Back at the ranch

I have been having some trouble loading up pictures so this is a little trial run.
Mum and Dad reckon we have not done justice to our place with the pictures we have taken so here are a few more. We will have to get some of the interior.

Holiday update

We have been busy, so its about time that i put up some updates before mum and dad depart.


We had a good trip up to Cape Reinga on Easter Monday. We stopped at Houhora on the way, and then again at Waitiki Landing where we had a snack. On to TePaki dunes. Most of the younguns got to the top and were impressed by the views and steepness. If anyone wants a good way of building up leg muscles try climbing up these. Patrick amazed us by going up and down 3 times.

We carried on to the cape and did all the usual things, went to the light house, admired the meeting of the oceans and the Pohutakawa tree down on the cliff.

Then it was onto Paua for a fish in the rain. Grand-dad relived his glory days, but Chantelle was the only one to catch anything. An undersized snapper and a parore.

Easter Pictures

Easter Sunday

Kia Ora folks
We are sat around in various stages of dazedness, and degrees of chocolate-overdose. We all go up before dawn to go to an Easter breakfast on the beach run by the Salvation Army Church. It added to Grandma and Grandpa Bryan's list of unusual ways to celebrate Easter.
They have been with us since Good Friday. Managing to reach us by plane from Auckland from a fog-bound airport. They had the Market experience yesterday. A very busy market as it was a busy tourist w/e.
Back to the beach this morning. It was a clear calm morning. We had a hymn and a reading and a few words and then got on with a simple breakfast of fish and flat-bread. The kiddies hunted for easter eggs among the boulders and dodged the incoming tide while the adults took little walks and chatted.

I shall endeavour to post a few updates now that we have visitors (with a camera!) and we are on holiday. What pleasantness it is to able to sit on the deck on an autumn afternoon in the strong sunshine, eating good food with one's neighbours and just chilling out for a couple of hours. Follow that with a bit of digging on the veggy plot in preparation for sowing some autumn crops. Finish it off with a few beers and King kong the movie. What a choice day!

Chantelle is about to go off collecting honey with Mike and Rissy. She is learning the business of bee-keeping first hand off the expert.

Til next time.

The circus comes to town

We all went to the circus on Saturday night. It was pretty good we reckoned. Very small circle so quite intimate, I was quite worried that the tight rope walker might fall off and impale us with his pole as he was almost over our heads.
There were jugglers, clowns, acrobatics. The only bit I didn't much like was the performing (or in this case - non-performing) animals. The llama was having none of it!
The costumes were pretty far-out and there was a good dance track playing at times.
The verdict from one girl at school was that it was crap compared to last year, but we had little to compare it with, and it was way better than watching paint dry on the lounge floor at home.

we have been pretty tired this week-end, hence the lack of updates. The w/e before was even worse. We are doing the jobs, little bits of DIY and a bit of homework and tidying up and a siesta here and there and wow! The w/e is gone.
It has made a difference now that it is dark at 6pm, the nights are longer and the daylight at w/e is more precious.
Farm news, all doinmg well, one of the muscovvies is sat on a huge clutch of eggs in a gorse bush, so Eric is counting his ducklings before they are hatched. He took a tiny mouse off one of the cats last night, but liberated it again ths morning as it seemed to ahve recovered. When I got home from work tonight, he was effing and jeffing because he couldn't lock away his chicks for the night. He told me that they were grounded for a month.
Patrick has moved back to Pamapuria school. He was very miserable going to Pompallier. Not really a fault of the school, just where he is better off being.
Stuart is into everything as usual. His latest project is buying a fish tank, but that was yesterday so it will probably change soon.
Better go and do my homework as it is a Monday night.
Haere ra

