- All over the country, people are moving houses. - Watch that truck, eh? - Wow, this is getting tight now. - Can you swim? - (LAUGHS) From old villas, to modern homes. And even historic churches. - Oh, good work there, Clark. - Like a glove. They're giving new life to buildings and structures that once faced destruction. - Front wheels are skidding. Whoa! (BLEEP) - There's no obstacle too big. - Only need a millimetre. - And no challenge too great... - Up a little bit on the hook, doc. - ... for the people who take this on. - It's going to get very ugly down this hill. - Whoa, whoa, whoa. - Whoo! (HONKS HORN) - How far would you go to match your ideal house to the location of your dreams? This time, swapping the motor home for a real home, travelling duo Wendy and Ian are finally ready to pull over. - It gets to a stage where you just want your own space. - She hasn't had a bath for 12 years. (BOTH CHUCKLE) - And they've got their hearts set on a two-bedroom bungalow. Can their home survive anything the treacherous Kaimai Ranges throws at it? From unscheduled roadworks... - They're doing a roadworks test just on the other side of the school. - We have permits for road travel, and this work wasn't supposed to be here. - ...incredibly tight squeezes... - So unreal. - As long as it gets under there. - ...and a first for me, a dramatic police pursuit. - Watch that car. He's not stopping. Not stopping. (SIRENS BLARE) - It's a police chase. This is Moving Houses. www.able.co.nz Able 2023 For the past 12 years, this 15-square-metre house bus has been home to a quirky couple who love life on the road. - (KNOCKS) Knock, knock. - Come in. - Hello. - Hi. - Today I've come to their site in Matata, 20 minutes from Whakatane, to find out why they're finally ready to put the brakes on. This is fantastic. - Yeah. - So cosy in here, isn't it? - Have a seat. - And you're wondering why we want a house? (ALL LAUGH) - Ian and Wendy threw in dairy farming in 2010 to chase their dream of life on the road. And they've been living in their RV ever since. How great is this place? - Oh, it's home. - It's home. It's been home for a long time, isn't it? - Yes. 12 years. Yep. - Yep. With plenty of different views out the window. - Yes. Plenty of views. - When you travel, plenty of scenery. - They mainly travelled around the South Island, parking up wherever the seasonal work took them. Wendy, now a school bus driver, and Ian, a quarry manager, are getting ready to make the big leap from their bus house to an actual house. - Time for a house. - I think grandkids have done that one. They don't really fit into a mobile home. - Right. Yeah. Of course, the grandkids. They're needing more space. Were they the catalyst for needing to make that move? - Yeah. It's just basically, you know, it gets to a stage where you just want your own space. - Yep. - You know? And just going into there, you can still hear the big TV blaring away. - Yeah. So after 12 years in here, is there` I mean, is there one thing that you're hanging out for? - I just want a bath. - She hasn't had a bath for 12 years. (CHUCKLES) - I'm excited for a look around their site. Building new proved too expensive for Wendy and Ian, so they're bringing a relocatable here to their Bay of Plenty section in Matata and home to some of the best beaches in the country. It's not hard to see why they're choosing to make a go of it here. It's a great outlook here, isn't it? - Yeah. Beautiful. - How did you find the site? - Oh, well, I used to work here many years ago, back in my prime. - You're still in your prime now, Ian. How many years ago are we talking? - Oh, back in about the mid-'70s. Used to work for the father of the boss I got now. And most of these trees up here, I planted. - Wow. So you've got quite the connection to the place. - Yeah. Spent a lot of time up here. - Where's it all gonna go? - Well, the new kitchen is actually gonna be here. That's the lounge part. - I see, yes. - Then you've got your bathroom. Then you've got your kitchen, which will be facing up towards there, and then you've got your dining room at the end. - OK, So it's more around on this angle here. - Yeah. It's more on an angle, yeah. - Wow. And is it` So what have you taken into consideration when thinking about which way around the house is gonna go? - Well, mainly the sun. - Yeah. - The wind. So, yeah. The bedrooms will be down the southwest side and deck out the back, be nice and sheltered and spend most of our time out there. - Yeah. And so this deck off the back quarter. - Yeah. - That's where it's all gonna be. - Yeah. Straight up the valley. - And so can I ask how much it's all going to cost? - Well, we bought the land for around $200,000. The home's cost us $145,000 re-sited. And, yeah, the rest will be what we spend on the house. - Right. So, like, a base fee of about $345,000 plus your add-ons and geotech and a few extra on top of that. - Yep, yep, yep. - It's a great starting point. Ian and Wendy parked up four years ago to be closer to Ian's mum, Nola. In her 90s, she had lost her beachside home to devastating