'Tikey' Family Reunion

We decided to leave early Friday morning to travel to our family reunion in Waipara. After hearing how busy the traffic was through the Lewis Pass now the Kaikoura route was closed, we hoped to avoid the rush.
We stopped at Maruia Falls to stretch our legs.

Despite the amount of rain most of New Zealand has had over the summer - it was a surprise to see how dry North Canterbury was.

Poor sheep don't have much to eat!

The reunion was held at The Boys Brigade in Waipara. Years ago, it was known as 'The God's Squad'. What a beautiful venue. There were so many activities for kids to do. Water slide, trampoline, confidence course, swimming in the swimming hole down at the river (which ran along the boundary). The venue was on about 5 acres of land on two levels. The accomodation was in two buildings - each building had several rooms with different amount of bunks in each room. 

The kitchen was well set up for large groups, with huge sinks and sterilising machines for dishes.

This was where the adults sat and chatted - under the shade.

The drive into the venue.

Time for a group photo. Tons of Tikeys!

There were plum trees everywhere. In fact there were so many, plums were lying uneaten underneath the tress - even the birds couldn't keep up with them.

The swimming hole was stunning. There were trees on one side providing shade and at the end of the hole was a rope swing and slide into the water.

In the evening, I took a walk along the riverbed. It's a popular spot for rabbits, with lots of holes dug in the sand and softer gravel areas.

Some photos of the area around Waipara.

A wise sheep taking time out in the shade.

We had fabulous weather over the weekend. Saturday was super hot. No wind and no clouds - we couldn't have asked for better. On Sunday we woke to a gentle, warm nor-west wind. After breakfast, we packed our bags, vacuumed the cabin and said our farewells.

Rain - Rain - Rain

Most days this month I hear at least two people say 'Where has summer gone?" This weekend has been particularly cold. So chilly in fact, that on Saturday night I tossed up whether to light the fire or have a hot shower and jump into bed early. An early night won...I couldn't bear to light the fire in January.
Today it drizzled continuously. AGAIN! Fortunately around 8 o'clock we had a break in the weather. The rain stopped and the sun peaked out between clouds.The dogs didn't need to be asked twice if they wanted to go to the beach. They were keen!

In the hour that I was at the beach the colours changed dramatically. Nature certainly knows how to put on a light show!

First were the creamy yellow tones.

Next came dusky orange hues.

Which intensified as the sky darkened.

Surprisingly the sunset ended in a display of lilac and mauve.

Garage Sale

5:30am we woke to the alarm. It was time to get up to begin putting things out to be sold in our garage sale. Sarah (our neighbour) was having a garage sale as well, so we were hoping a few bargain hunters would turn up.

Funny, how when you are selling something cheaply people will still ask for more off. I guess they are seasoned bargainers...us on the other hand we are novices. Some people obviously left feeling very happy they'd got a great deal. And, at the end of the day, we were happy to see some stuff leave the property.

We managed to fill the trailer to the brim with stuff/rubbish. When we started it all seemed overwhelming so I tried to be as ruthless as possible. Being a hoarder by nature meant I had to keep reminding myself that this stuff had not been touched or looked at for a couple of years.

By midday we'd made a dent, although we still had mountains of clothing. I loaded up the car to The Sunday Market and try and get rid of more stuff. Then the remainder will go to the SPCA charity shop.

Again the alarm woke me early on Sunday morning. Fortunately the car had been packed the day before so all I needed to do was shower, dress and collect Becs. We were at the Sunday market by 6:45 unpacking our stuff.

Lucky for us we got a site (quite by fluke) beside a tree. The morning started off cloudy and at one stage there was a hint of rain. But by 10 o'clock that had changed and the sun came out in full force. We were grateful for the shade the tree offered and moved our chairs to follow the cool shady spot.

Set up behind us was 'The Coffee Guy'. It wasn't long before the tempting aroma of fresh brewed coffee wafted our way. That was all the convincing Becs needed - she ordered a couple of coffees and a plate of Danish pancakes dripping in syrup with a dusting of icing sugar. What a great way to spend a Sunday. Parked up on deck chairs, chatting to my daughter, being entertained by bargain hunters while being paid for it. We made over $200. 

Next, will be the house! Where does it end? Preparing to go on the road is a mission. We really have needed a year to get familiar with the rig and get that organised and the teething problems solved. I think we are still another 4 - 6 weeks away from being ready to leave.

Finding tenants who'll care for the place is every landlord's dream and we fall into that basket as well. You hear all sorts of horror stories about people renting properties used a 'P' houses. I do worry about that. But I remind myself that this whole adventure is a leap of faith. And I trust that finding the perfect tenants will all fall into place.

Getting Closer Now

Our eight days in Golden Bay were amazing. Having a new place to explore was the best. Bernie was thrilled (and I was as well) with how well the truck towed the rig over the Takaka Hill. Plus, the rig was better than ever to stay in. The solar panels charged well - even on cloudy days there was still some charge happening. Plus the fridge is brilliant, it cools things quickly and uses very little power. 
Even managing the dogs was easier. The new skirt we had made, works a treat. The dog pens are easy to put up and give a good size area.

Now that we are back home, we really do have to tackle the storage room. It just seems like such a big task that it's hard to get motivated to start.
Bernie has been working on the shed on the truck. The washing machine and sink are now in and the two tanks at the back are installed. Oh, I forgot to mention how efficient those tanks are. When we were parked at Takaka, Bernie would park the truck alongside the rig and empty out the grey & black tanks (from the rig) into the truck's tank. All was needed was to drive the truck to the dump station. It's so much easier to get the truck in and dump rather than having to squeeze in with the rig.