Fishing

Wow what a day we have just had!
Chantelle and I got the boys up at dawn (615am) on a Saturday - no lie in this week.
We dropped them all off at 7am with Goff and Janet our fantastic neighbours who had agreed to look after them for the day, then we sped off through the murky morning to Unahi Wharf. There we boarded our boat for the day with Captain Merv, Mike and Rissy and Stephan as the other fishers.
We have spent many an afternoon fishing on the wharf and have seen lots of boats come back from the harbour. So it was ace to head out away from the wharf northwards.
How to describe the rest of the day? Highlights were catching Kahawai by pulling lures right through feeding shoals as shown up by flocks of terns. The anticipation as you near the birds and then see a bow wave heading towards your lure! Pulling in long traces with snapper and rays on each hook. Seeing skuas and terns close up. Being midway between Rangiputa and Kaimaumau and getting a different perspective on both places. Having so much quality adult time where everyone was relaxed and child-free. Spinning into a howling wind just for something to do and hooking into a huge kawahai using a rod I bought from Kaitaia tip shop for $3 and having a really good fight with it losing it just as it got to the boat.

What a day!! Thanks to all concerned for making it such a boss 40th birthday present. When can we do it again?

Stephan took lots of photos so we might be able to post some later on. Send us some piccies Stephan!

After ERO!

Kia ora whanau

we have landed on another Friday night, yippee. this one is special because ERO have left our school. It has been a stressful week for me, even more than usual, as one obviously wants to be seen at one's best and the level of visible planning has to increase way over what it normally is.

The verdict delivered to the board is that we will not need an inspection for 3 years so we have effectively passed! We had a St patrick's Day and post-ERO celebration after school tonight, complete with Hangi and shots of Baileys how is that for cross-cultural fertilisation.

ERO are going into Chantelle's school next week so she will be the stressed out one!

That event has overshadowed most of my week. My birthday weekend was affected by it. We had a pleasant day on saturday, going out for a fantastic meal at the Orana with Ruth and Stephan and Ruth's cousin Chris. we took the boys for a swim at lake Ngatu and had a look for tua tuas at waipapakuri. It was the day of teh Te Houteawai beach race, where runners do the length of 90 mile beach. The winner did the 68 km course in 4 hours! That kind of achievement makes me feel pretty unfit.

Farm news: one of our bantams hatched out 5 chicks on Wednesday and they are now safely ensconced in a protected coop. I found the first ducks nest we have had. 11 eggs deep in a gorse bush. On Sunday we managed to get all 6 sheep into the race and trimmed their feet. It took impeccable team-work as the sheep are pretty flighty.

That's about it. Til next week.

Autumn in the air

It has been a bit cold the last few mornings and I was wearing a jumper to feed the chucks this morning, so it must be Autumn. Mind you it is a pleasant Autumn, we have not long since returned from the nightly rounds feeding the chucks and checking up on the place. It is nice to be able to take our time on a Friday night as we are not worried about getting boys to bed and homework and other weekday concerns. We sat by the pond in the gloaming, with Zephyr lying on his back with his feet in the air trying for the part of family baby. There was a very clear sky so it will be colder tomorrow.
What a week, I didn't think it was possible for the weeks to get any fuller, but last weeks certainly did. ERO are coming to inspect the College next week, so there are some extra hours being worked. Chantelle's job has stepped up a bit as an extra child has turned up. Stuart was off school on Wednesday and we were lucky that our kind neighbours took him on for the day.
Eric did his swimming sports today, for some reason I have not established yet, he decided to only enter the year 6 breadths, and as that did not exist he did not compete in any races. He apparently enjoyed the free swim in the diving pool.
Patrick went off on a day trip on the beach at Rangiputa and seems to have brought half of it back with him in a dodgy smelling plastic bag. Given a few weeks tucked away under his bed, it will truly hum the house out.
We had a good weekend last one. I determined not to go into school at all. Instead I went to a marae on Saturday to meet with school parents and talk about visions for the future. It was 3pm before I got home. well worth it from my point of view for the social contact. But what a place as well! It was just outside the village of Herekino, which is abut 10km inland from Ahipara. The view from inside the marae was towards bush clad ridiculously steep hills. Apparently there is an amazing beach on the other side, but I didn't have time to check it out.
Back at the ranch we finally succeeded in getting the sheep into a race where we could examine them and check their feet. Considering we have not done this the whole time they have been with us, they were not too bad and now 3 of them have been trimmed. 3 managed to evade going into the race so we will try and have another go this weekend. One of the ewes is heavily pregnant so Eric and I have been reading up about lambing so we have some idea of what to expect.
On Sunday we had a much needed lie-in and then went out to Gum-diggers park. The boys had been there before so could give us a guided tour. It was well set out and a pleasant meander through the bush looking at the holes that the gum-diggers had made to extract Kauri gum from the swamps.
Thats it folks. Watch this space.

