Well then, Welcome to NZ

As many of you will know from my Instagram and previous blog post, we arrived in Christchurch in late June on what was supposed to be a relatively short trip to book the kids into school and find a rental home, before we headed back to Australia to pack up the rest of our things and then permanently move over in late August/early September. Well, things haven’t exactly gone to plan! The covid situation back in Australia has certainly upended many peoples lives, and I particularly want to acknowledge so many of you stuck in lockdown in Sydney. It’s a really terrible time and my heart has been really heavy thinking about our families, friends and all of you guys in lockdown. I don’t think any of us predicted things would go the way they have the last 6 weeks.

To cut a long story short, we’ve made the decision to stay and begin life here since going back to Australia to pack up our things wasn’t a viable option anymore. Unfortunately all our possessions are back there (we came here with just a suitcase each), our car still at the airport, and our 3rd child (Bailey the Ridgeback – who we are missing desperately) still with friends back in the Southern Highlands. It’s less than ideal circumstances, but with the travel bubble suspended indefinitely, the Delta strain spreading throughout Sydney, and an unsettling few weeks moving around every few days not knowing what to do, we had to make A decision. And hey, we are safe and well, and have a lot to be grateful for.

And turns out, it really was the right decision as we managed to secure a short term rental for 7 weeks, but the most positive news is…… we’ve bought a home here! It happened fairly quickly and is exactly what we were looking for. It needs an immediate renovation so we can move in (it will be a 2-stage renovation process), but we are so unbelievably grateful to have found a home. One that we can make our own, and get settled in as we start our new life here in New Zealand.

So yep, another renovation!! I’m really excited about it as the house has decent bones and although it’s pretty small, and there are some things I’d love to change, but won’t have the budget for. But I know we can make it a lovely family home regardless.

I’ll be sharing the design process here, and on instagram, but as always my email subscribers will get the inside scoop, supplier details, and product selections early on. The first design email will be coming early next week as I’m just finalising some initial selections for things we need to order ASAP (carpet, timber flooring, bathroom tiles and fixtures etc), but until then here’s a bit of the first few weeks here in Central Otago, New Zealand!

Will share our stay at Gibbston Valley and Queenstown in another post, as I’ve got too many images to share in this one. Stay tuned for the next design post to kick off the renovation at our new home.

And to those in lockdown in Sydney and Queensland, please stay safe and take care.

N xo