Settling into our home at the bottom of the harbour is like settling into a holiday home you haven't visited before. Blissful.
I still can't quite believe it when I look out the window to the harbour. It doesn't matter if it's full tide with the sun sparkling off the water, or if it's low tide with all the subtle shade that make up the wetlands. This is our home. It's not just a holiday house, even though the location would suggest that it was. It's our home.
Exciting news in this household is...the grass is growing! We planted grass seed just over a week ago and have been watching it for signs of growth. It really was a labour of love. The effort put into digging over the clay soil ready for sowing was high. After faithfully watering the patch, we now have green mixed in with the brown clay! I didn't expect it to be so exciting watching grass grow! But after the effort, time and energy - and nursing achy muscles after all the digging - it's nice to see some return for the effort.
We have herons visiting us regularly now. There were at least 5 of them perched up in our massively tall pine tree last week. I'm not sure whether they are white or grey herons, but none the less they are impressive birds. They perch up there squawking, croaking, and tapping on the tree like woodpeckers.
The sound of bird noise in the evenings is amazingly loud. Add to that the 'alarm bird' who calls through the night saying "beep...BEEP...........beep....BEEP.........beep...BEEP...." with the occasional chirp to let us know that he is indeed a bird and NOT the dishwasher having a function error! (we checked!)
Things are looking very green after some much needed rain. I'm sure our veges are standing taller and even grew overnight! The rain kept the white butterflies away for a while too...which is a good thing since I haven't managed to make an organic garlic spray to keep them away yet. We have chillies fruiting, and cherry tomatoes promising a decent crop. The tomato plants are still in buckets - and the garden centre lady was sceptical that buckets would be suitable as pots!! We have had brilliant veges growing in buckets and plastic pots every season. No need to buy expensive ones, even though she didn't agree...
School started yesterday, so we welcomed the kids back to a newly decorated and freshened up school. Zac spent many many hours improving the look of the place on the inside and giving the school some love and attention. The kids reactions made the time and effort worth it.
I get waves, smiles and still a few stares as the kids walk up the drive in the morning and back down it to the bus in the afternoon. Some of the little kids aren't sure of me yet, but then yesterday was the first chance I got to say "Hi", and this is a small school in the country where perhaps new faces around school aren't an everyday occurrence like in town.
Hearing the noise of children playing and enjoying school is amazing background noise as I work in my office or potter round the house. It's not so bad living in a bit of a fish bowl!
Tuesday, 5 February 2013
Friday, 25 January 2013
A home by the sea
A week ago I was wondering what living rurally would really be like, and if I would 'fit in' to the small country community of Kinohaku.
And now, we are here. Unpacked (mostly). Settling into our new home, with the school just a hop, skip, and a jump up the drive and the harbour in full view.
How does it feel now we're here?
It's home.
How could it be anything else? I have my incredible husband with me, and we're entering into this new chapter of our lives with full assurance that we're exactly where we're meant to be.
We have been blessed with this opportunity to move into a stunning part of New Zealand. We are living the dream with a view of the south end of Kawhia Harbour, surrounded by farm land and bush on every other side. The sound of bird calls wakes us in the morning, and wishes us goodnight at dusk - from the Tui, Bell bird, wood pigeon, fantails and many more. The moonlight on the sea tonight took my breath away.
I think I may already be spoiled for any other job that might take us away from the sea. Now that we have it at our doorstep, I don't ever want to move far away from it again!
We have been welcomed into the area by local people and the local wildlife. We've been given introduction into life out here by fishermen on the bridge, the boy carrying a rifle down the road, passing tractors on narrow winding roads, every local we meet waving, and meeting sheep, cows and their young, and wild goats in the middle of the road. A local sports festival shed some light on things, with competitions of wood chopping, sheep riding (bareback of course), mini putt into a dinghy, and horse riding. We missed the whaleboat racing by about a week...but might just be interested in participating in next years event (if I'm considered a local by then!).
Setting up house this time has meant more than just unpacking boxes and organising the inside. We've been able to put down some roots into the garden as well. Preparing the soil and transplanting our potted plants into the garden has been more than just another job to do. It's been rather symbolic as well.
Together, we have made a commitment to this place and this community, and so we are putting down roots. Before now our garden was borrowed from the landlords, and so what we wanted to add was planted into pots. Ready and able to be moved when the time came. That time came, and now we are able to give our plants space and freedom, just as we ourselves are being given the time, space and freedom to grow.
