much of the materials we already have and spend minimal amount of money on polishing up this turd.

I plant out the island but I can’t plant the rest until the bobcat comes. Since that is a while away I have 200 natives to keep alive until then. All were on clearance and all were root bound. So here is me dividing a Harakeke (flax) from one pot into 6.

Also here are my awesome bruises!

Physiotherapist appointment went really well. After we headed to Timaru again. This time it is for a washing machine. Rowan and I are over using the laundromat and asking friends to do a load of washing. Please see last pic of Rowan loaded up with a washing machine and a dehumidifier. He had to also take the backpack most of the way because it was killing my shoulder!

While there I popped into Bunnings to talk more about the kitchen and bathrooms.

It has been in the works for months, we have attempted several times to go to a crop swap in Palmerston. Well here we are, what a great experience and a great way to keep in touch with the community. I got rid of a few items and got several back. A delicious homemade tomato sauce. Lots of fresh ingredients and making new friends. Joan (who we have known for years) came to take a look at our houses and is really interested in one. She wants to move into a more modern home and absolutely loves the layout. We have been meaning to show her for weeks but we haven’t been around. Also a new face Viv, who is looking to downsize and build herself so want some advice. Look at the awesome ceiling height. I am in love!

Beautiful sunrise on our early ride for breakfast. Jim was up for some breakfast with us before we did some work. We helped move a bus he is taking up to his other place and in exchange we got our fire pile pulverised by his mower and he did the lawns too. We ended up helping with a fence for him, talk about scratch each other’s backs!

Paperwork, so much paperwork. But look at these beauties. Porcini mushrooms! A few hundred dollars worth. Rowan and I are so excited to eat these. Our awesome neighbours Kathy and Andy gave us some amazing venison he hunted. I gave a koha of 2 cabbage trees and some cherry mint kombucha. The trees are for their new place which Andy was stoked about as he loves them. We have also had some great lamb from Leona’s dad who butchers a few sheep every year for his kids. Talk about spoilt! We ended up having one of the mushrooms with the venison! Delicious.

The bottle jack finally arrived and now our truck is level.

Today tomorrow Timaru, that’s where I met you! Off to Timaru to pick up an old commercial self propelled lawn mower. Annoyingly we didn’t see it listed on our way south. Oh well good excuse to have a day out. We ended up having a nice lunch and while we had an enjoyable day scaffolding was going up.

The lawns are out of control. We have called in the big guns, Andrew has come with his big tractor to mow it all down. Much better! Still have some wood piles to get rid of.

A day in Herbert, I transferred the olives and some other plants. Looking better each day.

The letterbox is rather uninspiring, I really wanted a crafty creative task. A cheap and easy fix with some acrylic paint pens and some clear automotive paint.

Let me start with I am fine, I promise!

Oh dear Sunday. We went for a hoon with Laura and I was coming along a left bend and was going a little faster than I normally would. I hit a bump and thought I lost traction. Before I know it I had straightened my bike and landed in the ditch on the other side of the road. It all happened so fast I am not sure exactly what did happen. I did break so by the time I came off I was going fairly slow. My motorbike is fine and more importantly I am.

Laura was in front and Rowan was behind me. I was winded for a good minute and that was the hardest part. Rowan came and checked he could move me before lifting me up so I could breathe again. I thought I had really only hurt my left thumb, with an instant bruise. I ended up on the side of the road with an upper bank rather than down into a field. Someone stopped to check on us and I assured them I was okay. Once getting us to a safer spot on the road and rowan checking me over than my bike. By this time Laura had realised we weren’t behind her and came back. As she turned her bike around she dropped it, Rowan ran over to help. Laura stayed with me while Rowan took my bike for a quick ride to make sure it was safe to get back on. We were about 20min away from Ōamaru and I got back on the horse and followed Laura to her house.

It wasn’t until I was at Laura’s and my adrenaline had chilled out that I realised my shoulder was a bit sore too. Once I was back at Herbert and I could relax that is when I realised I had hurt my neck and shoulder. I wouldn’t say it was worse than a good fall down the stairs but it has been a long time since I have really gotten this hurt.

