Well, for those of you patiently(!) waiting for an update, here it is….
Like all of you we have been going through the COVID cycles and our thoughts are with you all and your families. We have been extraordinarily lucky here in NZ and although we are now going through second wave, it is very minor and nothing compared to those of you in other countries.
TRAVEL: COVID curtailed our travel plans so we have not been exploring anywhere near as much as we had initially planned. We had a trip to the Bay of Islands for a couple of days and stayed in the Duke of Marlborough hotel in Russell. Although Russell is on the mainland, it is best accessed by a 10 minute ferry ride rather than the hour long drive on dirt roads through the hills. It’s a lovely little town that has an interesting history. In the early 1800’s it was known as the :Hellhole of the Pacific” the roughest and most lawless place in the Southern Hemisphere, home to many whalers and deserters and other troublemakers. At the end of the whaling season the ships would stop in Russell so there were 500 men who had been at sea for 12 months looking for entertainment. The Duke of Marlborough was opened in 1827 as a grog shop by an ex-convict and was a favorite watering hole, I’ll bet it was a fun place to spend an evening!
We did move houses too! The little place we were in when we first arrived was great but it meant we had to pay to store all our ‘stuff’ either in the storage facility in Auckland where it had been since it was offloaded from the ship or in a small local storage where we could access things like bikes and golf clubs. That was getting expensive so when our builder suggested we rent a house he had bought to redevelop we thought it was a great idea. We have now brought all our stuff to the house though 90% of it is still in boxes in the spare bedrooms, but at least we are not paying monthly storage fees.
This is the house we are now renting in Taupo. It is on the edge of the botanical gardens and has views of the lake and the mountains. It has about a quarter acre of garden but fortunately it is all lawn and easy to maintain.
THE HOUSE: The front of the house in August just before the roof was put on. Roofing in New Zealand is almost all steel sheet in various styles, it is lighter and more weather resistant so it is screwed to the wooden battens seen here.
This is the back of the house, with the gable end of the garage on the right.
This is how it looks now (September 5th). The house is finally taking a recognizable shape. Until recently it looked like the aftermath of an explosion in a Jenga factory with all the wooden framing and supports in place to make everything square and vertical. Now the roof is on and the first layer of wall structure is in place – plywood sheer panels for rigidity and part of the insulation system. You will be able to see most of the window openings too.
Toys Update
The Caterham is currently being treated to some work to bring it up to the NZ standards.
The company doing this (Fraser Cars) makes a NZ based derivative of the Caterham and are very familiar with them. It was a bit odd seeing the car being hoisted up to get it onto a mezzanine for the work to start though! Lucky it pretty light really!
It looks like the car will be in the shop for while though as there are a LOT of small jobs to be done.
For the safety geeks, see how many issues you can find in this photo…!
Good job Ian, and to hear things are taking shape.
Would love a well-made Manhattan in the grog shop!
GG
Hi GG, hope all is well with you. There will be a Manhattan waiting on the patio when you arrive! It may not be up to your standard though!
Wow!
Great progress! Looking good, and remarkably similar to the plans!!! 🤣
When do you move in?
No NZ trip for me this year as the UK heads into a second lockdown.
Hi Ian and Linda,
We love seeing the progress on the house what you’re up to in NZ. Someday I’ll see it firsthand!
Linda and Ian,
This is AWESOME!
It is so inspiring to see the new home rising and to know that you can enjoy beautiful New Zealand for years to come!
Now I am ready to retire!
Take care and keep enjoying life!
Marin
Thanks Marin. Retirement is wonderful. Highly recommended. I hope things are going well for you.
This is fun to read. Makes me think not everyone is in a hand basket.
Hi Sue,
Yes. We have been very lucky in our timing and choice of retirement areas. We are loving it here and having a great time. We hope all is well with you
Linda and Ian
Ian and Linda – Congrats on the progress of your new home. Hope the remaining timeline stays on schedule – Cheers
Wow! The house looks big. Looks like you will be in for your birthday (Linda). So glad to hear from you all.
Ha. It will be early next year.
Probably will be February 2021. Next years birthday.
The house is looking amazing. So glad you two are doing well. You are definitely missed.
Well!
Where did the last year go!
It’s now late October 2021 and I’m hoping your new house is finished and to hear that you have moved in!
No trip to NZ to see you this year for me as the U.K. is currently doing a good impression of being a plague island and is becoming persona non grata to many countries as far as inward travel is concerned!
It would be great to see more photos, and to see what you have done with your garden!