I'm excited for what this season of our lives will bring about. Already I sense that this chapter holds more than I can dream, hope, or predict. And I think that when the time comes for the chapter to change, that I will be leaving more of myself in this place than just the plants we have put in the garden.
And now, we are here. Unpacked (mostly). Settling into our new home, with the school just a hop, skip, and a jump up the drive and the harbour in full view.
How does it feel now we're here?
It's home.
How could it be anything else? I have my incredible husband with me, and we're entering into this new chapter of our lives with full assurance that we're exactly where we're meant to be.
We have been blessed with this opportunity to move into a stunning part of New Zealand. We are living the dream with a view of the south end of Kawhia Harbour, surrounded by farm land and bush on every other side. The sound of bird calls wakes us in the morning, and wishes us goodnight at dusk - from the Tui, Bell bird, wood pigeon, fantails and many more. The moonlight on the sea tonight took my breath away.
I think I may already be spoiled for any other job that might take us away from the sea. Now that we have it at our doorstep, I don't ever want to move far away from it again!
We have been welcomed into the area by local people and the local wildlife. We've been given introduction into life out here by fishermen on the bridge, the boy carrying a rifle down the road, passing tractors on narrow winding roads, every local we meet waving, and meeting sheep, cows and their young, and wild goats in the middle of the road. A local sports festival shed some light on things, with competitions of wood chopping, sheep riding (bareback of course), mini putt into a dinghy, and horse riding. We missed the whaleboat racing by about a week...but might just be interested in participating in next years event (if I'm considered a local by then!).
Setting up house this time has meant more than just unpacking boxes and organising the inside. We've been able to put down some roots into the garden as well. Preparing the soil and transplanting our potted plants into the garden has been more than just another job to do. It's been rather symbolic as well.
Together, we have made a commitment to this place and this community, and so we are putting down roots. Before now our garden was borrowed from the landlords, and so what we wanted to add was planted into pots. Ready and able to be moved when the time came. That time came, and now we are able to give our plants space and freedom, just as we ourselves are being given the time, space and freedom to grow.
I'm excited for what this season of our lives will bring about. Already I sense that this chapter holds more than I can dream, hope, or predict. And I think that when the time comes for the chapter to change, that I will be leaving more of myself in this place than just the plants we have put in the garden.
Tuesday, 15 January 2013
Following the yellow brick road...
We're on the move; my husband and I.
Changing from outskirts of city living to remote rural spheres.
It's an exciting time of life for us. My husband has a promotion which leads us to a remote area of the West Coast of the North Island.
We've always felt more suited to country spaces than city living, but now we're about to test that inkling.
This is the first entry to record our journey, and my growth as a 20 something woman and wife embracing country living, and all that is ahead of us. I'm sure it will include some laughable (albeit slightly embarrassing) moments, challenges, discoveries, and a whole lot of fun.
I'm conscious today of the nearness of our move. Our house is already feeling a bit chaotic pre-move, but the packers come in this week and soon we'll be surrounded in even more boxes and wrapped furniture as well.
My brain is full of silly little things that need doing and questions like "When the packers sort the kitchen will we be left with any utensils, plates, glasses etc?". I think it might be a take-away menu week!
The area we're moving to is a stunning example of the beauty of creation. The drive out to our new home has breathtaking views of cliff faces, the harbour, and red hills full of iron sand.
I'm full of anticipation of the renewal and freedom that comes for me when I'm surround by beautiful scenery.
Changing from outskirts of city living to remote rural spheres.
It's an exciting time of life for us. My husband has a promotion which leads us to a remote area of the West Coast of the North Island.
We've always felt more suited to country spaces than city living, but now we're about to test that inkling.
This is the first entry to record our journey, and my growth as a 20 something woman and wife embracing country living, and all that is ahead of us. I'm sure it will include some laughable (albeit slightly embarrassing) moments, challenges, discoveries, and a whole lot of fun.
I'm conscious today of the nearness of our move. Our house is already feeling a bit chaotic pre-move, but the packers come in this week and soon we'll be surrounded in even more boxes and wrapped furniture as well.
My brain is full of silly little things that need doing and questions like "When the packers sort the kitchen will we be left with any utensils, plates, glasses etc?". I think it might be a take-away menu week!
The area we're moving to is a stunning example of the beauty of creation. The drive out to our new home has breathtaking views of cliff faces, the harbour, and red hills full of iron sand.
I'm full of anticipation of the renewal and freedom that comes for me when I'm surround by beautiful scenery.
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