I woke up on Monday and felt a good amount of pain. Not enough to see a doctor but I took a couple of ibuprofen and called the physio. Appointment on Friday. I am sure it will get better on its own but if I can do some exercises and stretches to help. Also it is then recorded with ACC just in case I get any grief in the future.

I held off writing this blog, well because I feel a bit silly coming off my bike but also I didn’t want a flood of worry from everyone. So sorry for the delay of blogs but I wanted to make sure you all know 12 days later I am well.

And just like that we have a second house! Rowan and I are not much help at this stage of the build apart from helping pick items up or hold a tape measure.

We have been told last minute we need scaffolding, so now we are scrambling to get that sorted. This may cause a few weeks delay.

Leona asked us to take drone pics of her new listing up Mt Misery Road. Isn’t it awesome? Right on the river, lots of potential. It was a school outdoor education centre and for the last 8 years it has been rented to a family of 10. There is the main house, a little two bedroom cottage behind it, another two room bunk room, storage sheds, plus girls and boys ablutions. That is just the upper part of the property. Lower down are another two large rooms and bathrooms. Oh the endless possibilities. You would want to live there and run it like a business. Weddings? Eco farm? A few acres and all those buildings a mere $570k price. If Rowan and I were settling down we would buy it in a heartbeat.

Thursday is here, we had booked Chris is for Friday but we did a bit of swapping around. I have been wanting to get this done for a long time. Let’s make a proper water course. It gives us a lot more usable land and I get to plant it out with some natives and hopefully have some wildlife. The job was just finished when the rain hit. Chris will come back in a few weeks and smooth it out more when it has dried up a bit. He will also put the bridge into place.

Woke up to a nice little wetlands. It rained and rained, it didn’t take long at all to fill up.

Today we are heading to Christchurch to get our stuff out of storage. National storage are well I am not sure what the correct term would be. Price gouging? Predatory pricing? Basically they advertise a good rate, wait for all your stuff to be in there and increase the price over the years while still having units available at the lower price. It went from $190 per month to $320. We decided it was just getting out of hand and it’s time to get it all out. Luckily we didn’t have much left in there as we have been slowly removing our stuff.

I have so many things on my mind I thought I was under control but we had to go back to Herbert to get the keys to unlock the container and I forgot that we were to meet up with Tama. We eventually got on the road properly and was quite a bit later than we had aimed for. We got into Christchurch in the evening.

Lovely Rick and Liz have taken us in again and will even store some of our things if we can’t fit it all in this one load.

It takes us all day to get our stuff out. We started with all the boxes and decided it was easier to take 90% of it to Brooklands and sort it there. The last load was a haberdashery and some museum specimen cabinets. Rowan went off to cook dinner while I carried on with packing. I got most of it done before dinner. We left Rowan to do the last bits as Liz and I went to see a play at the botanic gardens. It was really funny and very well done.

Sunday, time to head back. There are a few shops I want to visit before heading back. I have to think about lighting and fixtures for the houses.

Rowan noticed the towbar wasn’t looking right. I tried to find a mechanic but none are open. we called AA at Trade Depot and it took 3 hours to sort us out. The mechanic came and told us not to tow the trailer and that he will get a tow truck to come get it. Looks like we are missing a bolt and there is a crack. I am not sure if the lady on the phone was just unrealistic but Rowan refuses to pay just over $2k to town the trailer back. Finally she thinks of doing a long haul load. We agree and a truck comes to get the trailer. There is nothing wrong with the trailer which makes it easy for the tow guy.

Not much happening in sunny Palmerston. The scaffolders should be here tomorrow.

Back into Waitaki. Rowan picked up his knife that came before Christmas. Peter Lorimer made a new handle for it. The knife is an old WW1 trench knife. Peter exceeded our expectations by using whale bone over wood.

On Wednesday we get to site so the frames and trusses can be put on site. Building paper, extra wood and the likes also ready to go. It took a few hours to sort it all.

The rest of the week was busy. Organising the trailer load from Nelson, getting the gardens a bit more reasonable and loads of paperwork. I am enjoying having baths again. I really missed them while we were away.

