All for this!

Today was quite a big day - our residency approval in principle came through. All we need now is a new stamp in our passports and pay our migrant levy and we are home and dry.

We're celebrating with fush n chups and champagne. Hmm.. what a combination!

I took this picture from one of the walks with the dogs this week. It's Kaitoke looking towards the Rimutakas. Not a bad view and probably sums up for me what coming to New Zealand is all about. Being able to walk my bassets in the middle of the day in the middle of nowhere.

It's not everyone's cuppa but you need a compelling reason to live 12,000 miles away from family and friends and this is it for me.

The land and house that never was

Loyal blogger readers will remember that our house building dreams haven't entirely run a smooth course. For new readers, here's the crux of our story.

Anyway, we were out yesterday with the bassets walking the Rimutaka Incline Trail which is a recreational path that follows the line of the old Rimutaka Train Line. Lo and behold as we doodled along and opening in the hedge gave us full sight of the land we were going to buy but never did.

Little did we know at the time that there was a perfect viewing point straight onto the land (and possibly our bathroom) had we proceeded with our intended plans. It was interesting to see how the land has developed.

Funny how life turns out - although this is still a beautiful spot I reckon we did get some luck with the land we now have and the home we've built.

Access road to flat land (plot 7, we were going to buy)

The bridge that has been the cause of much environmental strife

Dead ahead is the building platform that never was with the paddocks on the low lying area

Rambling the pylon way

When we were building the house we'd often scoot up to site have a snout around and then head off for a walk on one of the trails close by. Since we've actually moved here we haven't been out walking so decided yesterday that today was the day that we were getting back into the habit.

For a change we decided to cross the state highway and take one of the Kaitoke Regional Park trails on the other side of the road. There was a choice of two - the Pylon Loop Track and Kaitoke Hill Track. We decided that the Pylon Loop sounded intriguing so set off up hill into the forestry.

After an indyllic start through the forestry we finally found the pylons across the valley that make the track name so appropriate. We headed off towards the water treatment plant in hope of spying the water resevoirs but instead found ourselves back on the Kaitoke Hill Track that was a painful reminder of the fact that what goes up must come down!

It wasn't what I'd call the most attractive of walks but it was a good way to stretch the legs and work up a sweat. Not sure that the Bassets will relish it as a walk when they're old enough to go out even though they have four paw drive to make it easier for them.

No it's not a hobbit hole but the underpass off the Kaitoke Loop under the state highway.

A bit of a more artistic pylon view

Looking down to Te Marua towards Upper Hutt