First full week in Blockhouse Bay
We are now coming to the end of our second weekend at Matata Street. This is the view we have of the mountains through the trees which surround us:
After our container arrived on Wed Oct 31st we had more boxes to unpack that you could shake numerous sticks at. We spent much of Thursday getting the bedrooms and kitchen as ready as possible, but didn't spend our first night here until Friday. By Saturday evening we were getting a bit stir crazy with all the boxes so walked to a local school which we had seen advertising a firework display. We knew the gates opened at 7pm, but we didn't get there until twenty past eight because of it not going dark 'til then. There was a queue to get in!! We were stunned, and not longer after we got in at around 8.30 they closed the gates with a longer queue still waiting. There must have been over a thousand people sitting in the school playing fields, facing the tennis courts. Many had come with rugs and seats and picnics. The fireworks started and ran for half an hour, with commentary. It was one of the best displays we have seen and we really enjoyed it - and it only cost $2 each!
We had been having lovely sunny days until we woke on Sunday morning to rain - which lasted until Wednesday lunchtime. Wednesday afternoon and Thursday were pretty dank and miserable, but Friday, Saturday and today have been warm and sunny and glorious. This has lifted our spirits as we have been finding the house cold. We are definitely going to need more heating for the winter next year, as like many NZ homes, there is non built-in. However, when the sun is out in the afternoon it pours into the lounge:
We have spent most of the week continuing, all be it at a slower rate, unpacking boxes and applying for jobs. Both Nicky and Claire have had interviews, and today (yes, Sunday), Claire had a phone call to say she had got a job at Whitcoulls (like WH Smith's) as a shop assistant on Friday evenings and Saturdays. There will probably more hours coming up to Christmas too. So, we are all very pleased at this news. Claire is of to St.Lukes mall tomorrow to sort out the contract and have a bit of training.
I have also started putting together things for another Mac support business here and hope to do my first mailshot next week. We also hope to complete the sale of Park Road which has been badly delayed by the buyers' fund raising issues and the postal strike.
Today we had a bit of a family do at Matata Street as Frances Gifford arrived in NZ last week (we picked her up from the airport). Frances is Veronica Kilgours' grand daughter; Veronica is Nicky's Aunt. It was the first time we had been able to host a gathering in NZ, so it was nice for us to be able to introduce Frances to most of the family.
Our other big news is that on Friday I found the box with the picture hooks and the nuts and bolts for all our metal shelving. Pictures were hung on Friday afternoon where we could make decisions as we have not unpacked them all yet. I then spent most of yesterday and today putting up and arranging the metal shelves, so now we can start to unpack book boxes.
Finally, a pic of Claire waiting for our guests to arrive today:
Bye for now,
Rick
After our container arrived on Wed Oct 31st we had more boxes to unpack that you could shake numerous sticks at. We spent much of Thursday getting the bedrooms and kitchen as ready as possible, but didn't spend our first night here until Friday. By Saturday evening we were getting a bit stir crazy with all the boxes so walked to a local school which we had seen advertising a firework display. We knew the gates opened at 7pm, but we didn't get there until twenty past eight because of it not going dark 'til then. There was a queue to get in!! We were stunned, and not longer after we got in at around 8.30 they closed the gates with a longer queue still waiting. There must have been over a thousand people sitting in the school playing fields, facing the tennis courts. Many had come with rugs and seats and picnics. The fireworks started and ran for half an hour, with commentary. It was one of the best displays we have seen and we really enjoyed it - and it only cost $2 each!
We had been having lovely sunny days until we woke on Sunday morning to rain - which lasted until Wednesday lunchtime. Wednesday afternoon and Thursday were pretty dank and miserable, but Friday, Saturday and today have been warm and sunny and glorious. This has lifted our spirits as we have been finding the house cold. We are definitely going to need more heating for the winter next year, as like many NZ homes, there is non built-in. However, when the sun is out in the afternoon it pours into the lounge:
We have spent most of the week continuing, all be it at a slower rate, unpacking boxes and applying for jobs. Both Nicky and Claire have had interviews, and today (yes, Sunday), Claire had a phone call to say she had got a job at Whitcoulls (like WH Smith's) as a shop assistant on Friday evenings and Saturdays. There will probably more hours coming up to Christmas too. So, we are all very pleased at this news. Claire is of to St.Lukes mall tomorrow to sort out the contract and have a bit of training.
I have also started putting together things for another Mac support business here and hope to do my first mailshot next week. We also hope to complete the sale of Park Road which has been badly delayed by the buyers' fund raising issues and the postal strike.
Today we had a bit of a family do at Matata Street as Frances Gifford arrived in NZ last week (we picked her up from the airport). Frances is Veronica Kilgours' grand daughter; Veronica is Nicky's Aunt. It was the first time we had been able to host a gathering in NZ, so it was nice for us to be able to introduce Frances to most of the family.
Our other big news is that on Friday I found the box with the picture hooks and the nuts and bolts for all our metal shelving. Pictures were hung on Friday afternoon where we could make decisions as we have not unpacked them all yet. I then spent most of yesterday and today putting up and arranging the metal shelves, so now we can start to unpack book boxes.
Finally, a pic of Claire waiting for our guests to arrive today:
Bye for now,
Rick
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