Kia ora koutou

Good evening folks. It has been a while since we did an update, not exactly lots of news as we get into the routine. Still adjusting! The weeks are flying past in a rush and so are the weekends. Lots of things going on to keep us all busy. Here we are just over one year in. This time last year the boys were very much english, reluctant to leave the comfort of the armchair. We saw to that by restricting their tv to 2 hours a day.
Now they dont watch that much. Stuart doesnt bother putting it on most mornings. He and eric wake up by having a good argument instead. In the evenings they potter about outside. Patrick has been wandering about under the trees by the drive, looking for insects. Eric goes to see the ducks or plays with the dog. Stuart will be starting another diy project, usually before he has finished the last one.
I have been enjoying going for a walk round in the last hour of daylight. It is cooler then, the afternoons having been pretty hot this last month. By the time I have checked on the multiplyin poultry sites, and the large chicken coop, the veggy garden, tried to get close to the sheep, it will be 8pm. I like to nibble away at the gorse and pampas as well. I am definitely making inroads. The regrowth has not been as vigorous during the hot dry weather. I am trying to interest the boys in clearing the area round the pond, but the price has been too low so far to entice them.
Schools are keeping all 5 of us busy now that Mum is working at the local primary as a teacher aide. Patrick is settling into his new school. He gets to wear a huge sunhat and looks smart in his green uniform.
It was the local agricultural show last weekend. Friday night was fair night when all the local youths get drunk and have pre-arranged fights. It was apparently a particularly unruly night this year with reports of 1000 youths in the streets.
We went on the Saturday for the family part. It was very pleasant. Various animals being paraded, a horse show, live music, fair-ground and assorted stalls. it was nice to see some kids from school taking part in the pet show. Stuart got second prize for his hand made boat. Paddy got 3rd for his flower arrangement. I entered 3 photos, because I reckoned I was in with a chance after seeing the quality of the entries last year. I didn't get any placings, but am over it now. It is good to support these things.
Sorry, but there are no pictures this week as the camera is getting too old. It needs to be restarted by taking the back off every time the batteries are changed. It has served us well, and we are saving up for a replacement. In the meantime you will have to rely on the words :)
Til next time then.

Aerial photos

Didn't work last time I tried, so time for another go!
Took these pictures on the flight back from Wellington back in January. One is of the Hokianga harbour looking out towards its mouth. The other is Diggers Valley (I think).

Busy weekends

We have all had a busy week at school, slowly getting used to our new routines and especially the getting up early part. All is going well for us at our various schools.
So we get ourselves to Friday night and collapse in a heap.
Whilst we have not done anything very remarkable this week and weekend, we have been busying ourself with lots of projects.
Chantelle has been plastering over the gib in the lounge. It is almost ready for painting and then we can move in. We shall double our communal living space in one slow move. It will be a cooler room because it is sheltered from the afternoon sun.

We have done our town visit, a crazy rush roundthe shops that open on a Saturday, most of which close at 12 midday. I used to think it was a bit unshop-like to close so early on a Saturday, but am assured by locals that it is actually an improvement on the past when no shops were open on Saturday!

