- All over the country, people are moving houses... - RT: Watch that truck, eh? (TRUCK HORN HONKS) - Wow, this is getting tight now. - Can you swim? - (LAUGHS) ...from old villas to modern homes... (TRUCK HORN BLARES) ...and even historic churches. - Oh, good work there, Clarke. - Like a glove. They're giving new life to buildings and structures that once faced destruction. Front wheels are skidding. Whoa, whoa! - (BLEEP). - There's no obstacle too big... (CHAINSAW WHINES) - I only need a millimetre. - ...and no challenge too great... - Up a little bit on the hook, John. - ...for the people who take this on. - It's about to get very ugly down this hill. - RT: Hold it. Whoa, whoa, whoa. - Whoo! (TRUCK HORN HONKS) - How far would you go to match your ideal house to the location of your dreams? This time ` (BRANCH SNAPS, GLASS SMASHES, BRAKES HISS) Mahanga locals Mark and Kay have found their ultimate property with glorious views on the edge of this incredible peninsula. But the house they've fallen in love with has seen better days and needs to make a journey other movers said couldn't be done... - He's mad. Yeah, chainsaws coming out. Pole saws coming out. - ...along roads they said couldn't be passed... - 7m gap with an 8m house. - RT: Nah. No, you're gonna miss it. Stop, stop, stop. - ...and bridges that are just too narrow. - This corner keeps me up at night. - I got, uh, 2 inches. Whoa, whoa! (ENGINE TURNS OFF, HISSING) - So come along for the ride. This is Moving Houses. (BRIGHT ACOUSTIC GUITAR MUSIC) We're on the Mahia Peninsula, where, just like me, Mark spent his childhood years exploring. In fact, at just 16, Mark and his mates bought a section right here in Mahanga Beach, and after many years of adventures, Kay entered Mark's life, and now the two of them are looking to create a new home in a new place just up the road. Mark's been living here most of his life. He splits his time working as a sparky and being out on the water. And so you were, what, living down here as a single guy? Did your dad give you a nudge? - He gave me a nudge, yeah. - What did he say? - Told me that you can't live here alone. Not meant to be alone. - And so Kay got to stick around rather than heading home on a Sunday? - Yeah. Yeah, she did. - I mean, to people who haven't been here before, it's pretty much paradise for people like yourself who enjoy the water? - Yeah, I like it, eh. - Mark and Kay currently live here in a house without a view of that stunning coastline, but they've found a relocatable and a new site that's about to change all that. And so, Kay, what are you most looking forward to having up there? - Uh, a bit of a view will be real nice. - It'll be the difference to here, cos our view's straight up, really, but... - You were originally gonna build from scratch on that site, weren't you? - Kept on changing the plans. It was costing too much money. - Kept changing the plans. - (CHUCKLES) - Yeah, it was costing a lot of money, and, um... then it was... oh, we just decided we were better off working with something existing than trying to imagine something that's not there, you know? - Yeah. So with building plans falling over, Mark and Kay focussed on finding their dream site first, and what they found just a few minutes up the road ticked all the boxes. Well, I've got zero questions about why you wanna put a house up here. - Yeah. - This was fairly unused land, and, what, your daughter had a horse that used to like coming up here? - Both my daughters had horses when` oh, about 20 years ago now, and they kept them up here. We had all this fenced off. Typical kids ` they wanted to ride them but not look after them, so I spent most evenings up here. - So that just gave you plenty of time to stand up here and think, 'Hell, this is a good site.' - Yeah, it was just beautiful to be up here in the evenings, you know? - Yeah, and it's fantastic that it's slightly elevated and you've got that wonderful ocean view. - That's right. Yeah. - The plan is to put an old farmhouse here, which they found 240km away, just outside Napier. - We were originally going to build a place on this flat site over here, and then this relocatable's come up, which is slightly a different shape to what we were going to build, so... - 'The section is just under an acre and, at its highest point, will have perfect ocean views.' You still hoping to use the elevated part of the section? - Yeah, originally we were going to put it facing east-west, but the internal layout of the house meant that our lounge was down there, on the southern end. So... - Not where you wanna be. - Not really. Yeah, it's all about shelter up here, really. I mean, today's pretty nice, but... - 'And there's just one week to go until moving day.' But my understanding is it's not gonna be an easy move. - Uh, no. So, a lot of trees, tight corners. Hopefully it fits down the road. I'll tell you later on. (BOTH LAUGH) - You know, the