floods back in 2005. Ian had hoped to build her a new home, but sadly, she passed not long after. But she won't be forgotten. I was thinking, you're gonna have quite a bit of room for the two of you, but I can't help but notice that there seems to be a third person, or bird, over in the corner. (CHUCKLES) - Well, that would be Charlie. - That would be Charlie. - (SQUAWKS) - Gidday, Charlie. - Yeah, this is Charlie. - This is Charlie. And so this was your mum's bird? - Yes. Correct. - And, Ian, I understand that your mum was quite a character. - Yeah, nah, she was. We came back to look after her, and, yeah, we ended up staying. - Came back to look after your mum, ended up inheriting a cockatoo. - Yeah. Charlie's been around the North island in the motor home. - Yeah. - He really enjoys it. - Is he gonna be allowed in the house? - No, we're going to build him a nice motel outside. - You hear that, Charlie? You're not allowed in. But Charlie isn't the only inherited treasure that's in need of new digs. - Yeah. Come on in here. This is my old lady's furniture. It's been in storage here for a year. - This is where you've been hiding it all? - Yep. - Oh, there we go. I can see some red velvet poking its head out. 'Nola's furniture is mostly Victorian in style 'and is as character-filled as its previous owner.' Well, there's quite a bit of it, isn't there? 'It's been in the shed for the past two years 'and needs a new home pronto.' And, Ian, for you, it must be nice to have, you know, a little sense of your mum coming back into the home. - Yeah, no, it sure does. It helps to remind me of mum and keep it in the family. And every time we see it, it will remind us what a great person she was. - Yeah. - It's a lot of furniture to find a home for. But Wendy and Ian reckon they've found their perfect house for it 200km away in Ngatea at the Progressive House Movers yard. And today I've come along to get a first look at the house they're about to call home. So this is it. - This is it. - Yeah, this is it. - So how did you guys find this place? - Well, Ian was looking at homes online, and he said, 'Oh, you know, you want to go over and have a look?' So we got down there, and we looked at this place. I just sort of fell in love with it. There's some hearts in there, you'll see eventually. - Yes. - Drew me to it. And it's as if, you know, it's been loved. Got all these hearts in there, you just can't beat it. - Wendy and Ian bought the 1920s bungalow for $145,000 around seven months ago. And so when friends and family ask, how do you describe it to them? I mean, are you daunted about the process and the job ahead? - Yeah, it's gonna be a big job, but I'll just take time off work and get it done. - Either of you have any experience in moving a house before, or what's involved? - No. - No? - Nothing whatsoever. Nothing whatsoever. - No. This is the first time we've ever done something crazy like this. - Yeah. - And the last. (CHUCKLES) - And the last. Should we go and have a look inside? - Yeah. - It's the first time Ian and Wendy have been inside since they bought it seven months ago. Home sweet home. - Yes. - Wow. With a wide hallway down the middle, the house has a traditional bungalow layout. On the right-hand side is the two bedrooms, and off to the left is the living and dining, the separate kitchen, and the bathroom, with the all-important bath. At 115 square metres, it's compact. But compared to the RV, it's huge. Must be nice being back in here to see if it all lines up with where your memory was at. Is it still as you remembered it, Wendy? - Oh, definitely. Yeah, no. It's lovely. - Goodness me. I mean, 12 years in an RV, and now you might have a sunroom. - Yeah. - That's gonna be pretty exciting. - Oh, it will be. It'll be sort of like a chilled out room. - Wendy, did you hear what you just said? You're gonna have a chill out room. - It'll be the happy hour room... - The happy hour room. - ... when it's cold and windy. - Incredibly, Ian and Wendy have chosen a home that's also something of a traveller, having been relocated already twice before ` once in 1987, and then here to the yard seven months ago. And so this is your feature wall that you spoke of, Wendy? - Yes. Yeah. - And so what spoke to you about this wall? - Just how much hearts is on there, you know. It just seemed` To me, it was sort of like the owner who had this place, you know, she must have just had a heart of gold or` I actually said to Ian, 'You know, this is the house.' - You gotta make sure that the movers look after them on the move. This whole process can get a bit rough. Let's hope all the hearts can make it to the other end. - Well, this is gonna be a dining room and we're going to have a deck out there. - Yes. - This is a little wee cubby-cum-little office that she had. So what we wanna do is turn it into an en suite for the guest room. - For the guest room, right. Through to there. - Yeah, right through to here. - Great. Overall, this house is a sizeable space, so that means some big changes to get the house on the road in a few days. And so