Updates

Update May 2025

Our last blog was early Feb so a few months to catch up on and my May blog is now June. 

Margie’s significant birthday trip

We managed to get away for 5 nights on a road trip that Al organised for my big birthday.  It was a lovely few days we stayed in Murchison, Mapua, Taumarina near Blenheim, Kaikoura and lastly in Hanmer.  Al found some great places to stay and a highlight was a caravan overlooking a vineyard.  We caught up with family & friends in Mapua and Kaikoura and Neil & Dianne kindly looked after the furry family while we were away.

On the way to Murchison
Motueka – Al’s relatives shop was here Buddens Book Shop
Kawatiri Historic Railway walk – part of the Nelson railway closed in 1931
Mapua
View from our accommodation in Mapua – The Thirsty Peddler
Pelorus River
Carvanino on the vines at Taumarina
It was a luxury caravan – quite impressive.
Passing through Picton
Heading from picton around the sounds through to Blenheim
Broadway Cafe Reefton – Al’s Grandma’s family used to own this.
Reefton swing bridge
Reefton – obligatory selfie
Al’s photo – Jacks Pass Hanmer
Al’s photo Upper Buller Gorge
Al’s photo – Pelorous Bridge
Al’s photo – Pelorous Bridge
Al’s photo – Pelorous Bridge
Al’s photo – The sounds
Al’s photo – water intake Waiau inland route
Al’s photo – water intake Waiau inland route

Neil & Dianne’s build progress

Since these photos were taken Neil & Dianne have since sold their house in Hoon Hay and made their final move to Blackball last week. There are just a few finishing touches to go but the move in has already started and they should be all set up in the next week or two. I will do a another update when this happens with photos of the finished product. ** Update – Neil & Dianne are all moved in**

Back door and laundry on left of wall
Neil installed in all the batts yay
Neil’s workshop to be
Lounge/kitchen
Lounge looking down the hallway – bedroom on right, bathroom on left, workshop/laundry at the end.
Bathroom
More batts and an attic ladder up to a storage area
Ready for the timber cladding.
carport & front door
Kaboodle Kitchen
Quickstep timber flooring
The decorative ply on some of the walls looks fab

Our Place

Since building Neil & Dianne’s house the work on ours has pretty much been on hold. We did manage to get the fish tank upstairs with the help of a few of our local friends. Since then Al has sent up all the plumbing to the tank room below. So the next step is to build the joinery wall around the tank and start the transition from the current tank to this one – a big job. We also installed the roller tracks for the pantry and office doors. There will also be one in the bedroom. The other things on the list are the wardrobe joinery, laundry and hall cupboard joinery, finish the last ceiling panel in the lounge, the decorative ply in the downstairs hallway. We are sorting through all our excess stuff and will have a garage sale in the next couple of months – then we can have our garage back. Al’s workshop/studio still needs to be set up including removing the temporary window/wall removed and then the roller door can be used. We have to finish the fencing around our house and build a couple of planters next to the greenhouse and actually plant some veges.

Fish tank in place
Fish tank plumbing done
Currently you can look through the fish tank into the office and see Al working and the southern alps
Office door track up just need to make a door
Same for the pantry door.

Mindy & Maisie

Mindy & Maisie are now 6 months old and such fun. They tear around the house like mad things and then have to rest for a while. They haven’t gone outside yet mostly due to me being paranoid about letting them out. Fortunately they have lots of space here but they are champing at the bit to get out. They greet us on the landing of the stairs whenever we come home. We disappear often on ambulance calls so they are getting used to this. They are pretty good at coming when called.

They have grown so much
Is the bar open
Our office chairs are one of many favourite spots
Hard to get any work done at least they are asleep not knocking stuff off the desk 🙂
They are never far from each other
These two are such characters, so different and a lot of fun.

General news

Caught up with niece’s Grace & Emily at Wild Foods
Blackball Anzac day parade. We’re not in this photo – we had to drive the ambulance back as we were also on call.
Blackball Fair in Feb
Otira viaduct (Built by Hamish Mason) stunning views. I accompanied Al on a work meeting in Bealey Spur.
Shihad’s Farewell Concert. We aren’t stalwart fans but joined some BB friends and had a great time.
Overnight in Punakaiki for Al’s birthday

In between all the other things going on we continue on with our other paid work. Al has his architectural work and clients to keep happy. He is also studying to become an EMT and has completed 2 block courses and 3 workbooks since he started. I am going to finally finish my last paper to complete the 1st year of a Paramedicine degree next semester. Not sure how far I will go with the degree yet but am enjoying the learning. I still have my cleaning job at Blackball Connection accomm unit – the busy season has finished so it will be quieter over winter transfer work. I also have my patient transfer work and am currently working some shifts up in Westport until mid July (maybe longer), staying up there for 4 nights at a time (4 x 12 hour shifts) on then 8 days back in BB. It has been a change of scenery, a nice bunch of people as well as good income. Blackball ambulance also keeps us both busy with callouts and we have just recruited 4 more local people to join the team bringing it to 9. Once they are trained up there will be a bigger pool of people to cover and we can share the load. We got away for a night to Punakaiki for Al’s birthday which was nice (only took 1 photo sorry). And we are both very much looking forward to our 2 weeks in Rarotonga at the end of September to recharge our batteries. Until next time thanks for reading – Margie & Al