Country simplicity

The drive to Norsewood was a leisurely four hour cruise, with light traffic and delightful countryside, including a forty five minute stopover at the original TUI brewery at a little place called Mangatainoka, where we had a nicely served light dinner at about five o'clock. We were their last customers and they kept the kitchen open for us which was very hospitable. Then on to arrive at the Scandinavian hamlet of Norsewood. 

Tom, fifteen years ago, had bought a neglected old Post Office and had been renting it out cheaply to friends but he has now done a big job renovating the house at the back, with the front, the original Post Office, in the process of being emptied for another friend to caretake when he is not here. He had the fire stoked on arrival and we chatted till we had an early bedtime, as I said I was going to be tuning in the All Blacks vs Springboks game at four am. Which I did, and it was an exciting nail-biter which the ABs won by two points only.

I then returned to sleep for a while till the sun came shing into my room, which happens to be called the sun room!  It is a a sleepy hamlet Norsewood, built by the Norwegians who were given blocks of  land in the 1800s to cultivate and build on. Right opposite there is the one pub, The Crown.

Tom has created an idyll of simple country living which he plans to have for his retirement years in this small and sympathetic community which he will embrace. He is already quite friendly with the pub owners and no doubt he will improve the fabric of the local society (no pun intended!)

My room, the sun room.

Looking onto a park..

And the large back yard..

Tom's beautiful bedspread from Uzbekistan,...he is after all, a fabric freak!

The day turned out to be a hot one, but undeterred, Tom and Brent got stuck into the demolition of the old redbrick fireplace in the front Post Office which is destined to be replaced by a metal wood burner. They both worked so very hard while I relaxed, but later it was the plan to take me for a long drive around the Wairarapa and look at some stately houses. We left Brent who decided to mow the lawn and we drove through a countryside verdant and royally beautiful, the towns quaint and Kiwi, and it was totally delightful.

Home at six to see Brent finishing mowing the large lawn and Tom to began to set the fire for tonight.

Brent on the job....