Instant 1950s/60s House Kit

One of the essential tools that we'll be using during our renovations will be the Instant 1950s/60s House Kit, my Christmas present from Uncle Geoff.

Here's the instructions - click on the picture to get a legible version. (Yes - that's Allan playing the piano in their sitting room in Invercargill.)



The kit contains "everything we'll need to create an atmosphere of cool modernity". From a bottle of life-preserving Pimms (to be served with home-grown cucumbers, of course) to a handy carry-set of glasses. The pictures are gracing our bedroom walls already (no - we don't know the bride but isn't she splendid?) and we'll be hunting down a gramophone to give voice to our new LPs.

New Year's Revolution

If 2010 was all about getting started outside, then 2011 is going to be about getting started - and finished - inside. This blog finally will cover both ruralism and renovations.

We'll be shaking off the asbestos cladding and the rusty roof, sorting out the hot water supply, warming up and drying out the house, raising the shower heads, ditching the carpet, smartening up the period features, rationalising the seven bedrooms and creating a family containment facility - or granny flat, as they're more commonly known.



And once we've settled up with the builders, we'll be obliged to become totally self-sufficient. Wish us luck, cross your fingers and hold your thumbs!

2010: looking back

My humble apologies for the lack of recent activity at Fantails and Fibrolite. I have been distracted by a new hobby - idling. After spending much of the last year in intense activity, I have now ground to a halt and have taken up the art of doing nothing.

If you want to have a go at this commendable past-time, click here for inspiration. Alternatively, you could waste a few minutes at least on this page, contemplating what we have achieved and experienced in the last twelve months.

• January - our new crop after last year's grapefruit - chillis
• February - Jasper and Jemima join the household after being rescued by the SPCA
• March - our first ever A&P show - it would be nice to think we could enter something next year but I don't think we're quite ready for that...
• April - more new arrivals - six chicks - a bit noiser than J&J but more productive too
  
• May - huge numbers of mushrooms and toadstools appeared during the first rains of the autumn - we stayed away from the red and white ones but some of the "oyster" mushrooms were fried up, against my better judgement
• June - more signs of autumn
• July - I did it myself! Fed up of clattering the pan lids around the cupboard, I applied some kiwi ingenuity to fix the problem
• August - unfortunately we didn't get any pigs but next door's escapees did amuse us for one evening
• September - great excitement - our first egg!
• October - the truck went down to the woods this month and we learnt a bit about off-road driving - useful for taking old pallets down the hill to the chicken coop to build a run
• November - peacocks prowled around our deck, preening themselves, on a regular basis this year
• December - apart from our visitors, the highlight this month had to be our new arrivals - three little chicks

So goodbye to 2010 and Happy New Year!

Succulents and See

Blooming Bromeliads

I'm always fascinated to see what other people have created on their lifestyle blocks so was thrilled to stay at a B&B which doubles as a bromeliad nursery. Aloe Aloe Gardens, just outside Kaitaia, has a five acre hillside garden dedicated to exotic plants and dotted with huge volcanic rocks and chunks of glass from the old Pilkington factory.



Better still though, Kevin is a keen diver and cooked some amazing food for us - fried paua, tuatua fritters, butterfish...

Stone Store

Cottage Garden at Treaty House