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Log Burner, Wellington, winter
Winter has arrived so Im back to blogging (far too much to do in the garden, on the beach, walking etc in the summer). Anyway, the new logburner was installed 6 months ago and have been waiting for it to be cold enough to justify lighting it. That day arrived yesterday - wow, compared to the old fire, its warmer, easier and faster to light, looks great, really delighted. Have sussed out the knack is to just burn 4 logs and then let it go out - any more and were sat in our t-shirts too hot, and the cat went out as it was too hot.
Can highly recommend to anyone having a log burner installed, its cheap, hot and a very sustainable, green form of heating. Chris Koenigsburger from Berger Installations in Wellington was our man, he did the lot from taking out the old one, getting Council permission, delivering and fitting the new one - all in just 2 days.
For any recent immigrants to Wellington, we were used to good old Central Heating thinking log burners were dirty, smelly, hard work - but no, so please dont turn down a property because it hasnt got your usual form of heating.
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Kitchen House Wellington
The kitchen saga continues .... to recap, having removed our old kitchen, the day before the new one was due to arrive the supplier, Kitchen House went bust - luckily the units had been delivered the day before and the fitter arrrived, albiet rather disgruntled and unsure if he would be paid for the job - phew that was close. Then the granite worktop saga starts - again very luckily we had ordered the granite ourselves from Bramco (fantastic guys), but had 2 weeks delay on supply - so a kitchen with no worktops or sink (interesting!). Finally it arrives, but when fitting the last piece a very loud crack and it broke in two - so had to go back, a new one made overnight, remove the oven and housing to allow the replacement to slide into place (rather than dropping it in). Friday afternoon, 4pm, worktop still not arrived - prospect of no cooking facilities over that weekend, but miraculously it turned up at 4.30 and the guys fitted it - looks fab. Wall tile saga next - Mitre 10 didnt have enough in stock (only wanted 120), ordered, promised 3 day delivery - 10 days later they turned up - so a mad rush to tile and grout the walls before the flooring arrived. Flooring and fitters arrived today (only a day late) that looks to be going well. So all thats remains is the stainless steel splashback (made to size by Brightworks) - thats due tomorrow along with the pedestal leg for the granite breakfast bar which is due after Easter. Fingers crossed everythign arrives and fits - phew now ready for a Winter rest from DIY. Its all easier than this in the UK - over there I got one company who did the lot, but it doesnt work like that here so I turned project manager for a few months.
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Easter in Wellington
For a Brit living in New Zealand, its strange, but nice to find that shops are closed on Good Friday and Easter Monday - just like it used to be in the UK back in the 70's. To my distress even the DIY shops are closed, oh my god what am I going to do without the weekly trip to Mitre 10 for more tile grout etc. - will just have to hit the beach again.
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Jobs in Wellington
Just back from an awesome week's holiday in sunny Hawkes Bay, Rotorua and Tongariro National Park (it snowed - but looked gorgeous). Am pleased to report that despite the recession which has affected New Zealand, but not as bad as the UK and US, people are still relocating here. I met a couple of accountants last week who had moved from the UK, they had the usual problems finding good accommodation to rent in the area they wanted, but overall they were thankful they had taken the plunge and come to live here. So for anyone having second thoughts, the story from down here from my own and other recent immigrants' viewpoint, is that we would rather be in a recession in sunny, warm, windy Wellington with an abundance of good food and plenty of professional jobs on offer, than in the UK.
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Wellington Weather
January has been very windy here. Virtually every day we have had gale force winds, as well as nice 70 degree temperatures and sun every day. You may think its an ideal climate, sunny, not too hot, nice breeze, but you have to try extreme painting - have been trying to paint the outside of the house for a month, painting often scuppered by wind - it blows the paint off your brush. Also extreme hanging out of washing - it blows away whilst trying to peg it (next door had to bring Mark's cycling shorts back from his garden last week). Jasper cat not happy either as it blows him down the garden. Watering the garden is a challenge as it blows back - nice way to have a cold shower. So Wellington is fantastic, but no doubt you will be pleased to know its not too perfect - but rather extreme living here in Houghton Bay on the South Coast. (well what do you expect when you buy a house at the top of a hill overlooking Cook Straight you may say!).
