TEN ACRES & THREE CATS

We are in the last phase of first part of our "big adventure" as we are now in our last housesit job before we start on our travels around the country in "Truck Inn Too" which if all goes according to plan will have us moving on about mid February.

Our only responsibility here as far as livestock goes is to keep Sox, Bear and Jasper, the three resident cats happy as any of the animals on the lifestyle block are looked after by the people who own the property and live in the prime dwelling whereas we live in the second dwelling and just have to maintain the gardens surrounding it.

MURIWAI VALLEY (without the internet)

Well it has been a little while since the last post but sometimes with rural living even with the best technology the internet just can't be found so as a consequence no blog postings. My Love had to pick up and send emails from school each day.

We spent three weeks here while the owners were having a family holiday on the Gold Coast.

Our responsibilities on the 10 acres ranged from looking after free range chooks, hence eggs that tasted like eggs, to keeping an eye on the last of of a flock of pregnant ewes (see new arrival above). Fortunately birthing assistance was not required by me!!

Last weekend we moved to our last housesit, again on 10 acres which lasts for 3 months before heading up to the Far North to catch up on family and friends after which we will head to the South Island to work when neccesary and play until we get sick of it.

In the meantime Julie, the best tenant in the world, has decided to move on from our bach at Snells Beach so we have taken the opportunity to spend the odd weekend up there doing a bit of repairs and mantainence before new tenants move in.

You can look foward to hearing about our last Auckland domicile before the great South Island adventure begins on my next post.

ESPECIALLY SPECIFIED SPECIFICATIONS

Among all the other bells and whistles that came with our new motorhome there were only two things that I had on my must have also list these being a Coleman Road Trip BBQ and a separate, full size shower.

FARMING IN THE VALLEY

A view from the deck.
























A view from and working in the kitchen.


We have been here in Henderson Valley 0n a 10 acre block now for four weeks with another two to go before the owners arrive back from a trip to England. Our main responsibilites here have been looking after a small herd of five beef stock which basically means moving them from paddock to paddock every few days, ensuring that the water supply is working and and that the electric fences are throbbing away.

We have also had to ensure that the whims and foibles of one grumpy and camera shy cat are met and apart from that it has just been enjoying the country lifestyle and looking forward to more sunny days as summer approaches.

MORE ON WAIMAUKU

Waimauku has come to an end and we have moved on but more on our new destination later. It was a wrench leaving as we found the place an idyllic retreat after a day at work and did love the animals that were left in our care.

Another bonus was the native bush that was on the property and during our last weekend there we spent a couple of hours in its environs and enjoying all that comes being in what it must have been like for the early New Zealanders living in this lush country of ours.

FROM WET BEACH TO DAMP BUSH

We have left a wet Orewa and wet Bess and friends and moved onto our second lifestyle block homesit at still a very wet Waimauku which is just north east of Auckland. This is another idyllic spot of about 11 acres with about half of it in native bush which includes all the trimmings that go with this sort of country such as wood pigeons, tuis, moreporks and kauri groves.









In the house paddocks and garden area we have Tank the alsatian, Blackie the cat, an aviary full of a variety of birds, nine sheeep and two homosexual rabbits under our care and responsibiltity.

We have been here for two weeks now and as I write this last addition to this post I must say we have been teased with the odd bit of sunshine. Long may it last.

60 YEAR OLDS HONEYMOON IN VANUATU

PHOTOS TOP TO BOTTOM
Cascade Falls; Jungle Challenge, Epule Village; View from our Poolside Bure; Entrance to Mangoes Resort; Main Street Port Vila; Epule Village Lunch; Epule Entertainment; View from our Lagoon View Bure; Hideaway Island; Pigs for Sale, Port Vila Markets.


We have just come back from a week in lovely, sunny, warm, FRIENDLY Vanuatu where we did all the usual things when holidaying in a tropical isle with the biggest impression we came away with from Vanuatu was the genuine warm friendliness of the Melanisian people. This contrasted with the conditions that the majority of these people live in, although clean and tidy the villages were of a very poor standard compared to Kiwi so called underclass living conditions.

The highlight of a wonderful week was the day trip around the island of Efate with the HIGHLIGHT of this day and the whole holiday our visit to the "Kastom Village" of Epule where Henry,the spokeperson as he was the only one who could speak english and the Chief and his tribe of about 30 gave us a wonderful insight into authentic Melansian living and culture which included a lunch cooked in the traditional way which even makes my mouth water now as I write this. Anyone contemplating going to Vanuatu this experience is thoroughly recommended.

BIG CHEQUE CHANGES HANDS

Tuesday was handover day with the new motorhome and a cheque changing hands.
More to follow on this but for now we are off to the 2 year olds birthday party and then fly to Vanuatu for a week hopefully to blob in the sunshine.

HOUSESITTING WE LOVE IT

OREWA FROM THE ROAD

THE FARM

If this is what housesitting is we have found
something that we love doing. Our first experience of this is going to produce a lot of fond memories. We are domiciled in a large warm flat attached to the main residence which we have also been offered the use of but are more than comfortable where we are. Our main responsibility is to look after the welfare of two lovely golden retrievers, Bailey & Bess as well see to the well being of two pet kunekune pigs Izzy & Bella as well as keep an eye on six sheep. We are both feeling pleasantly rural and enjoying the lifestyle change immensely after fifteen years in a townhouse on a crosslease section in the central city.

TWO DOVES, WELCOME BUT UNINVITED GUESTS.

PLAYTIME

THE WALK & POST WALK NAP

DINNER TIME

ALMOST FINISHED

Well we finally got the magic phone call from Trail lite to say our new motorhome will be ready next week and we have arranged for handover to be Tuesday 3 July as we will both be on holiday then.

We are then to take it down to Tauranga to Shademaster to have the awning/safari room fitted. Shademaster have been recommended as having one of the stronger awnings on the market.

NEW LIFESTYLE & NEW BOSS

We have moved into our new lifestyle with ease and are thoroughly enjoying the change and have taken up our first housesitting job in Orewa, a beachside suburb north of Auckland. Photos and more on this in the next post.

Also I have had a change on the work front as the trucking firm I worked for has been sold to A.J. Tutill & Sons (established 1921) which I am now an employee of. They have a fleet of 38 trucks which mainly do Auckland metro work and of which of these I have inherited a cute little Isuzu 4 tonner which is a pleasure to drive around the busy streets of the city after what I have been used to.

No photos of the new motorhome this time but we have just been informed by Trail lite today that it will be ready for handover next week.

BATHROOM

Have just found these pics of the bathroom, main spec that I required is that we had a separate shower.

"TRUCK INN TOO"

For the past six years we have always driven around in "Truck Inn" and have been associated with this name by NZMCA members therefore we have decided to call our new motorhome "Truck Inn" too hence the our new vehicle will be known as "Truck Inn Too".


As you can see from the pics we are expecting a call from Traillite in the near future to arrange the hand over date.

SHIFT HAPPENS

It was a hectic week with all those last minute things being packed climaxing Friday 1 June with the movers scheduled to arrive at 7.30am coming up the drive at 7am. Then it was all go getting the truck loaded and the furniture moved into storage where My Love and I spent the rest of Queens birthday weekend moving all 107 cartons plus the furniture about 500 times it seems into groups of what is to be stored permanently, what we may need in the new motorhome and what is to be sold.

L

We are now into a week or two of cramped camping in our 5 metre campervan until our new motorhome is completed but quite enjoying it as we know it is not forever and the weather has been reasonably kind for this time of the year.