whereabouts are they gonna make the cut? - Cut is right through here, through the ridgeline. - OK. - There's always a straight cut all the way through. So this will be the main... - Main part of the move. - Main part of the move. - Split the house like this. - Yep. Split through. And that'll be the secondary. - Right. We've got tight corners and wild weather. And, of course, you know, a house is really vulnerable when it is pulled apart and exposed to the weather and the forecast isn't looking great. Are you a bit worried about that? - Well, they reckon they can do it. So let's see what happens. - You know, I can totally see why Ian and Wendy have fallen in love with this place. It's perfect, and it's almost complete, but it has quite a few challenges on the 200km of journey ahead, including the infamous Kaimai Ranges and a very low railway overbridge, which at this point this house is too high to squeeze through, and we're not even considering weather. Fog could stop us completely in our tracks, and the long-range weather forecast is absolutely atrocious. It actually would be in keeping with the previous two moves that this home has made, both in terrible weather conditions. So who knows? Maybe that aspect is just meant to be. On the east coast of the North Island, just a 20-minute drive from Whakatane, is Matata, where Ian and Wendy have finally chosen to settle down. It's kind of amazing to think that after 12 years of existence in their RV, in just a few days' time, that's all about to change. With the arrival of their brand new home to enjoy this picturesque rural outlook. But there's a challenging 200-kilometre journey through the Bay of Plenty to negotiate first, and it's not going to be easy. From Ngatea, we will be heading south through the small towns of Tahuna and Tatuanui towards Matamata. We turn left at Te Poi and cross the steep incline of the infamous Kaimai Ranges towards the coast, where we finally hit the low-lying Matata Bridge ` the last obstacle before Ian and Wendy's section. (ROCK MUSIC) At the Progressive Movers yard in Ngatea, the team are rolling in to prep Wendy and Ian's dream home for the move. - Run an eight out the side, out the back. - But the forecast isn't looking good. So Andy and the team are keen to prep Ian and Wendy's new home for the big move ASAP. - These old places weren't built to go down the road, not like a new build transportable, where they're, you know, they're beefed up and built strongly to enable that. Yeah, these old places are a little bit of a can of worms at times. We never know what we're gonna find inside the walls and in the roof. - First up, the house has been jacked up 1.5m, which will allow the trailers to be backed under. (RADIO CHATTER) It's crucial the weight of each piece is perfectly positioned on each trailer. Any imbalance could make Ian and Wendy's precious home unstable on the journey. With both trailers positioned under the two halves, the next step is to separate the house along the cut line. But Andy's pressing pause. He's not happy with the weather forecast, so I'm calling in for an update. CLARK ON PHONE: Gidday, Andy. How's it going? - Yeah, very good, thanks, Clark. - Good. Excellent. Progress update, or are we` - Um. Well, we've just` we've just had a big shower of rain come through, which has been plaguing us all week, but we're soldiering on. - Does that make it difficult getting the trailers under when you've gotta get the, sort of, tarps in place to stop water getting in? - So, we're not quite at that stage yet. The house is lifted in one piece. It's still got a roof on it. So, yeah, I'm closely watching the forecast to see what Monday is gonna bring us. More than likely, I'm gonna hold off on splitting the building until Monday. - The forecast isn't the only worry. We're going to hit the tightest pinch point of the route just a few kilometres from Wendy and Ian's new site. So while getting to this point might not be the most challenging of drives, it all changes when they arrive here. Now, I don't know what they were considering when they designed the railway over bridges back in the day, but probably the last thing they thought of was that one day a house might need to pass underneath. That's exactly the problem we've got. - The loaded height of this house, on the trailer, is putting us` It's about 5.5m, which is just that little bit too high to go down the road with. So yeah, we've got to give it a bit of a haircut today. - So Andy's making a call to take just under half a metre out of the pitch line of the roof. It's not ideal, but right now Andy doesn't have a plan B. Meanwhile, I'm joining Ian and Wendy where Ian's mum's land was on the coast, In 2005, Matata was devastated by large-scale flooding and many houses were destroyed, including Nola's. They've come back to reclaim some of Nola's plants and bring them to their new home. - How's it? - Hey. - Good to see you. - How are you? - Good. Good. - So when the floods came through, did they take everything with` - Yep. The water went right through, right across the railway line, right