site really does speak for itself. It is just so lovely here, especially with that outlook out to sea. I could easily live here myself. But there are two things I am concerned about. One, the home getting here ` it sounds incredibly technical and difficult at the start of the journey ` and the second one being that the home actually does this incredible site justice. And that's where things get really interesting. Mark and Kay have chosen a home 240km away in Puketitiri, about an hour's drive inland from Napier. For friends and family who haven't seen this house, how do you describe it to them? - A little bit of a... shitter. (LAUGHS) - A rough diamond. (CHUCKLES) - A rough diamond. Perfect. - I dunno. - It is a rough diamond. I agree with that. - Mark stumbled on their new home completely by chance when he was there working on a sheep farm. - Yeah, we were working over here in the yards, doing some electrical work, me and my daughter, and staying in this house. And I said, 'It's a pretty good little whare, that one.' And he said, 'Yeah, we're gonna push it over.' I said, 'Oh, what do you think about moving it?' So went from there. - The old shearers' quarters was destined for the wrecking ball and came at no cost to Mark and Kay, other than the $70,000 relocation fee. It seems like a good deal to me, but it's clear that there's some work ahead for the couple. I'm just trying to visualise where this will be on the site, and what will we be looking at out here? - Mm. Out there will be Mahanga Point, and then... that'll be neighbours, and then over there will be the hill. - It's such a fantastic spot to... - Oh, yeah. - ...take in that view and have a look at the waves coming in. The hallway leads to three double bedrooms, all in pretty much original condition, including the '70s carpet and wallpaper. And at the other end is the bathroom, living room and open-plan kitchen and dining. It's had a hard life as a working farmhouse, but there's no denying it has great bones. All right. The kitchen. - The heart of it. - The heart of it. Big plans with this? - Yes. Probably open it up, I think. - You say 'probably'. So you're still thinking about how the layout might work? - Yeah, we have no idea. Well, yeah. I thought maybe we could have the kitchen down here, but then if we're gonna have the sea there, might leave it there. I don't know. - I think we'll keep it like it is. - (LAUGHS) - (LAUGHS) - That will change. - Good. I like this, cos somewhere between the two of you, a balance will be struck. - Somewhere between the two of us, it'll be fabulous. - Yeah. - And while Mark and Kay might not be in agreement on the vision for their house just yet, its simple layout will allow them to tailor it to make the most of the views. Three bedrooms? - Yes. - Yeah. Three bedrooms. - You thinking this is the master? - Could be. - Could be? - Makes sense for it to be the master, but we might change our minds. - For me, I always get a little bit excited when you come through a home, cos you start putting yourself in that situation. And, I mean, are you excited about the prospect of what you can do here? - No. - GIGGLES: Yes. - (CHUCKLES) Where does that come from, Mark? I mean, are you just a bit` - From the heart. - It comes from the heart, clearly, but is that anxiety around how much there is to do? - Yes. This is gonna get in the way. - (CHUCKLES) - Of what? - Everything. - Everything? - (CHUCKLES) - Yeah, yeah. Everything I like doing. - Are you the type of person that will just try and get it all done straight up or` - I'm excited, but I know it's hard to tell. - (CHUCKLES) - I've got to admire Mark and Kay's leap of faith in the old farmhouse. It hasn't been lived in for quite some time and is in desperate need of some TLC. And then there's the renovation that Mark and Kay aren't quite on the same page about. There's clearly a lot that has to happen for it all to come together. You know, we talk about Mark and Kay being the two that are making the decisions for this house, but another key player in all of this is actually the house itself, which won't reveal to them until it's on site just how best to set it up. And of course, we've gotta get it there. The first 60 K's alone, by the numbers, is expected to take us up to 10 hours, and currently, at the moment, there are several points along the way where we simply can't fit. In fact, it's 240km of impossibly windy country roads, low-lying rail bridges that will mean lengthy detours, and how we're gonna fit along one-way bridges is going to be a massive challenge. (RELAXED, TINKLY MUSIC) Mark and Kay are bringing an ugly duckling to somewhere truly special, where they hope to turn it into a magnificent swan. It really is beautiful, isn't it? Long Point off there in the distance, Mokotahi Hill up there, and we're standing here on Opoutama Beach. I know this area well, cos this is where I had my formative young years learning all