A clean slate

Well the destruction is done, now its time to start the construction. Today Tracy's dad and I are going to put up a new ceiling.

Bringing down the house

Down comes the ceiling - no going back now. The walls and ceiling are lath and plaster construction and knocking them out was pretty easy. I started in the loft with an axe and then finished from below with a claw hammer. It only took a day but it was filthy work. I was black from head to toe by the end. I dumped 960 Kg of rubble at the tip.

Very satisfying work.

DIY Project

We have decided to move James into a bigger room but first it needs decorating. We have hardwood windows made from New Zealand rimu so they are going to be stripped back to bare wood. The wallpaper is horrible so that has to go and the crummy built-in wardrobe needs tearing down. The carpet is a vile light grey so we will rip that out and polish the rimu floorboards.

Unfortunately this room is a DIY can of worms. The window has a rotten sill caused by condensation, the wooden floor has a big patch of concrete where a fireplace used to be, the walls are cracked and when the wardrobe came out there was no wall lining behind it! This is going to be a big job.

The condensation was fixed by installing a moisture master ventilation system. This has changed the whole feel of our house. We have no condensation and the house is warmer and smells fresher. Highly recommended. However the damage to the window is done and it is going to need a lot of work to repair it.

The photo shows the room after we stripped the wall paper. That turned out to be a waste of time as the walls are in such a bad state of repair that they have to come out, along with the ceiling.

Gore Bay

On our way home, we stopped off at Gore Bay, a beautiful isolated surfers paradise.

Road Rage

I just love this picture. What a handsome chap, just like dad.

Donegal House

If you are ever in Kaikoura, you should definitely vist Donegal House, a great irish pub. New Zealand guiness is excellent and is considered the best outside of Ireland, it's the clean Canterbury water that does it.

Horsin' About

In the afternoon we took James to a petting farm to see the animals. It was lots of fun, he stroked a wallaby and some rabbits and he really like this small horse.

A Keeper

This red cod was my biggest catch of the day. Not quite as tasty as blue cod but still fine eating. We also caught several blue cod and a heap of perch. We ate well today.

Albatross

While we fished, several albatross circled above and a couple landed next to the boat.

A Little Nipper

This little cray was undersized so Tracy got to release him overboard.

First Catch of the Day

Tracy's dad took her and me on a fishing trip. On the way out the crew raised the crayfish pots. They cooked the crays on board and we got one each to take home for tea. Kaikoura translates to English as 'eat crayfish' and they are the local delicacy. I never used to eat sea food but have developed a taste for it since moving to New Zealand. Crayfish are great eaten cold. I like to rip the flesh apart with my fingers and dip it in sambal and lemon juice.

Faster Mummy!

Sand

I wonder if it tastes nice?

We had a picnic on the beach, James loved the sand but did not eat too much of it.

Easter Break

Firstly, sorry for the lack of posts recently. My old creaking computer has been playing up and I have also been very busy doing DIY.

We spent easter at Kaikoura with Tracy's folks. We walked along the peninsula in lovely autumn weather. The mountains were covered in cloud but the view out to sea was great. I carried James on my back again. He is a real live wire now. In the last couple of weeks he has started crawling and even stands up if he can pull himself up on something.

We get talking to lots of folks as we are hiking around. Japanese women in particular just love James, and often inisist on a cuddle and a photograph. However if I come across a young couple I get two very different reactions. The young woman goes all glassy eyed, smiling at the happy family scene. The young guy averts his gaze and all but crosses himself. Probably makes a mental note to buy some condoms.

Graduation

James completed his first term as a 'Tiny Turtle' today. This is a class for parents and babies at the Pioneer swimming pool. He even got a certificate (pictured). It has been great fun, James loves the water and has learned to hold his breath when I dunk him under water. It wasn't always like this, I dropped him in the bath when he was less than a day old and he cried a lot!

Yay!

James sat up on his own today. He promptly fell over but it's a big step.

Invigorating!

The canterbury lakes are spectacular. The glaciers that flow into them grind rock from the mountain sides as they descend and this rock-flour flows into the lakes where it reflects sunlight to produce beautiful colours. Lake Tekapo is a brilliant turquoise and Pukaki (seen here) is a cool milky blue. The day was blisteringly hot and we had a three hour drive home so I just had to have a swim. For a glacial fed lake it was not too cold.

It was great to lie back in crystal pure water and look at Mt Cook and the southern alps in the distance.

Mt Cook at the Head of Lake Pukaki

Mt Cook is beautifully sited at the head of Lake Pukaki, I love driving along the lake side.

James and Mt Cook

Can I Drive Dad?

Weird Scenes

Climbing through a narrow gap in the cliffs revealed some really weird rock formations.

The Clay Cliffs

Today we visited the clay cliffs that look over Omarama. They are very unusual and again a total contrast to the scenery of the previous two days. These would not look out of place in Arizona.

Tracy Gets Her Feet Wet

We had lunch next to this stream. Then we turned back, the going was a bit too rough with a baby on my back. We will have to return when James is a bit older.

Canyon Creek Walk

At the end of the track we did a short walk to canyon creek. The weather was hot, there was not a soul around and the scenery was superb, as good as fiordland and so different from yesterday.

Nice Reflection

Ahuriri River

Today we drove up the Ahuriri river. This is a new conservation park that was only opened recently. It was a lovely spot. The river is a great for fishing and there are plenty of walks.

Icebergs in the Hooker Lake

At the end of the walk is a view of the Hooker glacier which flows down from Mt Cook. These small icebergs were floating in the lake.

Little Mountain Man (and his Mum)

James seemed to enjoy the view.

Avalanche

Today we walked the Hooker Valley track. This is one of our favourites, we have walked it many times but never with a 6 month old. It is an easy walk and there are great views of the glaciers which cover the valley side.

Shortly after I took this photo, the large chunk of ice fell down in a loud avalanche.

View Across Lake Pukaki Towards Mt Cook

It is Waitangi Day on Tuesday so we are taking a four day weekend at Twizel in the Mackenzie District. We had a great drive down, but Mt Cook was just obscured by clouds. The photo shows clouds from the west coast rolling over the divide into the Hooker Valley.