through to the sea, and took everything in its path. - Wow. - Cars, sheds, whatever was there. Yep. - Yeah. And so now I guess it's a chance for you to take a bit of Mum home. - Yeah. Yeah. We're taking her home, and we'll plant her up at home. - Yeah. It's clear there's a lot of emotion riding on this relocation for Ian and Wendy. I just hope it all goes to plan. It's 10pm on moving night, and we're ready to hit the road. Andy's call to delay the split until earlier today has paid off, and the two halves of the house are perfectly dry. Now, Ian and Wendy's house has already moved twice ` from the eastern beaches in Auckland where it was built through to Howick, and then from Howick through to here. And during both moves, it was absolutely horrendous weather, which was actually the forecast for tonight. But it looks like we may have dodged it. So hopefully, this last 200-kilometre journey is the last one the house has to make. Fortunately, the weather's playing ball so far. It's clear, calm and freezing. Gidday, Andy. - How are ya, Clark? - How are you going? - Good. - It was nice of you to choose the coldest night of the year to do this (!) Do you know what, though? It's not raining. - That's right. Yeah. We've lucked out with the weather so` Well, we got lucked in. - We did luck in, cos a week ago this looked dreadful. Tonight looked absolutely terrible. But we think we're gonna dodge it tonight? - Correct, yeah. Yeah. That big weather system that was on its way has decided to go elsewhere. So it's good. We've got a clear night. - Swap the rain for the cold any time. - That's right. - There'll be two trucks in tonight's convoy, plus two pilots out front and two at the back. Andy's gonna be relying heavily on the eyes and ears of his crew if we're going to be getting under the bridge tonight. Luckily, they're not just any crew. So we've got quite the family thing going on ` sister, two brothers, right? - Yep. - I'm the oldest. - Amelia's the oldest. - Youngest. - Big James is the youngest. - I'm the middle. - And you're in the middle. - Best looking as well. - (LAUGHS) But also, there's another connection to Andy, isn't there, Amelia? - That's right. I'm married to Andy. - You're married to Andy. So this is very much a family operation. 'Family's becoming a bit of a theme of this move. 'And they've even arranged a special treat for me tonight.' They don't make them like this any more ` the Kenworth W924. Back in 1981, when this truck came out, it would have been an absolute classic. In fact, there's almost every chance I would have had a poster of this on my bedroom wall from Trucking Life's Rig of the Month. Absolute beauty. What I might not have thought of, as a truck-obsessed kid in the '80s, was the reality of spending a cold Bay of Plenty night in one of these classics. You can see my breath in the cab. (LAUGHS) You know what? It's no secret that I may have nodded off from time to time in the cab of a truck, but I don't think there's any chance of it happening in here, cos there's no heater, and it is freezing. Yeah, round about 4 degrees, I think. But a heater isn't the only thing missing on the old Kenworth. While you should always buckle up, this old girl has an exemption on seatbelts so the cold will keep me on my toes, toes right now I can't feel. No seatbelt? - Oh, not in '81. No. - Not in '81. (RADIO CHATTER) Is my door supposed to shut? - Yeah, it does. You in? (BOTH LAUGH) It's so you can jump. We talked about this. - Might not be our longest journey, but it's probably gonna be my longest night. - (CHUCKLES) - Away we go, Pete. - Yep. - Waka Kotahi has dictated a start time of 10.30pm. Right on the dot, Ian and Wendy's house is rolling out. I'm riding up front with Andy, carrying the sunroom, kitchen and lounge, and the second load is directly behind us with Ian and Wendy's two bedrooms and bathroom. We're less than 10 kilometres into our 200-kilometre journey when one of the pilots delivers some unexpected news. - Up ahead is unscheduled roadworks. New road seal has been laid, and both lanes are currently closed. We're forced to pull over. We've been going about 15, 20 minutes. We've just stopped for the roadworks. There's no way through. And with wet seal on the road, I'm hoping we won't have to wait too long on this cold, freezing night. - We're stuck at the roadworks, and we're only 10km into our 200km journey to Ian and Wendy's site in Matata. Roadworks bring with it a whole new set of challenges, usually because the cones mean you have to go down a defined lane and that doesn't work when your load is 8m wide. And tonight it sounds like they've got heavy machinery on the road that they're having to move over so we can get past. Narrower trucks in the queue behind us have been given the green light, but we are still waiting. Did they know that you were coming through tonight? - This was not notified to us at all. Yeah, we have permits for road travel and this work, as far as I know, wasn't supposed to be here, so... - Right. - Yeah, it's a surprise to us. - Yeah. We're aiming to be off the road by 5am