Lawnmower
Mammotion removed multipoint turns. Home Assistant gave them back
Mammotion removed multipoint turns from its app, but the mower protocol kept them. Home Assistant gave my Luba AWD 5000, and my lawn, the feature back.
9 August 2026
Blog
Stories, diaries, and how-tos
36 stories from our journey of blending technology with slow, sustainable living in Whangārei Heads.
Energy
Salt, spiders and solar: our annual coastal wash-down
Our annual coastal wash protects the barn, roofs and solar panels from salt, spiders and the maintenance cost of living near the sea.
7 August 2026
Garden
Our first monthly aerial portrait of Āhuru Mōwai
We photographed every square metre of Āhuru Mōwai from the air. August 2026 is frame one in a monthly record of the land and everything growing on it.
3 August 2026
Outdoor Living
Building Luna a dog kennel for Northland weather
A weather-resistant dog kennel for a full-grown golden retriever needs the right proportions, treated timber, roof fall, and a low-waste cutting plan.
14 July 2026
Garden
Rebuilding soil on a clay hillside
Six contour swales, three pioneer species, one degraded dairy paddock, and a winter nursery for bana grass. This is the next step in rebuilding soil at Āhuru Mōwai.
23 June 2026
Uncategorised
Swapping small city apartments for rural life on the coast
When we lived in London, we rented an attic flat in West Hampstead that I absolutely loved. It was small but bright and I liked that there were distinct spaces, rather than open plan living. We rarely cooked at home, preferring to eat out or order in. When our friend Ruthie ca...
6 February 2024
Vegetables
Summer garden: update sweet peas, capsicums and baby pumpkins
It always surprises me that while we’re in the height of summer and enjoying blazing sunshine in the day, that come February the mornings are already so dark. I have the privilege of being woken before 6am most mornings by little voices and hands. In the last week I’ve noticed...
5 February 2024
Slow Sundays
Slow Sundays: Activating holiday mode
Most Sundays you’ll find our little whānau at the beach. We’re spoilt for choice in Whangārei Heads. When our little ones wake up before 6am and we’re struggling to open our eyes, sometimes the best way to kick start the day is to get into the Hilux and head for Ocean Beach.
4 February 2024
AI
3 tricks to get more helpful answers from ChatGPT
Mark and I have been using AI tools like ChatGPT, Bard and Midjourney more and more to help us in both our work and personal lives. In our day jobs we create training content for people in the tech industry and AI is a big focus. Things are changing so quickly that we’re less...
2 February 2024
Cocktails
Garden to glass: Bellini with homegrown peaches
Since we planted our tree a few years ago I’ve been looking forward to being able to make a Bellini with homegrown peaches. The Bellini is a delightfully simple cocktail made by combining peach puree with Prosecco. The sweetness from the peaches pairs with light Italian sparkl...
1 February 2024
Coffee
The best espresso machine for people who don't know how to use one
When I was at university, I had a very short-lived part time job as a barista. I spent an hour shadowing the outgoing barista and then the title was passed to me. I was a terrible barista, and I’ve often thought I should issue a general apology to anyone who bought a coffee fr...
1 February 2024
Lawnmower
Where’s Robbie? Are we giving up on our robot lawnmower?
Mark put up a post in our local Facebook group recently that sparked some concern for Robbie, our robot lawnmower. His post asked for assistance with lawn care, specifically looking for someone to scarify our mainly kikuyu lawn. A few minutes after he asked the question, I got...
31 January 2024