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Rental Accommodation in Wellington
Now is a great time of year to move to Wellington - everyone starts moving house now, its a case of get Christmas out of the way and then decide to move to a new rental home in the middle of January, so there is lots going on in town at both ends of the scale. Students are either leaving town having finished at Uni, or starting to look for a home for the forthcoming new term. This, coupled with Kiwis moving because the fancy a change, lots of people moving to Wellington for work (from other areas of New Zealand and overseas), means the rental market is busy again. Good properties are snapped up fast, so now is the time to start looking on www.trademe.co.nz to get a feel for what is available, areas and rental prices.
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Christmas Cake
Good news folks, I found lard to make pastry for my mince pies (and jars of Duerrs mincemeat in New World Supermarket). Discovered the lard hiding in the meat fridges - not in with the butter etc as in the UK. Had a christmas cake tasting last week - mine (made in September, with fortnighly additions of brandy) vs the famous (in New Zealand) Ruth Pretty Christmas Cake. Result was a tie - mine has the traditional almond paste and icing, which to me are the best bits, whereas the Ruth Pretty version is more what us Brits would call a Dundee cake as it has the fruit and nuts on the top, but flavour of cake wise, not much in it! However mine was much cheaper and bigger, mine cost all of $10 to make, vs the $45 dollar purchased one.
Gearing up for Christmas Day - will it be another picnic on the beach, hopefully not in the rain this time or may go alternative and have fish and chips. Its great having Christmas in the summer, you dont want to eat as much.
New immigrants tailed off this month as expected, but back to business as usual early in Feb when the next wave arrives.
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Beer and Mince Pies
Our team of 3 Brits and 2 Aussies managed a respectable 4th place in the Regional Wines Beer Options Competition. Not bad considering there were 18 teams and we didnt have a Kiwi amongst us! It was a good night, comprised of blind tasting of 8 beers and having to name the country of origin, strength, type of beer, name etc. great fun. Currently making our own ginger beer (as well as Mark's good old British Stout). The ginger beer is happily bubbling away in the sunny porch, just read that if we leave it to brew for more than 2 days some of the sugar turns to alcohol. This week's whinge is that I cant find any lard in the big supermarkets (necessary to make pastry for mince pies) - typical, having found a source of Atora suet (for suet puddings), now cant get lard, but i have found Duerrs jars of mince, so nearly have mince pies. We dont like the NZ made ones, they are too sweet.
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Beer in Wellington
Its really annoying when we reading in other blogs about how bad it is to find good beer in New Zealand. Where are all these people living - here in Wellington we can get hold of a wider selection of British, Belgian, German, Czech beers than we could in the UK and all from the same place - Regional Wines at the Basin Reserve, Wellington. Better still, once a month we go to a Beer Tasting evening there. There is a different "subject" each month ie, British, Belgian, etc., we get to try at least 7 beers over the evening and vote on our favourite at the end. Its a good laugh and great way to try new beers. So don't believe anyone who tells you that European beer styles are scarce - rubbish! Off to the Christmas tasting there tomorrow night (3 December 08) will report on that later. As well as these monthly tastings, there are loads of micro breweries brewing great products you just need to get out there and buy the stuff.
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Moving Pets Abroad
Have met a lot of people in New Zealand who were advised against flying their cats and dogs with them. We brought ours, Daisy dog was 15 and Barney cat was 17. Our vet, Mr Bonham of Bonham Vet Centre, Ramsbottom said they were both fit and well and part of our family and it would do them more harm to leave them with strangers in the UK. It cost a bit in blood tests etc., but was well worth it. We used Sharon Jobe of Ladyhaye International in Surrey who arranged their flights, shipping crates and all the paperwork. We all flew on the same flight from London Heathrow - LA - Auckland - Wellington. Our pets were not sedated, they were secure in their travel crates with water and comfort bedding, apparently the cabin crew have access to the animal hold and check on them. They both bounded out of their crates in Wellington non the worse for wear and are doing well in New Zealand.