Although I have been extremely privileged to already be living my dream of making it out to New Zealand, I’ve increasingly recognised that I’m happiest in a workshop space, problem solving, finding elegant & effective solutions, and being active with my body, hands, & mind. It’s in a workshop space I also get to indulge my desire for accuracy, precision, efficiency, and quality.

To this end, and due to the ongoing risks of Omicron and Covid in general, I needed to step down from a number of my other paid and voluntary roles. The long term risks around Covid have been too high.

However, we have been able to secure the lease of a large workshop space in Masterton, which we’re now configuring into an incredible workshop space.

A number of new and old tools are on the way. However being on a remote island of Aotearoa New Zealand, during a pandemic, with a war in Europe, and recent flooding in Australia, has meant that many tools and materials are heavily delayed. I’ve been looking at a 6 months typical wait time for tools and materials that would normally arrive in in 3-4 weeks at the latest (if not carried in-stock). Similarly goods that have been holding their prices pretty well for the last few years, have now suddenly increased by 50% during the last 4 months alone.

We’re clearly not living in a time ‘as it was’, this is the new abnormal.

Hopefully the new workshop venture will at least cover the lease & living costs, providing affordable items for things that are needed, and supported by things that are wanted.

I’m looking forward to what the future holds.