THE BACH
The other big news story in our world is the new bach (holiday cottage) at Horopito
(Google Map and Street View), next to Ruapehu, the big volcano thingy in the middle of the North Island.
Chris Pugsley and I bought the land with a friend Deborah a couple of years ago, and got around to planning the bach a year ago. We settled on a transportable home (which is pre-fabricated, shipped to the site, and dropped on piles) to avoid a lot of the complications of building on site. We chose to buy from a company called Sunshine Homes, and were expecting to have the building on site by March 2008, but as always, there were delays (in this case the w**k*r of a local sales agent, who makes incompetent people look really good – we ended up sacking him and going direct to head office). As a result, we got our bach the week after Chris and I headed to South America for 3 months!
Deborah and her man David (who also has a quarter share in the venture now) decorated the bach while we were away, so we came back in September to find a lovely, furnished building, but without any services.
Since then, Chris and I have been engaged in a treacle - wading exercise, trying to organise composting toilet, drains, roof-water system, plumbing, and (most important), electricity. The story of the electric supply could fill a book, but suffice to say, the six companies involved (power suppliers, power infrastructure company, power retailer, their contractors, sub-contractors, and our electrician) had serious failures of communication, delaying our connection by about 6 weeks, and costing a fortune in cellphone calls.
Privatisation was not a good idea - come back the Electricity Board, all is forgiven!
At the time of writing, we have power in our lovely second home, a fantasic view of the mountain, and 2 hectares of land, including regenerating bush and a stream. I’ve planted 200 or so trees (of which I hope most will survive), and I’m looking forward to next year’s ski season (so I can be a ski bum at the nearby ski fields). There is plenty of work to be done before the winter - Chris is doing all the ruffty tuffty builder boy stuff (as he’s got lots of free time - his view on it all is here), while I’m working my arse off at vet clinics to raise the required money (recession? What recession? I don’t think I’ve ever been busier!).
Back to Koromiko 08
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| From Horopito |
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| From Horopito |
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| From Horopito |
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| From Horopito |
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