A Quiet Life In Town



The time came to leave Foxglove Cottage to head for our new home in Renwick.  Tearing myself from its comforting embrace was painful indeed as we backed the car out before the break of dawn on April 16^th.  Our 700km drive was broken by a night in Kaikoura – in a no-frills motel, overlooking the sea.  Next day we set off after breakfast and arrived at our new home to be let in by the real estate agent. Exciting!  And just a teeny bit daunting.  Nothing felt like home…

 

We flew back up North the very next day, to oversee the loading of the huge truck that was bringing our possessions south, and to spend a few days staying with Dave’s parents and catch up with friends.  All too soon it was time to set off again, in our respective vehicles one of which would be left in Auckland for the time being.  The first leg was from Whangarei to Taupo, the second to Wellington, and then early on the third day we drove onto the BlueBridge Ferry to cross the Cook Strait, a three and a half hour journey, followed by a forty minute drive to Renwick.  We were “home” once more.  Four days later the truck arrived with everything, chaos descended and reigned for many weeks… but finally it was all stowed away, furniture was in place, paintings hung, books put on shelves.  And it finally did feel more like home. 

Discovering our new surroundings, getting to know how to get where we wanted to go, exploring the shops, and best of all – trying the local winery restaurants became our new normal.  And oh, are we spoiled for choice here in the way of wineries… Renwick is set in the heart of the wine district and it’s so very easy to drop in for lunch at any one of them.  Most definitely my kind of place.  The scenery is stunning – surrounded in the far distance by mountains which are covered by snow from about late May until early November, rivers criss-crossing the valleys.  The autumn colour was breathtaking.  Crisp, cool mornings cried out for long walks. Winter days were spent wrapped up well, walking at the beach or beside a river.  Mostly they were cloudless and gorgeous.  On bleak, grey days when the cold bit deep, I lit the fire and made “proper” hot chocolate for us and read my book…

In June we gained an engaging addition to our little household – Fergus, a mature black and white rescue cat.  He sheds fur everywhere and prefers his litter tray over going outdoors to the toilet (sigh!) but we love him a lot, and wouldn’t be without him.  He’s full of personality, and so gentle.  We think he might be part Rag Doll – he is so floppy and relaxed most of the day, and doesn’t really “do” outdoors but loves being fireside or draped over a lap. 

Another big decision had to be made – to sell Foxglove… such a hard thing to accept but the right thing to do, and we let our friend Jill, the local agent, show it to a lady from Auckland, who of course fell in love with it.  We settled in early October, having driven down once more to clean it out, stopping there for three nights.  Driving away for the final time wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be – I think I said goodbye back in April, and had detached myself, focussing instead on the job in hand.  I still feel a sadness that it’s gone but love the fact that Anne, the buyer, is living there permanently and adores the wee cottage that we brought back to life.

Meanwhile we have put our stamp firmly on our new home – updating the kitchen with wide, sweeping benches and extra storage, converting the laundry into a scullery with tons of shelving, replacing a window in our bedroom with a slider opening out onto the newly extended terrace.  The garden has had the most significant makeover, with all the flower beds and 30 odd roses removed, and replaced with natives –  trees, shrubs, grasses and flaxes.  The centrepiece is a magnificent swimming pool edged with grey pavers and at one end a sheltered paved area with pergola that one day will have star jasmine spilling over it.  For me, it is truly a dream realised.

Life continues to change and evolve, David has finished up with the company he spent 10 years with in Auckland and is enjoying taking a break.  Not sure what will happen with work, but I’m sure it will all fall into place.  Right now, we are both determined, after years of stressful times, to simply relax and just breathe… Walking every day for us both, a regular cardio workout three times a week for Dave. Gone is the stress of trying to find parking in town, at the supermarket, and worst of all at the hospital.  There’s plenty of time to cook real food and focus on healthy habits. 

Perversely, having replaced our acres in the country with a house in town, we are building a new life along quieter lines…