about the ocean ` amazing Mahia Peninsula. So it's of zero surprise to me that Mark and Kay want to relocate a home and put down even stronger roots in an area that is just so special. (STAUNCH ROCK MUSIC) But first, they have to get the old farmhouse 240km from Puketitiri to Mahanga, along extremely tight country roads and one-way bridges. In fact, it's a route that some movers said couldn't be done ` but not the man Mark and Kay have tasked with the job, who's done this kind of thing many times before. And so you came up that road today, and you are getting out and measuring or just eyeballing? - So, I've measured it all, and there's definitely a couple of spots there that we don't really fit. So we'll have to have a bit of a trim-up and make sure that we do fit. Mark will be counting on that, so, yeah. Nah, it's really tight. The next 60 K's is gonna be quite tough going. - OK. And so, 60 K's, normal driving ` that's, what, about an hour and a half along windy roads. How long's it gonna take us? - Uh, eight to 10. - Eight to 10 hours? - Yeah. - And on top of that, the road that leads to the house is lined with natives that can't be trimmed, which means the only alternative is to shortcut the house over the paddocks and out the other side. - So, what are you, 3m? - 3.1, yeah. - 3.1. - So Elwyn and I are meeting with Dan, the farmer who gave the house to Mark and Kay, to check out the hardest part of crossing the fields. And so you're worried about the ground getting too soft if it rains? - Oh, not at all. It's pumice soil here from the Taupo eruption, so it can handle a fair bit of rain before it'll give the truck too much trouble. - If the rain holds out, the paddock crossing should be straightforward. That's not the part Dan's most worried about. - The main thing was just here, if you could handle that little pinch on to the road, if I need to dump some metal in there. - Nah, it's all good, Dan. Nah, it'll be a piece of cake, mate. We'll fly through there. - So, Dan, I guess the alternate was a bulldozer going through that house, wasn't it? - It was just so hard to get a house removed out of Puketitiri, so obviously, putting no value on it just made it that much more exciting for Mark. I'm sure he could've got a cheaper and easier one from downtown, but for us, it's awesome to see it going to a good place and good people. - Let's hope it's a sunny day when we get here. - Look forward to waving... from here. - Waving goodbye. (CHUCKLES) - Wishing you on your way. - Cos that's the big handover for you, right? As soon as it hits the seal, job done. - Yep. You're on your own from there on. I've done my bit. - The route to Mahanga will wind the crew around the narrow back roads and one-way bridges of Pakaututu towards the outskirts of Napier, where they'll spend the day sleeping. It's only 60km, but with shingle roads, tight corners and one-way bridges, this is going to be the wildest stretch. Then they turn left up the East Coast before taking a bypass inland to avoid a series of low-hanging bridges on the main highway. They then join back up with State Highway 2 at Putorino, crossing from the Wairoa River. From there, it's north along the coast to Mark and Kay's section at Mahanga. (LAZY, DISTORTED GUITAR MUSIC) It's moving day... and the team are rolling in to prep Mark and Kay's house for the move. (STAUNCH ROCK MUSIC) Luckily, the old farmhouse can be trucked in one piece, which will save Elwyn time not having to cut and separate it. And what does driver Dion think of Elwyn's grand plan? - He's mad. Yeah. It's gonna be a full day. There'll be a few hundred corners. Yeah, fair bit of trailer steering around corners, and be a lot of stopping and starting with people walking in front and... yeah. Chainsaws coming out, pole saws coming out. - The first job of the day is to break down the concrete foundation. (HEAVY ROCK MUSIC) (DRILL RATTLES) (SAW BUZZES) (HEAVY ROCK MUSIC CONTINUES) Next, the house is raised up on jacks to allow the truck to get under. (JACKS RATTLE DEEPLY) These guys are making light work of it. (DRILL WHIRRS) And now for the trailer. - Yeah, heaps of room out on the right-hand side, mate. - The move to Mahanga isn't the longest the Brittons crew have done, but it's easily one of the riskiest, and there's no room for error. (HEAVY ROCK MUSIC CONTINUES) And by 12.15, Mark and Kay's new home is locked and loaded and ready to roll. But I've got some bad news to deliver. - Gidday, mate. We're, uh... - Gidday, Elwyn. How are you, buddy? - I'm really well, mate. We're just here in the cold up at Pakaututu, loading Mark Gregory's house, and... Where the hell are you, mate? - Well, you know, I've been hanging out with house movers, and I seem to have picked up a bug. I mean, who would've thought (?) 