Another happy day in paradise.

Well we did not quite finish the weather boards. We were into all the fiddly bits and that slowed us down. What we did looked neat. Les and Ray the plumbers got all their pipes in and tested. Jane and Dave Rogo started hanging the doors.

It was another good day with some hard workers doing their thing. Thank you to all who showed up and to all who brought food along. We hope Martin gets well by next Saturday. Maybe he will come and tell us all the things we did wrong? Just blame Dave.

Governor General Sir Anand Satyanand and Lady Susan visit with Mike and Christine

Today the patron of Habitat for Humanity in New Zealand, Sir Anand Satyanand and his wife, Lady Susan, visited Mike and Christine's home.

1st of August ... a great day

We had a good day on site today. 23 people passed through the site during the day. We had lunch supplied by the Business and Professional Women's group.... excellent stuff. Some ceiling battens were done, and eleven trusses were put in place. Let it be known that Dave (senior... VERY senior) measured accurately and young Dave and Kyle made the mistake! In spite of receiving heaps of cheek from a certain woman student lawyer Dave managed to keep a level head and between us all we put the trusses up and they actually look straight. (thanks largely to the aforementioned Kyle and young Dave)

Oh and by the way.... Mike's team won their rugby. Last week though they were soundly beaten.

If you were there today... well done team... a great start to August! Thanks for making it another good Habitat day!

Another good day...

We had over 20 people at the Habitat site on Saturday. We enjoyed meeting more of Mike and Christine's whanua and friends. We had a good day bolting down the frames to the concrete floor, putting strapping on and adjusting the frames. We now have a flush toilet with a hand basin on site and running water and an operating hot water heater in the kitchen container. We had Les Bell and Ray, two plumbers on site with us and Caleb came back to assist. Well done team, thanks for coming out on such a frosty morning. 

Photos.

Top. (1) Flax "flower" made by one of the volunteers on site.

(2) Dave marking the trusses. (NOT sleeping)

(3) Martin showing Mike how to put the strapping on.

(4) One of the straps neatly done.

18th July...

Hi everyone. We are working on Saturday 18th July. We will be straightening the frames and sorting them out.

Come when you can, leave when you must. It's fun.

It is nearly 11p.m. Friday night and the roads are already frosty. Be careful.

The Frames are up! It looks more like a house!

On Saturday about 14 people turned up during the day. Some were there all day, others came and went at different times. Caleb, a very patient carpenter led our work day, and helped us put the frames up. It was exciting, after weeks of just getting ready for a build, now we were actually building and there was a house frame up. We can see where the bedrooms are, the lounge and kitchen. There was a lot of laughter and banter as the frames were moved into place. WE ARE DEFINITELY BUILDING NOW! You will see the excitement as a house takes shape. 

Our thanks to all who came on Saturday! Every bit of work helps to build the house. Your presence and interest encourages others. Your laughter and sharing helps make the day bright. A special thanks to Caleb, who with Martin led us so well.

Photos:

Top to bottom.

1. The first nail joining the frames together. (Martin would not let David do it!)

2. Moving an early frame. Caleb our expert is in the blue top. He was so good and so patient with us.

3. Three of the girls on site on Saturday. They worked like Trojans.

4. The finished frames at the end of the day.

Saturday 11th...the frames will stand up!

Hi all you amazing Habitat Helpers

YES!!!!!! The floor is down and the frames have arrived so tomorrow, Saturday 11^th it will be all go.

126 Ashmore Street Halfway Bush. We start at 9am. Come when you can, leave when you are must. Come and enjoy the atmospher, even if it is only part of the day.

From now on we will have work every Saturday... unless of course it snows, rains excessively or it is too dangerous. Thanks for your patience to this point but now the real work can begin.

If the weather is doubtful phone Dave's work phone; 4774848 and information will be left on there.

See you there.

Photos of progress...

