Playing with Blocks

Looks like a big truck arrived at our building site a day or so ago – thanks to D&D for keeping an eye on the building progress and taking a few photos for us.  A whole lot of concrete blocks arrived on the back of a large truck, which were quickly unloaded. 

Concrete blocks placed on site

Now, there was no way we could leave things like that, was there?  Robin was visiting his Mum and doing a few jobs for her, like a good son should.  I high-tailed it to Levin to see if any progress had been made.  It certainly had.  The concrete blocks had been placed around the perimeter and the block layers were busily working away.  I snapped a photo or two, and left them to it.

Block layers at work

No Towing Required

It was a caravan club rally weekend and it happened right here, at our new location.  So we didn’t even have to travel this time – no towing required for us to get to the rally site.  Being the month of December, it was our Christmas Rally, so there are a few little extra things planned.  We didn’t see Santa’s reindeer arrive, just a whole herd of Friesian cows which were put into the adjacent paddock.  Muffy didn’t know quite what to make of them, and stood outside the caravan watching these huge black and white creatures intently.

Muffy doing a spot of “cow watching”

The other caravan club members arrived, and set themselves up on the front lawn, and on the driveway.  Our caravan Romany Rambler is parked behind the house, out of sight.

Rally weekend in Otaki

We journeyed a short distance down the main road to lunch at “The Winemaker’s Daughter” restaurant.  This is such a pretty setting with several pretty pink bougainvilleas growing together overhead through the rafters making a colourful canopy.

Bougainvilleas growing overhead

The $10 lunch menu was very popular with our group, and the other items on offer were very reasonably priced too. Plates of lambs fry and bacon, corn fritters, big burgers, several varieties of pies and salmon salad were delivered to our table.  Most of us had room left for dessert, and Elaine and I voted the hot chocolate dumplings a real winner.

Ready for our lunch

We were surrounded by a whole host of heavenly angels on Saturday night.  Our task for the evening was to colour and decorate a little cardboard angel, give her a name and tell the group a little about our own personal angel.  We were kept busy with coloured pencils, pens, glue and glitter as everyone got into the Christmas spirit and worked diligently on their piece of angel art.   

Christmas angels

A communal brunch was organised for Sunday morning, with everyone to cook  their own favourite breakfast dish.  The wind was rather chilly so we sat in the large garage.  Out came plates of pancakes, cornflakes and fruit, eggs cooked in all sorts of ways with bacon, mushrooms and goodness knows what else on the side.  That certainly stopped the chatter as everyone cleaned up their plates, then out came the coffees and teas to finish up with.  With such a hearty brunch consumed, not many bother with lunch!

 

It’s brunch time in the garage

Most packed up and made their way home in the afternoon, with Don and Pamela opting to stay for another night.  That pesky wind had died away in the late afternoon and we enjoyed a leisurely barbeque on the front terrace in the sunshine.  This is the last caravan rally of the year.  Merry Christmas to all of our members, we wish you all a happy and safe Christmas season with family and friends. 

Goodbye, House

The day has finally come, it’s goodbye to our house.  We have lived there together for 29 years.  And Robin bought the section, planned the house and had it built for him about 10 years earlier, so he was the original owner.  We went back for another quick clean yesterday.  Rushed around with the vacuum cleaner for the last time and gave the bathroom a final clean.  Packed the box of cleaning products and the vacuum cleaner back into car, and we were ready to go.  So it’s goodbye to our house of the last 29 years, we are leaving a lot of memories behind.  Are we sad?  No, not really, it’s time for a new adventure!

Settlement has gone through smoothly, we were told today.  That’s a weight off my mind – I’m a bit of a worrier and had visions of the unattended house burning down last night.  Or maybe a bunch of thugs would break in and smash it up.  Who knows?  But of course nothing like that happened and things are falling into place.

And the new adventure is starting – as is the building of our new home.  Not a great deal to see at the moment, but the concrete footing has now been laid.  We just had to go and see this bit of early progress, and have a talk to the pair of friendly builders.  They were busy floating off the concrete, but took time to talk with us while they kept on working away.  One of the pair is a native New Yorker, so we chatted away about our visit to this amazing vibrant city a few years ago. 

Not much to see yet

Both builders told us how much they enjoy working for the construction company, so that’s a good sign, we thought.  They informed us that they expect the walls and roof trusses to be up before Christmas.  No long Christmas break for them, the builders will only be taking the stat holidays off work.  I’m sure we will be going backwards and forwards taking plenty of progress photos.

Change of Location

Today was a “happening” kind of day.  In the morning we visited our lawyer and signed the final papers for our house sale.  There – that makes it feel quite final, and settlement will be on Friday.  While we were in the lawyer’s office, my cell phone trumpeted like an elephant, as it does when it receives a text.  It was sent by Dot, to let us know that work has started on our villa.  No doubt the builders are preparing the wooden boxing to lay the concrete floor.

Back home again for a spot of house cleaning, then we hooked up the caravan and drove up to our friends rural property in Otaki.  This will be our new location for the next couple of months.  It’s not too far to Levin, so we can keep an eye on the building progress of our new home.

Camped at Otaki

But there won’t be too much building going on today, as heavy sheets of rain came pouring down.  Never mind, there’s always tomorrow.

Filled to the Brim

This  really is the last load – we’ve had quite enough of traipsing back and forth to Levin and the lock-up.  Who would have thought that we had quite so much “stuff” tucked away.  So here we go, once again.

Ready to roll once again

We really did have a bit of bother fitting the final few things in.  Some furniture was pulled out and turned around, boxes were rearranged, other items were poked into holes, and the last few things were fitted in snugly.  There really is no more room left.

