20th March 2012
Now it is the start of a new period for my
internet connection I can bring you all up to date with progress on the house.
I’ve just spent a couple of weeks in New Zealand fishing etc, but more on that
later. Prior to going over I decided to change my internet connection to a
lower plan knowing I wouldn’t be using the pooter for a while however having
done so I then went and downloaded a printer driver off the net and discovered
later I had inadvertently downloaded dozens instead of one and actually used
the majority of my new allocated plan so when it went into dial up mode on a
poor wireless connection, I basically couldn’t use it until the start of a new
plan.
The House.
Progress at long last and true to their
word that once the slab was down construction would move a lot faster, during
the 14 days I was away in spite of missing several days due to rain they put up
the complete bottom floor framework and it starts to give a perspective of the
layout and room sizes, Nancy and Lisa don’t know how the chippies did so well
without me being there to supervise!!! In the few days since I have been back
they have managed to install all of the upper level flooring sheets which is a compressed
timber particle board, this will eventually have exposed natural timber floor
boards secured over the top but I presume this is one of the last jobs to be
done. Of course we have had nothing but rain since the flooring went down.
Yesterday early a big crane was back onsite lifting the remaining heavy steel
beams into place on the second level plus all of the framing timber for this
section. By 2.30pm the intermittent showers became too frequent so the chippies
finished for the day but had marked out all the framing positions and had
completed the structure for one room, so they certainly slip into it when they
can get a fair go with the weather. Today, already there has been several
stoppages as heavy squalls pass over with a forecast of plenty more to come, we
really could do with a dry spell at least until the roof goes on which will be
several weeks away yet I think. It’s just unfortunate that there were so many
frustrating delays early in the project had it all started on schedule the roof
would have been on before the wet season but we can’t change that and it’s no
good stressing about it now.
I went to New Zealand on the 1st
March flying with Air NZ, turned out my ticket didn’t accommodate a meal and
the blighters charged me twenty something dollars to take a light container
with a couple of shortened fishing rods, even worse coming back it cost NZ$37
just as well I hadn’t taken extra suitcases. I discovered they wouldn’t be
supplying me with a meal when I got to the airport in Brisbane but was told I
could purchase something on the plane (sounds like Virgin Airways) As it turned
out the aircrew had no intention of mucking around selling food on the plane
and if I had attempted to stop the old boiler as she rushed past me with a
trolley throwing cups of dishwater at us camouflaged as coffee, I reckon I
would have had my arm snapped off. Just as well it wasn’t a long flight. On the
return flight I took the precaution of having something to eat before boarding
and during the flight the aircrew offered us all sorts of goodies we could have
purchased, I must check my ticket they may have been a new type of Discovery
Flight.
Brother John picked me up from Auckland
airport and we drove about 90kls to their property just outside of Thames on
the Coromandel Peninsula.
My first day in
Thames was spent doing some necessary business and visiting my dear old mum,
she now happily resides in a nursing home where she is reasonably independent
and well looked after, being well into her 90’s she is getting a little frail
but looks healthy and is mobile with the assistance of a walking aid. After
initially establishing who I was she was excited to see me as recognition
registered and we were able to have a good conversation although of course she
is now starting to repeat things but that is to be expected at her age. During
subsequent visits she at least recognised me straight away but in her very
English manner showed considerable indignation to suggest she couldn’t remember
the fact I had been to see her only a day or so before each time. Such is life
and it’s easier to humour them than antagonise I guess. At least we didn’t run
out of conversation, I just repeated what I had said on each previous visit. On
the last day of my visit prior to returning to Australia, she walked with me to
the complex entrance and watched until I was out of site, a forlorn sad looking
old sole she just stared in the direction I had walked but I’m sure she
couldn’t see me, quite a lump formed in my throat. Thankfully I have the
knowledge she is happy where she is, her room and facilities are airy and pleasant
and the other tenants appear nice enough. No doubt within a very short time the
dear old girl would have forgotten all about my visiting and slipped back into
her comfortable world. Old age isn’t exactly enticing is it.
Although my trip
to NZ was relatively short and the weather fickle it was most enjoyable and wonderful
to catch up with family and their off spring, unfortunately I only saw my
sister Judith a couple of times and that was a bit disappointing albeit
unavoidable.
I stayed with brother John and Gayle and
John like myself is not one for sitting around, living on acreage there is
always plenty to do including shifting cattle and relocating electric fences
which I saw fit to avoid. We managed to get in a few successful fishing trips
that produced some nice fresh snapper meals, John also prepared and smoked some
of the larger fish. This saw us snacking out on smoked fish heads and enjoying
the most delicious smoked fish pie bake that Gayle whizzed up one night,
superb. Bush walking and bike riding were also on the agenda. One hike John
took me on, a reasonably steep hill he warned. Reasonably steep, bloody hell if
it had been any steeper it would have needed steps all the way and we went up
it as if we were on a route march, that tested the old legs a bit I can assure
you. I’m sure we were almost up amongst the clouds but the view was
sensational, we sat on a couple of tree stumps in pleasant sunshine for ages
watching across the valley a forestry team logging and hauling pine trees in
very steep country, really interesting to watch a well oiled operation function
by sound signals. On another day we rode a bikeway formed along an old railway
line through a gorge and over swing bridges, part of the ride took us through
an old rail tunnel where the lighting at best was less than that of a candle
glow, in the dim light Gayle managed to clean the sides of the tunnel and
eventually fell off her bike with the result her sister rode over the top of
her much to everyones amusement, she displayed some nasty bruises a few days
later though.
Not deterred we followed this up with a
bush walk of several kilometres following tramways and trails of an old gold
mining era. Sections of the old tramway were through long pitch black tunnels
hewn out of the solid rock mountain side where it would be impossible and risky
to attempt to go through without the use of good torches which we had taken
with us. At various points along the endless blackness a spur line would branch
out to an opening in the mountainside where presumably waste or even ore was
tipped into the gorge below, this area is appropriately known as the windows.
We hiked these trails for several kilometres following the picturesque river
winding its way up through the mountain gorge then returned over a swing bridge
and via another feat of early engineering where a horse drawn ore tramway had
been hewn out of the solid rock like an eyebrow over the pathway. Numerous
tunnel entries reached into blackened holes and at several locations photographic
plaques showed and described the history of the area. One in particular mounted
opposite a small tunnel entry on the side of a mountain (by Australian standards)
graphically portrayed the labyrinth of mined out tunnels that riddled the whole
mountain beyond the one entry point, the mind boggles at the thought of hand
mining the numerous kilometres of hard rock in what must have been less than
desirable working conditions.
A
daily ritual I followed at John and Gayle’s place was to graze on his grape
vine every morning, selectively picking off ripe sweet black grapes while
competing with European wasps and bees, it was worth the challenge.
Well that’s enough waffle for now and oh by
the way it’s still Bloody Raining.
Photos are on the next post.
