A few weeks have passed since we began our stint at Dean's Nursery, and started exploring this wonderful part of New Zealand properly (i.e. we can now afford the petrol to spend our weekends exploring the entire Nelson area). Firstly, the news from Dean's Nursery. We have reached something like 50,000 vines so are certainly over halfway to our target for this year. Dad, you sent a recent email asking how long each graft took to complete - it takes literally secon...

Another week has just zoomed by, so what's new at Dean's Nursery? Well, for a start the place has now taken on a totally different appearance. The beautiful flowering cherry blossom has almost entirely disappeared, to be replaced by a fresh new green, and in the paddock the wildflowers are beginning to bloom and already look absolutely stunning - I've taken a few pictures but will take more over the next few weeks as it really does seem to change every day. But, ...

The good life continues! We've just completed a full week's work at Dean's Nursery, and have come back to our cosy little cabin, pleasantly tired, and treated ourselves to fish and chips from Mapua Smokehouse, washed down with Ross & Helen's Peach Summer Wine, whilst listening to more of Sue Gee's wonderful book 'Reading in Bed', which is a very nice way to end the week, thank you very much! And what a lovely week it has been. At work we've done 4 more days ...

We are so unbelievably happy right now I don't really know where to start! Firstly, our new home. We left Ann & Bob's on Tuesday morning and meandered down the road to the Mapua Leisure Park, picked up the keys to our new home and jumped for joy. It is a little A-frame cabin (a smaller version of our childhood home) into which we immediately unpacked and made ourselves at home. I settled into the double bed downstairs and Su into the little triangular space ...

Ann & Bob's WWOOF (6 - 23 September) Saturday morning, and once again it's time to pack up our trusty steed and gallop off. But first, I thought it might be fun to give you an idea of what packing up our trusty steed actually entails, because despite leaving the UK, extremely pleased with ourselves for having such tiny lightweight bags for 1 year plus, we seem to have accumulated some extra stuff…. Our bags, once only 2/3 full, are now full to bursting, no...