The cladding goes on......

The Cowshed is all wrapped, awaiting the arrival of the plumbers at 7am this morning....

The first sheet of the corrugated iron goes on. Karaka is the colour - a real blackish green, with contrasting Titiania coloured aluminium joinery and roof. 

 The plumbers stopped work at midday to go to another job - awaiting council pre - line inspection first thing tomorrow. 

Linea clads the storage room and bedroom... This will be painted Karaka to tie in with the rest of the exterior. 

It's a wrap!!

The Cowshed is wrapped in builders paper and builders are putting in external battens for the corrugate to adhere too. The windows have got special waterproofing membrane on them.........

Front of The Cowshed - two stacker doors and large lounge window

View of the laundry and pump shed. The exterior of this part will be linea.

A view of The Cowshed from the driveway...

Main Bedroom and ensuite.

January 11, 2016

Picking plums, strawberries and blueberries, beans, beetroot and gherkins before the tropical cyclone hits tomorrow.....

January 8, 2016

 The builders have been busy this week, packing out both the internal and external walls of The Cowshed, in order to achieve straight walls.


Alistair is busy painting the railway irons in the main bedroom area...













A view from the main window of the Lounge area over the yard....









                                                           





Inside The Cowshed ablution area - view of the toilet and basin area....

   
A view of the shower area in the ablution block. Builder, Fraser spent all day today creating the floor for the two showers - sloped so that the water flows into the nearby drain...

This area is one, where a stainless steel vat stored the milk, waiting for the milk tanker to pick it up.

Upcycling of the hot water cylinders.....

During the demolition of The Cowshed and a major renovation at the farmhouse, two hot water cylinders were removed. The exterior skin was cut away to reveal the copper underneath.

The copper cylinders have been taken to a local engineering firm, Avago, to be made up into vanity basins for The Cowshed and the farmhouse ensuite.

Watch this space!!!

Ready to go camping???

A couple of stretchers along with two tents arrived this morning - who's ready to go camping at The Cowshed???

The Vegetable Garden........

The vegetable garden at the Waitekauri Valley Retreat is flourishing.... what's growing this year?

Banana tree

Purple runner beans

Beetroot

Sweetcorn

Grapes

Herbs, Rhubarb and Potatoes

Passionfruit

Kumara

     

Plums

Tomatoes, Spring Onions

Potatoes ready for harvest

Pumpkin

Railway irons

The Cowshed is an original herringbone milking shed. Inside the shed was a milking pit, in which the farmer worked, putting the milking cups on and off the cows. The original pipework to the entrance of this pit sill remains in The Cowshed.

The Cowshed roof was supported by railway irons from the Waihi to Waikino railway. These irons remain, and further railway iron was sourced from the Victoria Battery to complete the kitchen area. We appreciate the support of the Victoria Battery to source and supply this iron.




Much time, grinding and perseverance is starting to bring the iron back to life.....