We decided to purchase Nga Punawai and after much deliberation and negotiation we took over on March 30th, 2010. We want to retro-fit the old house with sustainable technology such as geothermal heating, double glazing, wool or natural fibre insulation, natural paints and recycled/antique furniture and appliances where possible. First though we have to clean the place thoroughly as it has been abandoned and left to the few wild cats and mice to inhabit. Pictures tell a better story of what it is actually like, as words fail me (apart from the odd swear word when I discover nasty things hanging on the walls and inbedded into the floor boards).