Yes, as most regular readers will already know, we always like to have a project or two on the go to keep us occupied. This year is no different.

Having completed the extreme makeover at Waiwera, we’re now turning our attention to Great Barrier. The driveway has now been concreted, so that allows us to get lots of ‘big stuff’ up to our house for the more exciting projects.

This winter it’s sheds, garages, renovating the guest apartment, and gutting the kitchen. We’re both now certified TradeMe addicts, having trolled the website for hours purchasing all manner of things from windows, to kitchen benches, to ovens and hobs, to building materials. The demolition yard in Albany is our next favourite place – we now have a truckload of joinery to take to the island for our various sheds and other planned constructions. Later this week we’ll be packing up a furniture truck with building materials and heading across to the island with Peter’s brother who is going to help us smash holes in walls etc. Then we’ll have to rush back to the mainland in a fortnight with another truck to uplift a stunning island kitchen bench (complete with all the cupboards) that we found on TradeMe. We do love shopping!

So that’s our winter mapped out really – lots of shopping for materials, building, renovating and moving things from one island to another – something we’ve come to make a bit of a habit out of!