On return we very efficiently sorted out a water supply for the ewes in the top field. I was feeling that we have been neglecting them in terms of water because they have only the muddy stream to drink from. To remedy this I bought 18m of hose and a few connectors from RD1 and ran it down from the garden to the gully bottom. I used a water butt that was originally part of the house water system (before we revamped it). Now we can connect one end of the hose in the garden to the veggie watering pipe and fill up the sheep trough with clean water. The sheep themselves do not seem to have found it, but with a bit of gorse pruning they will no doubt be very happy woolies.

We did consider getting rid of the sheep this week and concentrating on poultry. I feel far more comfortable looking after chickens and ducks rather than big, unco-operative sheep. But we will stick with for a while yet. The advantage of the sheep is that they are daily converting grass into meat. If we had none, we would have to mow the grass, or it would turn to scrub. Plus by keeping them, we are in with a chance of getting some home-reared meat for the table.

Other jobs done today: completed stuarts chicken pen the Mark II. Estimated cost $40. The plan is to have several small tractor like pens dotted around the place with a few chucks in each. That way they will be protected from predators and we will be able to get the eggs much more easily. We all went for a swim in the pond at 4 when it was a bit less hot. It was 29C yesterday! With help from Jethro we removed weed from the swimming lanes. I did some work on the veggy plot, keeping the kikyu grass from invading the beds. I did some gorse clearance. eric and I mowed a strip down the top field which is being invaded by gorse at an alarming rate. eric decided that it was too hot to mow at 2pm so we took the mower back. I fixed my back wheel back onto the bike. The boys made some to boats out of scrap wood. Chantelle made home-made pizza for tea. I fixed the iron onto the new sheep race and decided it will need an extra post for strength. One day we will be able to get the sheep in to check their feet. we do visual checks from a distance every day to look out for foot-rot and fly-strike. I will be happier when we can get them in for a closer look. Plus they are all due for a shear in March. We attempted to catch 4 chicks from mrs chicken to put in stuarts pen, but they were too fast and we will have to try again tomorrow. I got rid of a wasps nest that was getting pretty big next to a main path. Plus all the poutry were fed twice and the eggs collected.

Wow! So you see we keep busy even at the weekends. It is a different sort of work to what we do the rest of the week. They say that many lifestyle block people give up after 9 months because it makes too great demands on their time. It must be about 8 months since we moved in, but I am not considering selling up yet.

I shall attempt to add in some aerial photos from our trip back from wellington.

Bak too Skool

We have survived our first proper week at school. Boys went to their respective places on Tuesday, in fact we all did. Chantelle started her new job as a teacher aide and it all went well.
My week has been incredibly busy but it is all part of getting back into the routine. We are all recovering this Saturday. whilst doing all the farm jobs that have been left while we have been out.
Moetsetse left us today and went back to where he came from. He had knocked the boys over one time too many. We swapped him for a pregnant ewe and a wether who should be better behaved.
The 2 shavers that were in the coop down the bottom have both hatched their clutches, so we currently have 15 chicks. Boys are busy building new coops to take them.
The pictures are from last week when Chantelle went bee-keeping. She is planning to increase our livestock numbers by several thousand in one go by getting bees! I will leave all that to her, but will be quite happy to eat the honey.
The other pic shows eric in his newly decorated bedroom. The boys all have a room each which makes life a lot easier.
We had Molly and Vicky to stay for the last 2 nights. They are the sister and friend of a friend from the uk, on their world tour. They did the Cape Reinga tour and wend down the te paki dunes. They left for Whangarei today and will eventually fly from Auckland to Santiago! Makes us feel a bit sedentary, we were all excited because a chopper went over carrying what looked like a monsoon bucket this morning.

Creepy crawlies

Urgggghhhhhhh!

