I’m not out long enough in the sun for it to burn me yet (thankfully I have Dad’s skintone and not Mum’s join-the-freckles one), but it’s getting intense enough to feel it if I don’t put a hat on. Thankfully, it isn’t hot enough yet for the midges and mossies.
Living in New Zealand: Building a Brick-Lined Gabion Retaining Wall is Another New Skill to Learn
Having a large garden presents opportunities and associated challenges. I've never putting a retaining wall before: so I hope this works!
I have no idea whether this terracotta pipe is still being used by one of our neighbours!
The made-to-measure gabions from http://gabionworks.co.nz
My hand-dug, hand-levelled trench
I was very relieved when the two wired together boxes fitted!
Though we have over a thousand bricks around the property, it’s not enough to fill the boxes, but it is a chance to get rid of all the old bits of pipe and rubble we have.
Lots of this dirt (mainly loess and some clay) will be bagged to be put inside the gabions, like sandbags, with bricks on the exterior surfaces.
Filling the gabions is challenging (not just the shifting of bricks etc. uphill!). There are very few rocks on the property, apart from the massive volcanic ones that sit below the loess and clay.
I hope I don’t find one of those where I plan to put the shed…
Living in New Zealand: Lyttelton Legend Bill Hammond
Bill Hammond is only one of the many great creative people who made Lyttelton their home.
Read MoreLiving in New Zealand: Old Christchurch City Still Exists in Places
I don't leave port very often, but this week I had an appointment in the city. It seems that every time I go in there is something new to see as the rebuild continues eight years after the last big earthquake struck. But there are also a few old things hanging around, like the tram, derelict buildings (including Christchurch Cathedral. I have no idea how they are going to fix that but they plan to) and these steps. There must be a story behind these steps.