to avoid the build-up of morning traffic. So every minute we lose here reduces our chances of making it by then. - Finally, it's our turn. - Roger, Pete. We're lifted above them. Above cone height at the moment so we'll see how we get on. - 'Both loads are the same width. So if we make it through, 'it should be smooth sailing for the second load.' So here we go. Past the road works. You can see why we were being held up for so long. There's quite a bit of heavy machinery all along this side, and there's very little room to move. Up front, there's some overhanging trees. - Yeah, just gonna grab a couple of cones for these trees. - Well, they do say if you want something done right, do it yourself. It's a tight fit. The trucks squeeze in between road cones on one side and road signs on the other. Finally, both trucks make it past the last of the cones, and we're back on the road. Luckily, this family crew have got each other's backs in more ways than one. - 200, there'll be, uh, mud flats. - 'The trailer's been constantly lifted and lowered 'to get past tight points. 'But Andy isn't the only one controlling it.' So have you got Ian on the remotes in the following truck? - Yeah. - That's different. - I can control it from here. - Yeah. - Um. But, yeah. He can` - He's got control as well? - He's got control as well. Yeah. - All right. That's really int` We hadn't seen that before. Quite an advantage when you're approaching things from behind and you can see if you've got enough room or if you need to bring the house over to fit. 'That's not the only thing special about this old Kenworth.' You've got quite the connection to this truck, don't you? - That's right. Yeah. - And what's that, Andy? - It was actually, uh... my wife came to my wedding in this truck, and I've still got the wedding ribbons in the glove box to prove it. - Oh, in here? - Yeah, there it is. - (LAUGHS) Was this tied on the front of the truck? - It was. - So poor Amelia arrived... - Correct, yeah. - ... in this truck with white ribbons on the front? - That's it. Yep. - Oh, that's one of the best truck stories I've heard so far. - You haven't had that one yet? - (LAUGHS) Haven't had that one. Wow. (RADIO CHATTER) - At midnight, we're hitting the Tahuna roundabout with about 150km to our destination. So not only are we coming the wrong side around the roundabout, but what it does is it gives a chance for trucks that are backed up behind us to go past. - Yep, southbound guys, there's a pilot vehicle in the middle of the road plenty of room on the left of me no drivers at all Northbound guys, if you can pull up shy of the first pilot, thank you. 2.5 right on your eave, Andy. Keep it moving, Andy. You're clear both sides. - We're almost halfway into our journey to Matata. And so far, Ian and Wendy's precious new home is holding up. But our energy isn't. Is this where you usually stop for a pie? - Yeah. We'll just have a couple of minutes here. Clark's shouting everyone a pie, apparently. - (LAUGHS) - A little bit of a leg stretch here. - A leg stretch? How convenient. Andy and I ended up having quite a bit of pie chat in the cab, and then conveniently we stop right next to a service station that happens to sell pies. So I think they're on me. I'm gonna be disappointing a few of them back there. There's only two pies left. We've clearly left our pie run a bit late, so this could get ugly as they fight over them. (CHUCKLES) I've cleaned them out of pies. - Oh, only the two. - There was only two. - What are you going to eat, then? - I'm a bit worried about Big James. (LAUGHTER) I got you steak. - Oh, that'll work. - It's all right. I think I've got a banana and some fruit in the cab. - The healthy food. - (CHUCKLES) We're on the main highway now, which can get very busy with traffic coming out of Tauranga. So it's a road to be careful on, especially at 2 in the morning. Up ahead, the pilots have spotted a driver who's ignoring their request to pull over. - Now, watch that car. He's not stopping. Not stopping. - Oh, high beam. What a pain. 'We're on a narrow two-lane road, 'and an oncoming driver is prepared to risk everyone's safety up ahead.' (SIRENS BLARE) - Yeah, Roger. - There we go. - We got it all tonight, Clark. We've got a police chase as well. - Up ahead, a police vehicle is following. So we've just got a cop car going past us now. It's clear that the cops are interested in the vehicle that didn't stop, but they're dropping their speed right down as they pass. Because we had a car coming straight at us and they were full beam, weren't pulling over, pilots said, 'They haven't pulled over. They haven't pulled over.' - Andy here was flicking his lights at them flat out and we thought, that's odd. Both had their hoodies pulled over as they screamed past. Next minute, a cop car comes around the corner, and it's a police chase. (RADIO CHATTER) Well, that was my first car chase. - (CHUCKLES) - It was kind of a low-speed one. - It was a little bit low speed. It's probably turning into high speed right about now. - So our route tonight takes us over the mighty