Warning!!!
This post is not for the squeamish!
We went to Kiwanis bush yesterday afternoon for a walk. patrick had been wanting to take us there for ages to show us some of the bugs he found with the one day school. We did find several interesting bugs. Also live and dead Kauri snails (one is pictured being held by Eric).
Tonight we have had heavy rain after daytime mugginess and temps of 29C.
Tonight I cannot sleep and was having a post-midnight surf when a white-tailed spider came hunting over the computer table. For those not familiar with these beasts, they are one of the few dangerous animals that NZ possesses, and believe it or not are not native to this country. Their bite can become inflamed in some people and cause severe swelling. There is some debate in medical circles about just how toxic they are. There was no debate in my mind tonight, we have uncovered quite a few of these guys during our recent changes and they get hunted down and killed on sight. I took a few pictures before squashing this guy, i am a biologist after all!
If you ask really nicely, I will post up a picture of the meaty centipede that I have pickled in gin.
Oh the suspense ... Blogger is being awkward and won't let me load up the pictures, you will have to wait until tomorrow.

Summer Daze

There was going to be a long post here all about what we have been doing, Mrs Chicken's new brood (see picture), eel fishing and star-gazing at night, plus the answer to last posts competition (=30) .....

.... the post was written taking about 1/2 an hour. I had added the pictures an went to wash-up while they loaded up. At which point, Stuart told Patrick to turn off the lap-top. Patrick did this by simply removing the plug from the wall socket, thereby removing power from the 8 appliances connected to that socket which ... you've guessed it ... included the main computer with my blog entry on.

Anyway here are the pictures again:

Zepher.

Here he is with Eric.

The latest addition to the menagerie

Just an update on the ark situation. We are now settling in Zepyhr who is an 18 month old german shepherd/ cattledog cross. He arrived last Tuesday from the Whangarei SPCA and has settled in very well. He is pretty calm around most of the other inmates. He gave Mosetse a cautious kiss as they sniffed each other through the wire. Shanya was not going for that and ran off like a hare - a bit surprising as she has been hobbling around the last few weeks making out she has dodgy feet and going for the sympathy vote!

We are training Zephyr to follow all the commands, he does "sit" and "lie" and is working on "heel". "Stay" needs lots of work. I am not really a doggy person, but Zephyr is quite a pleasant hound really. The kiwis keep their dogs outside and we are doing the same which cuts down on some of my major objections, like smelly fur, farting, bad breath and bouncing around in confined spaces.

This is going to be a short entry. One final thing a little pop quiz to see if you have been paying attention. How many domesticated vertebrates are we currently hosting? Answers on an email or in the comments to me. There will be a personalised mention for the winner in the next post.

More views of Wellington

Hope our readers are not getting too sick of the Wellington pictures, because there is another day after this one. For those of you who are following the plot we have been to Te Papa on Thursday and are into Thursday evening when we went to a seafood restaurant in Oriental Parade. Check out the litter free streets and clean beaches. People still drop litter here, but the clean-up is more efficient than in the UK. There are perhaps fewer dogs hanging around in citties and towns, and we hardly ever see dog dirt on the pavement. Now that we have our own hound (who is settling in well and geting to know all the other inmates) we will be scooping ourselves!

Other pictures are from the cable-car going up to the Carter Observatory and Botanic gardens. Eric found a shop selling Dr Pepper and his reverence towards the can, which got pride of place in his shrine, once drunk, was about as religious as I have seen him recently.

Meanwhile Stuart and Patrick discover that no matter how fancy a solar clock is, it does not work when the sun is behind a cloud.

The cable car picture is taken inside the excellent cable-car museum, the seats are placed at quite a steep angle so that they are level as the cable car sits on the steep track.

The final picture is a view towards Oriental Parade from the top of the cable car.

Smile please

Various piccies of us all enjoying ourselves in our own ways from a wet and windy day in Wellington.

Matiu-Soames Island

On the second day we went on a boat trip out to Matiu Soames Island. It was very windy out there and the boat mooring was quite tricky. We saw some of the natives of the island, skinks and wetas do well in the absence of the predators that kill them off on the mainland. The building is the Beehive, NZ's Parliament. Picture taken from our backpacker room. I couldn't get over how the Parliament was fringed by forested hills. Just another reminder that NZ has a very small population and is a very rural place.
The sea view is from Matiu-Soames looking back towards Wellington.