March 5th

Cartons etc to be picked up

I know, it’s been a while, packing, sorting, packing and sorting and them moving finally.

I’m in Golden Bay finally, a long way from anywhere, well, I guess that is relative, everything is a long way from me. I got down here Monday afternoon, drove to Tokoroa on Friday, stayed with Peter and Aurora Friday night, went with Peter to the Tokoroa Market Saturday morning till about 10.30, then drove to Wellington.

Peter and Aurora at Tokoroa Market, Peter specialises in the rare and odd plants.

I’d have liked to take some pics on the way, but the weather was crap, cloud ceiling was about 1,000 metres, and the road across the plateau is 800 metres, so it was like driving into a narrow window.

Stayed with Hayden and Leigh Saturday and Sunday night, gave Hayden a hand with clearing his well overgrown back garden, and helped set up his chicken run. He’s got a terrific natural ampitheatre in his back yard, trouble is it all needs a lot of work in stabilising and reinforcing posts before he can do anything with it. But ok, it is possible, just finding the money and time to get it done.

Hayden clearing away the over growth

Hayden is down there somewhere

This is what we found when we finally got the overgrowth cleared, it is a really good spot to put a walkway and barbque area

Haydens little chicken run, it goes further back alongside the house.

Caught the ferry over to Picton at 6am and finally got to Takaka about 1pm. Pleasant drive as always, and just feeling the difference as you come down the hill into Takaka is amazing.

Sailing up Queen Charlotte Sound on the Ferry

Queen Charlotte Drive, one of the best roads to drive along, only short from Picton to Havelock, but terrific scenery

Pelorus River at the Bridge

Pelorus River Bridge

I’m the favourite person in a couple of shops here already, nearly $2,000 worth of paint and associated tools so far into Hammer Hardware, and another $1000 in the appliance shop for a washing machine.

The house is basically good, but the interior is not what I like, fake wood panels, dark ceilings and drab dark kitchen, so I have been a bit busy the last week painting the ceilings, and plastering over the walls to fill the grooves in the fake timber so I can paint over.

All my cartons and furniture arrived Friday, which was great, but as we found when we tried to get the bed upstairs, I need to cut out the banister and stair rail, and probably take out the door frames at the top to get the bed base and mattress up there. Oh well, a trap for the unwary I guess.

Will be back into updating regularly from now.