The day has arrived. Let’s get the first one up. It goes off without a hitch, just like reading Lego instructions it all fits together perfectly. Wahoo for house number one.

Now the walls are up it feels a lot bigger. I was worried it was going to be ridiculously small.

We are coming into bad weather. Maybe we should be staying north! There has been ferry cancellations but the forecast looks good on the day we get aboard. Our north island trip is coming to an end. The timing isn’t good to see the few people we thought we could catch up with, both are busy. It is a nice drive over the Rimutaka hills and into Tararua ranges. I feel there is still lots we could see and have missed while on our trip. Which I quite like as I feel a pull to go do it again.

In Wellington we waste the day op shopping and finding some plants at Bunnings. We end up at two different Bunnings looking for Oak Leaved Papaya. They can withstand the cold and I like the idea of some more niche fruits rather than the same old. The ferry is an evening crossing getting us in at midnight. It runs a little late, not that it worries us. Rowan and I were tempted to upgrade to the big room where no children are allowed. They have a large buffet I think similar to koru lounge. We decided to go to the supermarket and get food to make a picky plate. When we landed it was a quick drive out to Waikawa Bay to sleep. It was incredibly busy. I think people just waiting for the ferry as there has been back log.

The next day it was really quiet at the site so it must have been ferry goers. I really enjoyed the morning sitting around drinking coffee and reading my book. It was really nice not having the pressure to go somewhere. We had dinner with Kate & James. Kates grandpa (99) and mother are over from the UK visiting. They went to Australia first to see family now in NZ. Dinner was great, we parked up down by a river out of Blenheim for the night.

On the road for all of 5min and wack! There is a good stone chip and crack. We have had a lot of stones this trip, this is one to do damage. Our morning was spent at Pelorus River. There were heaps of Te Araroa walkers going past. Rowan hopped into the river for a fossick. We got to Nelson in the afternoon and found a repair place. I was worried it couldn’t be fixed but it can, phew! Booked in for tomorrow morning. We had a lovely dinner with Paula, Kelvin and the girls. The girls were happy to see us. I was a bit surprised by Millie (the oldest), last time she was very teenager and was nonchalant.

The following day Kelvin, Rowan and I went op shopping. Lucy the youngest came along for the ride. We ended up going to Motueka too. When we got back we picked up Camele all fixed. Rowan and I got a sneaky croc monsieur. Oh that posh patisserie is a must in Nelson. In the afternoon we packed the trailer full of items we both wished we would never see again. Most of them Laura should be able to sell.

On the road again, heading to Christchurch. We will stay with Rick and Liz a couple of days before heading to base. I booked us in to see our doctors on Monday morning.

Early Sunday morning we had a zoom with a bunch of people from our Antarctica trip. Who can believe it has been 5 years! Talk about time flies.

We thought we may take off after our doctors but decided to stick around and help out Liz and Rick. There oven blew two elements on Christmas Day. How’s that for bad timing! Rowan hunted down some electrical shops and replaced them. Now the oven is in perfect working order again. This also meant we could do the Monday night quiz. Which was great fun, even when it was abysmal and we nearly came last.

New Year’s Eve, what a fun night. We stayed at the marae most of the night, Rowan and I went to join a few others at the local raza (RSA), Rowan promised the kids he would be back before midnight to do the countdown with them. So we set an alarm and was gone for about 45min. We told the others we were heading back to do the countdown with the kids and they showed up just before midnight too! Karstan was so happy/amazed that we came back that he cried (so cute). I went to bed at 2am and Rowan was 5am!

A New Year, I woke up bleary and very tired. I don’t cope well without sleep. Unfortunately for me my 6am body clock told me to get out of bed. I was the only one up haha. It took a good hour or more before I saw signs of any life at the marae. Which suited me fine as I poured caffeine into my system to make me feel human again. I gave Rowan 5 hours sleep before I tried to get him up. Today we are on the move so we have the marae to clean before we go. We get the place looking great by about 1pm. Many hands make light work. I packed us up to go while trying to get Rowan up. I ended up having a shower which made me feel a thousand times more alive. I didn’t drink as much as the others last night but definitely more than I normally would.

