White Horse Walk

On New Year's Eve the family and Yoshi went by car to the top of the White Horse Monument and had a picnic in the car. A few wwoofers have done this local walk from the township up through a small stand of native bush then into forestry near the ridge. A good view of Waimate and our NEW HOUSE!!!! can be seen from the top.

See picture "EarthWood from WhiteHorse" when I get it on!

French doors

The doors were in by Christmas. What used to be an expansive view now looks quite different - rather segmented. We had hoped to picnic in the house for Christmas kunch but the north-easterly was a bit cool as the windows and doors don't have glazing!

home schoolers get muddy!

About 22 children and parents from the local homeschooling group came to have a go at making mudbricks. According to our graph of progress this is the last load of bricks we need to finish all outside walls-both house and battery room.

The end is in sight............

An historic moment

Yoko, Kevin, Rusty and Wal finished laying bricks on the last piece of outside house wall.

YEEHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

an historic moment indeed!

Wo-men in black

Nikki and Yoko, with the invaluable assistance of mighty Kevin from next door and Wal, finished off the south wall to stud height. You can see the wet mortar in the south wall in the background of the picture.

honeymoon destination

Yep! It's right here at "Earthwood" Waimate.

Tara and Alex joined us for 2 nights of their short honeymoon in New Zealand and it was awesome to share such a special time with them.

They arrived on the same mad weekend as Sabrina,Timo, Steffi and Ruth. Coincidentally, Tara's grandmother was German and she spoke German also. So lots of "sprechen auf Deutsch" all around.

TOFU

Occasionally I make my own tofu from organic soya beans. I enjoy making it when I have time in the evenings as it reminds me of the time I spent in Japan working voluntarily at a traditional tofu shop. It is really cool when you add the salt or curdling agent and the milk separates from the whey. It is one of those special moments of making something by hand that has its own magic!

Tara helped me out and we had fun chatting.

finishing the west wall

Sabrina, with Timo, Steffi and Wal, finished the office walls and all the west walls of Ami and Shannah's rooms. It is absolutely amazing to see some walls reach the stud height.

A huge thank you to the team, particularly to Sabrina.

AUS DEUTSCHLAND

Ruth, Sabrina's mother, came and visited with Sabrina and Timo and Steffi. It was totally mad with 6 extra adults in the house but we had a ball speaking German, cooking, tree planting, church and a visit to an historic cob cottage and picnic.

SUSHI EYES

Knock,Knock

Who's there?

Sue.

Sue who?

Sue Shi!

We love rolling our own sushi. ...and you have to be photographed making "sushi eyes"....

TEAM

Together
Everyone
Achieves
More........ ..........................................Thanks TEAM

Yoshie stayed a week and did lots of weeding, as well as helping to plant the East Garden around the pizza oven area.

yoga - adobe style

If a facial isn't enough for you enjoy the total therapeutic experience. Sabrina gives an interesting demonstration of how its done.

Facepack

Visit Earthwood for a free facial treatment. As you can see, it has made Timo very happy!

BANZAI!!!!

BANZAI! YEEHAH!

This awesome team (Kae, Hitoshi, Maho, Rusty and Wal) made 77 bricks in 2 days. Our first lot after the winter. Note the bath for heating water in the background. Hot water in the trailer makes the clay nice and smooth and is beautiful for washing mud off legs and arms!

MOVIE NIGHT

Friday night at the movies.

Maho and Kae enjoying hot chocolate and carrot cake at the weekly DVD night.

PAVLOVA-you gotta try it

Hitoshi...

not only enjoyed the perfect pavlova he holds the record for rolls of sushi. 5 for dinner!!!!

The ROOF is on

"Matt and Carrie" and the Great "Spovel" Debate

The "Spovel" Debate

What is a spade? AND What is a shovel?

In NZ we call the blue-handled square-ended one a SPADE. This is for digging holes as it has a cutting edge.

The pointed long-handled one is called a SHOVEL. This is for sliding into heaps of stuff and lifting it.

Carrie and Matt are demonstating the finer points of resting using your spade or shovel.

" Manil, Dharmi and Allen"

"Ben and Jude".

Ben and Jude from Tauranga stayed for a couple of days

I wish he had stayed a lot longer. He is the mastermind who designed the "Prow gable".

"Yukihro"

Yuki mined "MtFuji", dodged "King Kong" and made @ 100
large mud bricks.

He was turning 21 so we had a "21st" for him.

"Kyooko"

Kyooko..we will always think of your wonderful smile...

when are you coming back??

P.S. Dec 06- we got a NEW electric beater!!!

"Kae Abe".

Kae & Shannah

Kae came back to stay for a few weeks in October. It was like having a relative come to visit.

Xmas 2005 "Mee ( Jansaree)

The frames are up.

Mee (Janseree) was with us for Xmas 2005 .

Jansaree helped plant this corner of Alynne's Line

Our FIRST WWOOFers

Foundations are completed with
the help of Graham & Alyn from
Canada, our first WWOOfer's, thanx
guys you were so much help bending steel and helping to pour
the first of 25meters of concrete.

22 tonne of logs

27 tonne of "Douglas Fir (Oregon)" arrive.

"The first Post Hole is bored"

28 august 2005