Filled to the brim

There was simply no room at all for our fold-up outdoors table and seat combo.  Luckily our friends Dot and Derek kindly offered to store it for us in their back yard while our new home is being built.  It was quite an effort to get this heavy piece of wooden furniture off the trailer and carry it around to the back of the property.

Outdoor furniture on the move

After lunch, we had a another drop-off to do.  Brother Gary had purchased Robin’s motor mower as our villas come complete with a handyman who cuts the lawns.  As we were unloading the lawn mower at Gary’s house, one of the neighbours came up to see what we were doing.  He was part of the local  “Neighbour Watch” so very properly checked us out.  After all, strangers who pull up outside a house with a big trailer when the occupants are away at work could well be burglars up to no good!  We introduced ourselves, explained why we were there, and the neighbour was then quite happy, his job done. 

Kapiti Island seen from the top of Pukerua Bay Hill

We pulled off the road at the top of Pukerua Bay Hill, and looked out at the hazy Kapiti Island away in the distance.  Pukerua Bay is linked with the legendary figure Haunui-a-nania, who came here during the pursuit of his unfaithful wife, Wairaka. She had run away from the Mahia Peninsula with  her lover Weku.  As Hau pursued the pair he  marked the events of his journey by the names he gave to rivers along the coast.  Many present-day place names such as Otaki, Ohau and Waikanae record incidents in the quest which ended just south of Pukerua.  Legend goes Hau caught the run-aways at Pukerua Beach and brought about their deaths.  He changed his wife's lover into a bird he ordered Wairaka to go into the sea and collect shell fish. Her husband then cursed her and turned her into stone, so the story goes.

We’re Tired – Can we Stop Now?

Who would have thought it – it must be “Murphy’s Law”.  The rain came down yesterday on our furniture moving day after days of sunshine. Luckily we had some help on the day.  Robin’s brother Gary (can you spot the resemblance?) and wife Debbie came to lend a helping hand.  They helped bubble wrap our table and the glass top, and then Gary provided some much needed muscle power in loading all those heavy items in the back of the furniture trailer.

Debbie and Gary

Dot and Derek called around to help too.  Must admit that we had more glass sheets that needed protection than I realised.  Here’s Dot on her knees wrapping up glass panels.  Derek meanwhile was quietly carrying one item after another out into the garage ready to be loaded onto the trailer.

Dot with newspaper and sticky tape

Then the heavy work began, with juggling the items around to best fit inside the trailer.  My supply of woollen blankets came in handy to stop things rubbing together.  With no beds or bedroom furniture to take, plus the multitude of crates and boxes already carried up to Levin, we thought that the trailer we hired would be sufficient for our needs.  But Murphy’s Law struck again, and we soon found out that we would need to make two return trips.  

Derek and Robin, with Gary inside the trailer

Off we went, on the long drive up to Levin, to open up the lock-up unit, and begin the task of taking everything out.  In went the two couches and armchairs, the wall unit, dining table and chairs, the fridge and filing cabinet.  Lighter items were poked into various nooks and crannies, or placed on top of stacks of boxes.  We knew we had to leave room for the last load.

It’s almost full now

Robin and Derek drove back to Upper Hutt to get the last few things, including my precious sewing cabinet and the washing machine.  Dot took me under her wing back at her new home and plied me with coffee and nibbles while we contemplated just how late our tired men would arrive from the second trip – about 6.30pm we reckoned.  With a hot meal awaiting their arrival, they staggered in the door, bone tired, just after 6.00pm. 

The balance of our things had been safely stored away, but there seemed to be something wrong with our tow car.  It had been making terrible noises on the return trip and Robin was thinking the worst.  What would we do now?  We had to get home to return the hire trailer – but would the car make the 100km trip home safely?  We’ll take the risk, Robin decided, and set out with our hearts in our mouths, waiting for that dreaded noise to reappear.  And it did, just down the road, but after that the car ran smoothly the rest of the way home.  Perhaps there was a stone caught up in the wheel assembly, he thought?  We collapsed into bed in the caravan, tired and weary with a head ache to boot, and pleased that the day was finally over.

And today was house cleaning day.  Robin took charge of the vacuum cleaner and ran it over the carpet in the empty rooms. And what about this dust on top of the pantry, we can’t leave that behind!

  Cleaning high

I had a bucket of soapy water and washed down the skirting boards, and the window sills.  It’s certainly easier to reach all these places when there is no furniture in the way.

And cleaning low

There’s just a little bit left to do inside now, and Robin will give the lawns their final mowing, so we’re almost done.   Then we will be able to stop, relax, and put our weary feet up for a while.  Whew – what a busy couple of days!

And as for that awful noise – Murray, our friendly mechanic, confirmed it was in fact a stone stuck inside the wheel.  Robin’s thoughts had really been running wild - thank goodness it was nothing more sinister, after all.

Getting Ready for Tomorrow

We’re getting ready to move the last of our things tomorrow – Robin has collected the furniture trailer from Hire Pool this afternoon.  A couple of strong blokes have offered their services with the heavy lifting, which is much appreciated.  With no beds left in the house, we hope that we can move the rest of the furniture in one trip tomorrow, but I guess we will know for sure on the day.  If it takes two trips, so be it.

Ready for tomorrow

So – roll on tomorrow.  With everything out of the house it will give us a chance to put Sady the Cleaning Lady to work with no impediments.  Or perhaps her name is Jenny?  Settlement is not till the end of the week, but we have been moving the house contents progressively over the last few weeks to our lock-up unit in Levin.  Then we will be living full time in the caravan for a couple of months while our new home is being built.  Exciting times!