Here are some photos of what builders and plumbers have been doing up at Ashmore Street to get ready to pour the floor slab in the next day or so. Soon the frames will go up.

Some progress...but...

A few of us were on site for the morning on Saturday. We set up the power to the kitchen container, put the zips in place, counted up the tools and connected a waste pipe to the sinks.

As you can see by the photos progress has been made toward completing the concrete floor pad. We are told that the floor concrete will be just over a week away. Hopefully the weather this week will be good and enable further progress and two inspections to be made.

Work for 27th.

Here is an emailed report about progress at the Habitat site this week;

"Blockwork is now completed.
Reinforcing to blocks placed.
Inspection booked with DCC. Bookings are 3 - 4 days out at present.
Maybe Friday for inspection unless they have a booking cancellation to allow for an earlier time.
Once blocks and reinforcing is inspected, blocks can be filled, foundations backfilled and sub floor drainage placed.
Brent Allen will then prepare vapour barrier, insulation, mesh reinforcing and arrange for slab to be poured.
At this stage we hope to be ready for Saturday week for the frames to be placed."

So there is progress being made, but once again no work for volunteers to do on the new house this Saturday.

Some of us are going up there to set up the kitchen in the container, link up power, wastes and water to the toilet and container. If you are looking for something to do, feel free to come and assist. It is all preparation work for the start of our "real" working days when we get into building the house.... hopefully next weekend!

No work day Saturday...

Because of the snow the block layer etc. have not done the work expected up at the Habitat site. Until that is done we cannot make progress so we will have a rest day tomorrow. We are hopeful that NEXT week we will be able to really go for it.... maybe have the frames ready to go up... then it is all on.

Photo: Snow at last years Habitat house on Tuesday morning.

Warm day and warm company

All told there were 15 people who worked up at the Habitat site on Saturday. It was a very nice winters day and some great preparation work was completed. We resurrected Dave's throne room. Now if it blows down the next door neighbours fence will have to come with it! David (Rogo) and Kyle (It means "Dark and Handsome".) constructed a fancy out door wash tub and bench. A temporary drain ditch was dug, pipes put in place and the container was cleaned up, rubbish taken away and equipment sorted. Some of us also went across to Shona's place and concreted two gate posts in place. A great day's effort alongside Mike and Christine and some of the girls. It was good to get to know each other better. And one other thing, the rugby team Mike coaches won their game... better than the All Blacks!

Photos:

Top: David and Kyle fill in the drain.

Second: The resurrected toilet with attached tub and bench.

Third: Mike and two daughters work on a fence.

Fourth: The sorted container... "Never been that tidy!" Some one said.

Dave's throne room blew over!

Weekend weather lately has been frustrating! Last Saturday was a no-go day up at the Ashmore Street site, wet, windy and cold. The footings have been prepared but because of sickness and the weather the block layer hasn't been. Ken Foote has been arranging for the power to go on. ...But the wind blew the toilet over even though it was staked to the ground!!

Tomorrow we want to resurrect the toilet! (Well we need it!) We will continue with sorting out the container and sorting out the tools and equipment stored there. Some of us will make an attempt to go to Shona's house and do a fence there.

As always ring 4774848 to check the answer phone to see if it is on.

See you there. I am talking to an Anglican Men's breakfast so will be a tad late, but hopefully with some volunteers.

We did it... we started!

In spite of predictions the sky was blue and the sun was shining today. Nine volunteers turned up on site. We did very well. Gravel was spread around the main traffic areas. Protective fencing was put up. There was some sorting out and tidying of the containers. Dave's throne room (site toilet) was erected. The profiles were done and it is all ready for excavation work for the foundations. The only black spot was that Elizabeth got hit on the head by a falling toilet wall! (Dave's fault) It is just great to make a start! Well done team, in spite of the cooling wind you worked hard.

Photos:

Top: The completed profiles and marking out. 

2nd: Daniel, Martin, Richard and the new David working on profiles.