Kaimai Rangers, which links the Waikato through with Tauranga. And it's quite the climb all the way to the top with some of the ranges sitting at 950m. And the Kaimais can be prone to fog on a still night. We'll have to hope there's enough of a breeze to clear it to get us safely down the other side. Just looking in the mirror, it's quite the sight behind us with all the other vehicles in the convoy making their way up this, the start of the Kaimai Ranges. I can hear the truck going down through the gears as it gets steeper and we slow right down. And the trick is to get up and over before building up too much traffic. We're making good time, but I'm starting to really feel the lack of creature comforts in the cab. (ROCK MUSIC) - Is that cold enough for everybody? 2 degrees. - Yeah, I thought it was getting colder. (LAUGHS) - This is cruel. - Wasn't gonna bring this out till later in the trip. - (LAUGHS) Andy's actually brought me a hot water bottle. All wrapped up in a towel for my poor wee little legs. (LAUGHS) We won't tell anyone else you did that, right? - (LAUGHS) (ROCK MUSIC) - So this is the Te Puke expressway. It's a nice straight bit of road. Double lanes in each direction, which means we just get to sit back and drive without interruption. Are we making up time? - Oh, yeah. Yeah. We are. - Excellent. What time do you think we'll be there? - Oh, hopefully. Half past 4, or so. - Which means you think we'll be there in an hour and a half. - We'll see. - We'll see. - We'll get there when we get there. - We're making good time, but we've still got the low-lying Matata Bridge up ahead. So it's just gone 3.30 in the morning. I've got two pairs of socks on, and I still can't feel my toes. And the toughest part of the trip is just ahead. We're almost on the final stretch, and we're gearing up to pass under the Matata Bridge ` the biggest challenge of our route. - On the straight. - All right. So here we go. - Wendy and Ian's house is about to take on the Matata Bridge. This is where Andy's measurements come into play. I just hope he took enough of the top of the roof off to make it under. Ian and Wendy have come along to witness it firsthand. - Yeah, no, excited. - So unreal. - As long as it gets under there. - With Andy's trim, the load should be 5.3m, and the bridge, 5.4m. It's down to the last centimetre. Every pair of eyes is needed. There's not much in that. (TENSE ORCHESTRAL MUSIC) Hi, guys. How are you? Well, there wasn't much in that. - Oh, we did 150 or so. - You got there. That's one part of the house through. One to go. And we've done it. I'm glad Andy decided to trim the roof. There was nothing in that. - Looking good. - How's our time prediction looking, Clark? - I was just looking at that. It's 4 o'clock in the morning. - Won't be far off. - You were picking it as 4.30? - Yeah. Further we go, the slower we'll get. - Yeah. It's slow going, but we made it down the coast in good time. It's just a couple of kilometres to go. I'm not sure which is worse ` the need to close my eyes or the freezing temperature. Finally, with a thermometer nudging 1 degree, we're pulling up at Ian and Wendy's driveway in Matata. 4.37. - Not bad. - Not bad at all. - (CHUCKLES) - We've arrived... - Seven minutes late. - ...seven minutes late at site. Andy picked it for about a 4.30 arrival. Of course, we are still on the road. We've got to get on to site. And there's been a bit of rain, so that'll be slow going, but nearly there. We're so close. And Ian and Wendy's new home has survived this far, But there's one last obstacle ` the gate. (RADIO CHATTER) There's nothing in this. Just the accuracy. And you can tell that these guys have been working together for a long time because there's very little said, but what's said is important. Trailer is being raised to clear the gate. - But these guys know what they're doing, and both loads squeeze over. So here it comes ` the arrival of Ian and Wendy's new place. So here comes the second part. Bringing them all on to site. Then we'll take a break. And when daylight comes, that's when the house comes together and goes down on piles. It's 8am. And after a quick rest, the team are back on site to stitch in and Wendy's home together for the last time. And I must admit, after a couple of hours' sleep and getting the feeling back in my toes, I'm feeling like a million bucks. And this is starting to look like a million bucks as well. And somewhere around here is Ian and Wendy, who are just so happy to finally have their home here on site. Wendy, you've been and done a school run this morning while all this has gone on? - Yes, I certainly did. - And what did you think when you drove back in? - Oh, seeing it in the daylight. I just can't explain it. I had a few tears in my eyes thinking, gee, you know, it's here. It's finally here. - Now, Ian and Wendy get to see the final phase ` stitching their home back together. It's precision work. Andy and the team are independently controlling the wheels of the trailer to move the two halves back together. With the two halves side by side, the team are using the truck's hydraulics to close the gap. There's just millimetres left to go, but the cut needs to be perfectly aligned or the house won't sit level on its foundation. - Two hundy. But these guys know what they're doing. And just like that... the house is back together. - Gidday, Clark. - Gidday, buddy. You doing all right? - Yeah. Just thought I'd show you this. Popped up. You see this news story this morning? 