Monday, February 21, 2011
Christchurch earthquake
We are all very sad and shocked to hear about the devastating earthquake that has destroyed Christchurch this afternoon. Our thoughts are with the people of Christchurch, the families and friends waiting for news and the heroic members of the New Zealand emergency services who are working so hard to find and rescue the injured.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Our own home at last!
We have been in our new house for six days! Amazingly, all our furniture fits perfectly so we won't be having the anticipated garage sale. It feels fantastic to be in our own home again. The garden hasn't been touched for many years, there are some beautiful mature trees and shrubs but it is very overgrown and needs a good clear out to get rid of all the saplings, bamboo and flax that have sprung up everywhere. We are finding new parts of the garden and hidden treasures every day, so far we have discovered: two cartwheels and a plough, a stags head, five antique radiators, a large sturdy dog kennel and run, an aviary and a loom. The kennel is already in use. Poppy is a ten week old huntaway puppy, she is very cute and friendly, her parents look as healthy as butchers dogs and she was free! We don't spend anything unless we have to anymore, part of our plan to change our lives was to become debt free. No more credit cards, store cards or overdrafts! If we can't afford it, we don't buy it, and if we can make do, mend or buy second hand instead of new, then we do. Although we have gone from two salaries to one, we actually seem to have more money left in the bank at the end of the month than we ever did before. We are spending more time together as a family and more time doing fun things outdoors that don't cost anything. I live my life in shorts and tee shirts now, so I don't have to buy smart clothes and shoes. I have a wardrobe full of clothes that I can't imagine ever wearing again! I dig the garden and take the kids to the beach instead of answering emails and writing reports.
Growing our own food is an important part of our new "back to basics", spend less lifestyle. I couldn't wait to get started on our vegetable garden. I am experimenting with permaculture or "no dig", organic gardening. This basically involves making loads of compost and getting chickens and worms to help you with weeding and feeding the garden. I have made a start on the first two beds and a plan for the rest of the garden is slowly forming in my brain! We already have a chook house and a very sturdy former dairy which could be used for pigs or lambs. There are also a few fruit trees, vines and a giant walnut tree but I want to add some citrus trees, apples, pears, figs and some peach trees. Chickens will be our next purchase, we are hoping to try hatching our own, rather than buying point of lay pullets. We will have to wait longer for our eggs, but the initial outlay will be much smaller and the kids will get more out of the experience.
This has been such a good week, so many of our new friends have come to visit, given us practical help with moving and fixing the computer and brought us gifts - eggs, cream, potatoes, wine and a rice cooker -, in return we have sent them all home with boxes of plums and walnuts! We are rediscovering what we knew in our hearts already, the best things in life really are free!
Growing our own food is an important part of our new "back to basics", spend less lifestyle. I couldn't wait to get started on our vegetable garden. I am experimenting with permaculture or "no dig", organic gardening. This basically involves making loads of compost and getting chickens and worms to help you with weeding and feeding the garden. I have made a start on the first two beds and a plan for the rest of the garden is slowly forming in my brain! We already have a chook house and a very sturdy former dairy which could be used for pigs or lambs. There are also a few fruit trees, vines and a giant walnut tree but I want to add some citrus trees, apples, pears, figs and some peach trees. Chickens will be our next purchase, we are hoping to try hatching our own, rather than buying point of lay pullets. We will have to wait longer for our eggs, but the initial outlay will be much smaller and the kids will get more out of the experience.
This has been such a good week, so many of our new friends have come to visit, given us practical help with moving and fixing the computer and brought us gifts - eggs, cream, potatoes, wine and a rice cooker -, in return we have sent them all home with boxes of plums and walnuts! We are rediscovering what we knew in our hearts already, the best things in life really are free!
The chook house
The start of the vegetable garden
...and the work still to come!
Fish pond (needs some work!) and hills behind the house
Puppy pen
Part of the verandah and driveway
The dairy (pig pen is just behind)
Masses of bamboo and flax growing along the creek
Poppy and Patrick
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
We have had a really exciting week. Mum arrived from France to stay with us for the next seven weeks, Lara is on her way back home from the UK after six weeks visiting friends and family, we aquired a puppy and we have only three more days to wait until we can move into our new home - yippee!
Despite having travelled for four days to get here and being 70 years old, mum hasn't seemed the least little bit jet-lagged! In fact she couldn't wait to get out and about. It's been great fun playing tour guide and showing her all the gorgeous places we have discovered so far. On Sunday we went to Abel Tasman national park and walked about 5k through the bush to a stunning golden beach. The scenery was breathtaking and the water was clear and warm, it was a really magical day.
Holly and Patrick are now back at schoool after their long summer holiday (they have had two this year, we moved out here just after the UK summer holidays!). Holly has now moved up to the senior school and is in year 9 at Waimea College. Patrick is in his final year at Waimea Intermediate School. Both are very happy, they have settled in brilliantly and made lots of new friends. Our main fear in emigrating was that the children might find it difficult to fit in or might struggle with the new curriculum. We needn't have worried, they have amazed us with the way they have adapted so easily to the enormous changes in their lives. Admittedly Holly was appalled when she first saw the school uniform, but she now wears her long plaid skirt with pride! Schooling is not totally free here, families are required to make a donation to school funds and pay for books and stationary. The amount you pay depends on the decile rating of the school. The higher the rating the more the parents have to contribute. The decile rating is set according to the average income of families attending the school.
Matt and I have been getting out and about on our bikes as much as we can, but we are going to have to swap our road tyres for something a bit more rugged, almost all the roads here eventually turn into dirt tracks (even the highways!) and our rides can get quite exciting, I almost came to grief this week on a logging track beside a steep gorge. I would really like an off road tandem if there is such a thing, so I can keep up with Matt!
Despite having travelled for four days to get here and being 70 years old, mum hasn't seemed the least little bit jet-lagged! In fact she couldn't wait to get out and about. It's been great fun playing tour guide and showing her all the gorgeous places we have discovered so far. On Sunday we went to Abel Tasman national park and walked about 5k through the bush to a stunning golden beach. The scenery was breathtaking and the water was clear and warm, it was a really magical day.
Holly and Patrick are now back at schoool after their long summer holiday (they have had two this year, we moved out here just after the UK summer holidays!). Holly has now moved up to the senior school and is in year 9 at Waimea College. Patrick is in his final year at Waimea Intermediate School. Both are very happy, they have settled in brilliantly and made lots of new friends. Our main fear in emigrating was that the children might find it difficult to fit in or might struggle with the new curriculum. We needn't have worried, they have amazed us with the way they have adapted so easily to the enormous changes in their lives. Admittedly Holly was appalled when she first saw the school uniform, but she now wears her long plaid skirt with pride! Schooling is not totally free here, families are required to make a donation to school funds and pay for books and stationary. The amount you pay depends on the decile rating of the school. The higher the rating the more the parents have to contribute. The decile rating is set according to the average income of families attending the school.
Matt and I have been getting out and about on our bikes as much as we can, but we are going to have to swap our road tyres for something a bit more rugged, almost all the roads here eventually turn into dirt tracks (even the highways!) and our rides can get quite exciting, I almost came to grief this week on a logging track beside a steep gorge. I would really like an off road tandem if there is such a thing, so I can keep up with Matt!
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