When we hit the road to head south we had my cousin Nellie and two of her boys, Zakaiah and Karstan following us. We reach Tokomaru Bay and have lunch at the pub. We continued on to Anaura Bay to camp. After we set up and settled in, we left Rowan to nap while we hit the beach. It was a nice walk and a great way to end the day.

Nellie and I decided an early sunrise start was a must. Unfortunately it was too cloudy to get a great display, Rowan and Karstan got up too. Kaiah was fast asleep.

We packed up and continued on our tiki tour. I cooked us breakfast when we reached Kaiaua Bay. Heaps of freedom campers here. We are coming to find the area really does well for both self contained and non self contained travellers. There are heaps of families with tents. It is nice to see the council allowing this where a lot of areas ban it.

We made it to Mahia and decided to stay there for the night. The boys played on the beach all afternoon/evening until it was too dark. I tried to see if there was an Aurora able to be captured. I didn’t stay up all night just checked whenever I woke up and thought about it. I didn’t see any glow at all.

Our journey continues and we make it to Lake Tutira. We get there fairly early which is great as the boys can run around and us adults can relax. The weather is a bit on and off today with a few sprinkles but it is mostly fine. Back in Waitaki the weather has been bad. At least my plants will survive.

There was a sassy swan that stayed around us all night in hope of us feeding it. I ended up giving it some oats as I didn’t want the kids to give it bread. The lake is really peaceful. No motor boats allowed, but you can kayak and fish.

Rowan is getting the flu I hope I can miss it.

At this point of our trip we are saying goodbye to Nellie and the boys. But it turns out she will come one more day. The funny thing is she is going further south but because she is coming further west it is actually making her journey home a lot quicker than if she went from Tikitiki.

We end up op shopping in Napier which the kids love. We take a scenic drive to Kairakau Beach where we stay the night. One last night and then Rowan and I are on our way to Wellington.

We say our goodbyes and have big hugs. It was great to travel with Nellie and the boys. Very easy going travel companions.

Rowan and I get to the longest place name in the world. On the back roads it feels like the North Island has forgotten about this area. There only is farms and forestry. Even small towns with a pub are few. We go for a short steep walk to Waihi Falls which is in the middle of nowhere. We thought we may stay the night there but it really isn’t a great spot. We end up driving further until we find a good track off road to park for the night.

Let’s wrap up 2024 with some highlights! Thanks for coming along on the journey.

January

Straight into renovation mode. Rowan’s unimpressed face says it all!

End of the month progress

February

Two sets of Scottish visitors! some progress with Herbert and Till Street!

Katie’s birthday!

March

Some progress with our renovation.

No time to go away far but we took the time to do a few local tiki tours

April

Finally some paint on the exterior

Rowan’s Birthday, I didn’t really take any photos because I am useless. But he had a great day at a Swapmeet.

May

I upgraded my motorbike as the small 50cc as you are not allowed to do your restricted on such a low powered bike. The house it looking cute with extra details coming out with the paint.

Broken down ute, now we get an old Toyota as a spare car

I think this is my absolute top highlight of the year! The most incredible light display! Aurora Australis at its best!

A couple of outings!

June

A few trips, a new boat!

House progress!

July

We lived and breathed the renovation this month. Head down bums up. But look at what we achieved

We also squeezed in a new wall for Herbert and some storage for Palmerston. Finally we have stamped plans from council to start building.

August

Work has begun on the sections in Palmerston

Wow we completed the house! Let’s stage it for sale.

A quick trip to Australia to put Rowan’s Grandad & Uncle in the family plot. Then a celebration for my sister’s 40th in Auckland.

September

Birthday breakfast, Happy Birthday Clare

Wahoo the house is sold! A quick sale.

October

Weather delays and we finally get back onto the foundation work

Huge flood

May as well holiday while we wait to dry out again. Another good Aurora!

Back at it, let’s get the footings framed up.

Another getaway while we wait. With an awesome snowy drive home.

November

A lot of progress on our foundations. We have had delay after delay. Now to get it all completed before Christmas.