'Man found with gunshot wound near Matamata.' - Wow. - About 1.35am this morning. You don't think they had anything to do with what we saw come through? - Possibly. It was about the right time. - It was about the right time and the right place. - Yeah. - Bit of excitement. - Yeah. - How often do things like that happen on the road? - Well, yeah. It wouldn't be the first time we've been involved in a police chase. - Do you strategically use your house and block the road? - No. We get as far out of it as possible. - Well, I have to say, I'm still thawing out from your truck. - (CHUCKLES) - So I imagine that's gonna take two to three days. - You might have to stand in the sun for a while. - Oh, mate, I've got a hot water bottle down the back of my trousers, just warming up. - (LAUGHS) - I might still be defrosting, but this crew have done an amazing job getting Ian and Wendy's home safely on site 200km from where we started last night. It's all yours. - Yeah. - Yeah. - It looks a lot bigger now. - Oh, you think it looks bigger now it's all laid out? - Yeah. Now the truck's gone. - Did you wake up this morning and poke your head out the window and think, '(GASPS) I've got a house'? - Oh yeah. Yeah. I actually got up twice through the night just to look outside to make` you know, just to make sure it was real. - Yeah. - Yeah. - Oh, that's nice. - (CHUCKLES) Very nice. It'll be another day or two before Ian and Wendy's home is down on its new piles. But for now, it's a chance for them to finally walk through their new home in its final home. - Well, there's no cracked walls. - Home, sweet home. - Home, sweet home, Wendy. What are your first thoughts, walking in here? - Marvellous. - I just wish it was to live in. (CHUCKLES) But it won't be long. - Look at that. It's lovely with the sun hitting those tiles. And I imagine first thing in the morning when the sun's further around this way, you're really gonna get it coming in. - The, um` I don't know. I just can't explain it. I just can't wait to just actually stand in here and start cooking. - Ian, we're looking out literally at the trees that you planted all those years ago. - Yep, that's right. Back in the mid-70s, planted those just as poles. Yeah. - So that sort of gives you a nice connection back to place. - Mm. Yeah, it will. Yeah. - Oh, now, Wendy. Most importantly. - Yes. - Let's have a look ` did your heart wall survive? - Yeah, no. Definitely. I'm really rapt that nothing else got damaged. I think we lost a couple more by the looks of it. - It looks like the bulk of your heart wall, though, has hung in there. - Yeah. Yeah, the main one has. - Yeah. - Yeah. But you can still work around it. I can still picture what I'd like to do there. - Can't wait to see what you do with it. - Watch this space. - Watch this space. Excellent. You know, these transformations never get old to me. To think that just a few days ago, all it was here was a lovely pot of land and an RV over in the corner. And then, thanks in part to this old girl, suddenly we've got a house. And in just a few days, when they start moving Nola's furniture in, Ian and Wendy can start, well, setting up the rest of their lives here together. But they've got a lot of work to do. Their dream of getting out of their motor home, and into a home on the land, is only just beginning. (SERENE PIANO MUSIC) - It's been six months since Ian and Wendy gave up their life in a house bus. They moved that cute little bungalow 200km over the mighty Kaimai Ranges from Ngatea all the way to their little slice of paradise in Matata. I'm curious to know if Nola's family furniture has made it into the house and whether Charlie, the cockatoo, is now enjoying his new hotel. This is picture perfect country living, and their new home already looks so well settled. What a transformation it's gone through. I had to check that I was coming to the right place. - Yeah, it's, uh, changed. - Hi, guys. How are you? So good to see you. Hi, Wendy. Hey, how are you going? - Good. - This is amazing. This was just a paddock when we met. - I know. - And I already noticed that there's something missing from around the back. Where's the bus gone? - Sold that. - Wow. So this really is home now? - Yeah. Yeah. What was it like when you first, you know, had a night in here? - It was just like winning Lotto. - Haven't you, though? I mean, you've got a driveway now. There's fencing up, done some landscaping here. There seems to be back decks. There's a shed that wasn't here. - It's been hard work, but it's been worth it. - I'm so impressed already with the work that you guys have done, but I can see Nola's furniture making an appearance behind you in