A Golden Period

1978-9

 

After we returned from Olwyn and Dinesh's wedding, our life settled down for a few months, while we continued to adjust to each other.



Paihia house

 

We were hoping that a baby would be on the way before long, as I was in my mid-forties and Margaret was approaching the age considered to be "elderly" for first-time mothers in those days (all of 28 years old!).

 

Because my parents had both died, Margaret's Mum and Dad were our important potential grandparents, and we both felt grandparents were important for children.

 

We found the travel to and from New Plymouth each holiday a real drag, even with the possibility of stopping off in Auckland to catch up with Denise and Rod, or with Stuart and Catherine.

 

So over this period we started to discuss the possibility of moving closer to Taranaki; ideally we would have liked to cut the distance by about half, say to Cambridge. We were also becoming keen on the idea of buying a lifestyle block and trying a semi-rural life for a change. Margaret's rural childhood gave her some enthusiasm for this option.

 

Rex and Ruby (1979)

By the early part of 1979, we had started to discuss these ideas with Rex and Ruby, Margaret's parents. Their own farming experience would prove invaluable if we managed to do the lifestyle thing.

 

In the event, all our plans came together at the end of Term II (August) in 1979. Rex and Ruby found a little lifestyle block in Hurford Road, just south-west of New Plymouth, at a price we could afford, and I landed a teaching job at Okato College, just a few kms further on down Highway 45.

 

I somewhat reluctantly resigned my position with the Community Council, and we left Paihia for rural Taranaki towards the end of August. There were the usual minor hiccups (it took a few weeks to sell the Paihia house), but everything settled down again before too long. And learning about living on the land was such an interesting process, and time-consuming, we were too busy to worry much!

 

By that stage we knew Margaret was pregnant. In order to provide transport for us both from our little farmlet, we bought a second car, a mini, which turned out to be very valuable, because the government introduced Carless Days as a response to the oil price shocks earlier in the decade, so we had at least one car to use every day of the week. Quite important when we you might have to rush to hospital at any stage!

 

The Hurford Road property many years later. In our day only the main house (top left)

 and one garage made up the buildings.