3rd. The two Davids making sure the toilet is on a solid foundation. Elizabeth looks on with some doubts.

4th. Findlay and Barbara erect a protective fence on site.

Oh no! the rain is falling.... but we'll try again....

It is Friday afternoon and the rain has started falling again here in Dunedin. "It looks like we'll be blessed with a little more rain." Some of us are keen to go up to the Habitat site in Ashmore Street tomorrow (Saturday 30th May) and try to sort containers, erect toilet and do the profiles. We will be there at 9 a.m. If the rain is bad we will have to cancel again. We really are hoping it will stop long enough for us to do what we want to do. If you want to know if it is cancelled phone 4774848 and listen to the message. If there is no cancellation it will still be on.

Anybody is welcome to join us. We really WANT to make progress!

Water and mud...no work!

The digger has cleared the building area. A pile of gravel is there ready to be spread. The tool and kitchen containers are in place. The surveyors have marked the boundaries. We are ready to start our build.... but there is water, mud and more rain still coming down everywhere. There were some keen volunteers wanting to work anyway, but the consensus was that it was too wet, cold and muddy. Apart from picking up and delivering some chairs to the container we all went back to our warm dry homes. Some of us will work Queens Birthday weekend to make up for lost time.

Working day 23rd May.

On Saturday 23rd of may, if it is fine, we will be doing some preperation work for out build. The two containers have been moved on site. We have to erect the toilet shed (throne room) and clean out and list off what is in the containers. We need to check what tools we have and what building materials. We also need to spread some gravel around the site.

If it is fine we will start at 9 and go through to around 4 p.m. Come when you can go when you must.

If the weather is doubtful you can phone 4774848 and check the answer phone.

What's Happening?

We are starting to build a house with Christine and Mike and their big family. The section is purchased, the plans have been finalised and consent has been granted. Tomorrow, 16th May we have a ground breaking ceremony at 2:30p.m. at the Ashmore Street section.

Our first working day will be Saturday 23rd May at 9 a.m. At some stage some of us will go over to Shona's house to do a fence there.

We will have a rest over Queens Birthday Weekend and then every Saturday after that there will be a working day. Ring the Habitat office for any enquiries (4773507) We will have updates, progress photos and news of work to be done on this blog.

Steps to keeping warm on Saturdays during winter. :-)

1. Work hard at the Habitat House.
2. Enjoy warm company at the Habitat house.
3. Get warm fuzzies as you complete jobs at the Habitat house.
4. Get the ultimate warm fuzzy when Christine, Mike and the family move in.

Exciting progress!

Just an update. The section at 126 Ashmore Street has finally been purchased and now the plans and consent forms for the Dunedin City Council have been lodged. We are getting close to starting the building process. The building committee meets next week to make work out practical details of the build.

We are to have a Ground Breaking Dedication ceremony with the family at the section on Saturday 16th May at 2:30pm. There will be a short ceremony and an afternoon tea to follow.

Are you sharpening up your tools, washing your overalls and sorting out your tape measure? We will be building soon!

Change of plans....

Habitat Dunedin has had a change of plans for this year. We were going to build in the car park of the Mitre Ten Mega store but that has changed.

We have selected a family.
The family we have selected have ten children and so it became impractical to build a house big enough and then relocate it. We have negotiated with our friends at Mitre Ten and we will be doing something with them at a later date. They continue to be a very supportive suppliers for our venture.

We will be building as soon as the section is finalised.
We have been in negotiations to purchase a section for this house. It has been agreed to but needs to be signed off by people "further up the food chain." We have plans drawn up and await the final agreement so that they can be lodged for consent. So WATCH THIS SPACE!

We will be looking for volunteers of all sorts, individuals, groups, male and female to see if we can get this built ASAP for this family who are squeezed into a smallish house at the moment. If you are like me you will be impatient for a new job to start.

Dave Brown