there. Do you think we can go and have a look? - Oh, yes, definitely. - Wow, this is great. I feel like I've walked into a showroom. Is this all Nola's furniture? I've got to hand it to Ian's mum, Nola. She had such classic taste. And I bet she would be proud to see her belongings so lovingly displayed in Ian and Wendy's new home. And compared to the house I saw in the yard, the lounge now looks amazing. So are these are the original floors? - Original floors. - When we saw the house on the yard when it had the cut down the middle, to now be in here, it's truly a home. - Oh, it is, yeah. It's amazing. - Wendy's also followed through with her idea of having a chill out room. - That is perfect. Your books here, lovely big windows, sun coming across. It must be so nice at the end of the day. - Oh, it is. - Winter should be good in here. - Yeah. It'll be warm year-round. Wendy spends lots of time here enjoying the peace and quiet. Should we have a look down the hallway? - Yes. - Here we go. Here's the bath. Wow. You've only been thinking about it for 10 years. I mean, this bathroom itself is about a third of the size of the bus. - That's right. - Shutting the door. Privacy. Amazing. - Oh, it is. - Do you remember the first time you used it? - Oh, definitely. I think I stayed in there for about an hour with my oils. I really, really felt good too. - The bath was a big deal for Wendy, but even bigger was her wall of hearts. There it is. A little throwback to the previous occupants. - Yeah, I'm over the moon with it. - Because these hearts is, you know, that was the connection that you made to this place. - Yeah. Yeah. No, no, I'm just rapt. It just all fell into place with them. - But Ian and Wendy haven't just made their mark on the house through decorating, they've added an en suite in the guest bedroom as well. - It was the office, I believe. - Oh, look at this. It feels like it was meant to be. Oh, it's a huge shower. And after 12 years in a house truck, they've finally got a proper kitchen. A functional kitchen? - Oh, very functional. - I can't help but see a kitchen like this through your eyes and your experiences having been in that house bus to now have this. - Yeah. No, it's great. In the mornings, you just feel good coming in. - Their bedroom is a far cry from the cramped quarters of the back of the bus, as is the view. From that window. And you got that, you know, almost like a bay seat. It's such a nice outlook. - Oh, it is. Beautiful. - Wendy, the thing for me, the first time we met, you talked about the fact that you never had any wardrobe space and that you always had to fold and look for clothes and you couldn't hang anything up. - That's right. - You got a wardrobe. - Got a wardrobe. - Must be amazing. - Oh, it is, you know. Just get out of bed and just find something straight away instead of rummaging through. Going to work with crinkled clothes. - After the close-quarters living of a house bus, I can see how finally having space has transformed their lives. And with that in mind, hopefully, Charlie, the cockatoo's found room to spread his wings as well. Charlie's hotel. Is he happy here? - Oh, yeah. Very happy. He's that happy, he won't come out now. - He actually sleeps in the middle. He's got his two-story deck there. - (CHITTERS) I think it's pretty good. After 12 years in a house bus, Wendy and Ian's new home must feel like a mansion. I wonder if it came with a mansion-sized price tag. Have you stayed within your budget? - Hell no. - Hell no. How much over have we gone? - I don't` Not too sure yet. Probably $75,000 over budget. - $75,000 over? Ian and Wendy spent $145,000 on their home and the move, and $200,000 on their wee slice of paradise. Their overruns were due to rising building costs. Not that it's about that. It's, you know, about having a home, but all that good work has paid off. - Yep. We're happy. - It's how we want it. - Long time waiting. - So we knew that your heart wall was very special to you, and it was also what drew you to the house in the first place. And so with that in mind, we just had someone whip a little something up for you guys. - Oh, that's awesome. That's beautiful. - So what we've done here is we've got a wheel representing the wheel on your bus. Right? The heart, obviously, for the heart wall out the back. We've got Charlie's wings in the background. - Oh, yeah. That's awesome. - And we had this carved from a foundation that was sitting under your house. - It means a lot and appreciate it. Yeah. - Oh, especially with the bus wheel. - We'll find somewhere on the wall and, yeah, treasure it. - How do you feel, Wendy, sitting here now and knowing everything you've done? - I'm really proud. Really proud. - Well, cheers, guys. Thank you so much. - Oh, youse are all welcome. - Yeah. Enjoy the years ahead. - Oh, we will. Definitely. - If you think about it, the wheels for these two have finally fallen off, but in a nice way. And they've got everything that they wanted here. This lovely little haven, tucked away in this beautiful part of the country. A place to finally call home.