In the back of my mind I've wondered how I will feel living in the rig - not having our wee haven to come back to. I'm a hopeless home-body! Staying away this time has changed those thoughts. The rig felt like home. I actually didn't want to go back and was trying to think of ways to stay away longer.

I guess the only concern is not having an income. I've already resigned and it was easy for me. After I burnt out I knew I couldn't continue working under so much stress. It wasn't healthy and eventually I 'hit a wall' (so to speak). I'm still not 100% but am definitely better than I was six weeks ago.
Bernie, however is wanting to wait a little longer before handing over his resignation letter. There are a few more bits and pieces that need to be done before he feels we are ready to go.

It'll be a giant leap of faith - walking away from two secure careers. But, it's time for a change. I've saved hard this year and if we budget we will have enough to get through the first year without having to work (providing no unplanned expenses arise). I do plan to work over winter though. Maybe have a couple of months off and then I'd like to find some relief teaching or a casual job/s, to have money coming in.

People who are now living on the road have said after the first three months we might question what we are doing and freak out a little. But apparently that passes and then there's no looking back. I must remind myself of this if/when we feel that way.

I get such a buzz out of photography and writing my blog that the thought of having new topics to write about, excites me. I love researching an area, or discovering an interesting historical piece of information and then writing about it and photographing it. I'll have to become more organised with filing and saving my work. Getting net-speed and enough data is a priority.

Thank goodness for technology because it means it'll be easy to keep in touch with family. I'm so lucky to have Becs & Hamish living across the road and I'll miss them dearly, but I know I can contact Becs 24/7. And knowing she is happy makes it easier to go on this adventure.

So ... hopefully in 6 to 8 weeks we will be living on the road full time. Time now to get motivated and clear out the house and garage!

This 'n' That

Instead of doing several smaller posts I thought I'd gather bits and pieces of news and put it altogether in the one post. Kind of a 'catch up' post.

Where to start? The beginning perhaps?

The Tanks
Another thing we've ticked off our 'To Do' list was getting tanks for the back of the truck made. Bernie is rapt with them. One is for fresh water and the other for grey. The washing machine in the shed will pump water straight from the fresh tank and deposit dirty water into the grey.  If we are parked up for some time, it'll mean we only need to move the truck (not the rig as well) to dump waste. 

The Skirt
Part of the solution to keep the dogs contained is having a skirt at the base of the rig. Once the fencing is placed beside the rig, there will be a large area and the skirt will stop the dogs from escaping underneath the rig.

Laundry

The shed is shaping up nicely as our mobile laundry. We found the perfect size washing machine and a laundry tub to fit snugly beside the lock-up shelving unit. The washing machine and tub will be plumbed straight into the tanks behind the truck. The generator will power the washing machine. Bernie's been busy!

Kayaks

Exciting! We've gifted each other kayaks for Christmas. They're big enough for the dogs to climb aboard with us. Bernie will take Boo and I'll take Oakie. Paddy will enjoy/prefer swimming beside us (and hopefully it'll tire him out!). 

Not sure yet whether we will transport them using a roof rack on the light vehicle or tow a trailer holding the bikes and kayaks. A trailer seems ideal but it makes our whole set up rather large - especially if we are wanting to stay in a camping ground.

Kayaking

Our Christmas present to each other were kayaks. We were itching for the weather to settle so we could use them. Eventually, the wind died down, so we strapped the kayaks onto the trailer to christen them on the Takaka River.

Boo went with Bernie and I had Oakly. Paddy was happy to swim along behind. We may have been dreaming by thinking the dogs would perch themselves on the kayaks and calmly watch the scenery float by.

Oakly was semi-settled but Boo was keen to jump into the river or onto my kayak. Eventually she leapt overboard - into the swiftest part! And off she went ... 

Not being strong enough to swim out of the current, Bernie quickly went to her rescue. Being a determined and somewhat stubborn wee dog she declined assistance and insisted on swimming to shore.

The riverbank consisted of fallen branches, which prevented Boo from climbing up the side. Bernie reached out to help her. He was waist deep when he tried to jump back into his kayak ... and....up tipped the kayak and over he went!

My laughter sounded much louder than I meant it to, as it echoed off the rocks! 

Memories Jar

A jar of memories ... what an awesome idea.
Becs and Hamish gave us a jar. An empty jar and a letter.
The letter says ...

You are both about to embark on a very exciting adventure...
Every time you visit a beach that takes your breath away, gather up a handful of sand and pour it into this 'Memories jar'.
Ever time you stumble across a river bed that steals a little piece of your heart, collect a few of your favourite pebbles and scatter them upon the next layer of the jar.
Build your layers of memories across your first year on the road together - a capsule of trips, walks, experiences and of places you called home, if only for a moment on your journey ahead.
We can't wait to see it after a year.
All of our love
Becks & Hamish 
xxx

The first layer - is sand from Golden Bay.

Calibrating The Automatic Leveling

Last time we stayed in the rig we noticed the bedroom door wasn’t able to stay open. The rig wasn’t level. It was 0.03 degrees out!

We read the manual and discovered it could be calibrated manually. It looked like an easy process.

First we put the jacks down on wooden blocks.

Then we used a level to check how much it seemed to be out. It was only slightly out (just as the monitor stated).

The manual said to over-ride the automatic leveler. We jiggled the front and rear jacks until our level read flat. It had to be flat from front to rear, and from side to side.

Once it was even both ways, we pressed the front button ten times – and then the rear button ten times.

The monitor came up displaying that the calibration was taking place. It beeped and then all was done.

All Level 

And The Door Stays Open Now!

As easy as 1…2….3!