Hot tub, Bedford truck, my restricted license

December

Last little push before finishing for the year!

Holiday time

Christmas Eve is here. We wake up in beautiful Whangaparāoa with lots of family around us. Unfortunately Nana has a stomach bug and is not doing well. We all plan to get out of her hair so she can rest. Rowan and I were going to take Ellery back to Emma in the city but my mom ended up doing it. Instead we went to the op shops, got some last minute groceries and some gas for the camper. We had a nice afternoon at Runamuck with the kids running around. They have built a garage there now which is great if you can’t be bothered putting up a tent. There is now a flushing toilet and solar power. It sure is a change, I am not sure I like the modern amenities, I quite enjoyed the rustic camping. A nice campfire finishes off the day.

Christmas Day – woke up to my sister Sarah and her family all awake for Christmas Day. My cousins and kids were still sleeping. We had a laid back morning, more family arrived from 11am.

Rowan and I had Franzi & Nicholas from Germany come for lunch. We met Franzi on our Antarctica trip. It was great to see her and meet her partner. It is coming up five years since we did that trip.

Also I invented my bestie Sarah & her family. Silly me I should have got a photo!

It was great to see the extended family. It went really fast and I feel like I didn’t get to see everyone but there was quite a few people, not exactly shocking.

Boxing Day

Nana is still under the weather. We hang around until lunch time and then make our way to Papamoa. I wish we had been able to come up that week earlier and had more time with the family. I got to spend all of a few hours with my dad. Mum said we can stay at her place in Papamoa so we end up staying two nights. When going over the Kaimai Range it is a must to fill up your water bottles with the lovely spring water!

We get a chance to clean and organise the chaos of our home. We have been a bit lazy with putting things away properly. Rowan and I decide to treat ourselves to a fancy lunch at Lantern. The food was really nice. Not as good as a Michelin place however pretty good for Papamoa.

Rowan and I start to head South East, we are on our way to Tikitiki for a christening. We take our time stopping often along the way. I get a text message just out of Whakatāne, “hey we are behind you!” My aunty Deb & uncle Sam are behind us, with my cousin Tiana and her son Samson. We pull over when we can and have a chat. They recommend fuelling up and getting food here or Optiki. We end up doing both in Opitiki and running into them again.

A stunning part of New Zealand here on the East. It has been a very long time since I have been out to Tikitiki. We arrive and discover which of the many Marae the family is staying. With a very warm welcome we settle in. There are a lot of faces and people I have not seen in a long time. It is really lovely to see everyone again or for the first time.

The Marae is well equipped for smaller groups. It has everything you need to feed 50 to 100 people.

A wonderful day here in Tikitiki. We are here to christen three of my cousins kids. All three girls were christened in this spectacular church and now their kids are here with the same minister. We watched a video of the girls last night and it was great to see my Nana & Grandpa so young.

Tikitiki church is from the 1920s and is considered to be the most beautiful Māori churches in New Zealand. The stained glass and the carvings. It is ornate and incredibly involute throughout. if you ever are out this way definitely go check it out. It is open to the public.

Nellie (cousin) has asked me to be godmother to her two boys. I accept and have paperwork to sign once the ceremony is complete.

After the ceremony we have kai (food) and celebrate with a song. Then we head down to the awa (river) to cool off. With unknown weather on the horizon we make the most of the clear evening and take marshmallows down to the beach.

The next day we take three cars full out to Lottins Point. A really stunning area with plenty of kai moana. Rowan gets straight in and finds a few kina which a few people enjoy. Tipuna (cousins, cousin) finds that he is recognised from some old primary school friends. Tipuna, Aroha & Te Moana have lived most of their lives in Switzerland. Crack up that they recognised him after 20 years. They say he looks exactly the same but shorter hair. They give us a big bag of kinas and we help them get their boat out of the water. We end up heading back part way to Te Araroa for some lunch. We end up bumping into a lot more of the family also getting some lunch.

From there we end up separating, our car goes out to the lighthouse at East Cape. The most eastern part of NZ. Unfortunately it is closed so we can’t walk out to see it properly. We all jump in for a swim at the Awatere river on the way back.