'I'm as crook as a dog and won't be making it to Pakaututu today, 'so Elwyn and the crew are going to have to move Mark and Kay's house without me.' - You know, we're a little bit concerned. We've got a lot of trees to get through, mate. There's been a new set of chaps turn up here, no one to wear them. Two sharp chainsaws, one each. (CLARKE LAUGHS) (CHUCKLES) I'm a little` I'm actually quite worried how we're gonna get down the road without you, mate. - I'm genuinely gutted to be missing out on one of the craziest routes I've ever seen. But there's no time to waste, with dark clouds on the horizon. If the weather turns, there's a worry Mark and Kay's farmhouse might not even make it out of the starting blocks. - Yeah, we're hoping not for too much rain, but we have had an inch of rain overnight. But we have got a forestry crew on standby just to make sure they do get on to the road. (LAID-BACK ROCK MUSIC) - By the time the truck rolls out, last-minute checks have mounted up, and they're over an hour late. Now they've only got 15 minutes to get across the paddocks before the local logging trucks hit the roads. - Got a foot on your left. - It's soft underfoot and slow going. Any delays here could mean calling in the diggers to haul the house out, and that's an extra cost Mark and Kay haven't allowed for. - I need to be on the other side or this side? - This side, roughly where I am, mate. Don't go to my right, though. Stay behind me or to my left. - Copy. (LAID-BACK ROCK MUSIC ENDS) - Now for the gate. If Elwyn's eyeball of the gap is correct, it should be straightforward. - Straighten up that third axle, bro. - This is the part farmer Dan is worried about, and at 8.5m wide, there's just centimetres either side of the load. - OK, hold it now. Now turn your third axle to the left. - Dion's inching the trailer back and forth with the help of the pilots, who are controlling each of the wheels with the truck's hydraulic system. - Hold it there, bro. Turn your wheels the other way, mate. Yeah, away you go. - Wheels coming out. - Looking all clear now. (STAUNCH ROCK MUSIC) - The house has definitely left its mark, but we're out the gate. - And another sign to the left, utes to the right, lines above. - Half a metre on that side now, on the left. Through to the ute, under the wire. - Elwyn's got permission to move the house during the day on the first leg because it's such a remote country road. (ROCK MUSIC BUILDS) (SLOW, TENSE MUSIC) It's a hard drive, but Dion's keen to be off the road by dusk. With 60km of narrow roads, hard corners and one-way bridges on today's stretch, there's no time to lose. - Come down` uh, up on your right, up on your right. - The biggest challenge for Dion is negotiating the tight twists and turns of Pakaututu backcountry with a 17m load behind him. The longer the trailer, the harder it is to navigate corners. - Running about a foot under the branches, D, and tickling out at the gutter. (BRANCHES SNAP) - And suddenly, the road is closing right in, thanks to some timber that you can't cut with a chainsaw ` a wooden power pole. - Yeah, nah. No, you're gonna miss it. Stop, stop, stop. - The power pole is making the corner almost impossible, and any mistakes here will add to the danger of live wires coming down on the truck. - Good on the pole. Beautiful. Beautiful on the pole. Good on the bank there, D. You still got a foot. - There's mere centimetres in it. (PERCUSSIVE, SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC) And finally, they're around the bend. - Clear of that. - It's tough going. There's a narrow one-way bridge ahead that they're too big for, so the team are detouring on to a back road. - The point of no return. - The twists and turns of Pakaututu are getting harder to negotiate. - In fact, we might need to go and get some flat-pack boxes to put the house in. It's about to get very ugly down this hill. 7m gap with an 8m house. - (LAUGHS) - And as we take another bend, the road gets impossibly tight. (BRAKES HISS) (TENSE MUSIC) - This corner keeps me up at night, yep. As you can see down here, we've just got some poplars around to the left there. It's really tight in here, so might just need to trim a few of the trees, and... Yeah, we'll just take our time. We'll get through. It'll be fine. Just starting to get a little bit heavy in the right. Looking good, though. Still light stuff, though. - The trailer is 17m long. Dion's going off-road. - Just sliding a bit. You got a foot off the fence. Keep coming round. - Roger. - But the turn is too difficult. There's now two pilots on the ground, guiding Mark and Kay's home around the corner. - Car's doing good. - Keep going right. Keep going right. - It's almost impossible for Dion. - I'll need to stay over here to set myself up for the next corner. - And Elwyn is now manually controlling the wheels, which can turn individually to control the angle of the house. - I'll just keep working it round, eh. - Just turn your wheel around. Yeah. Yeah, looking good there. - Roger. (TENSE MUSIC) - Hang on. Stop. Stop. Uh, might just grab the pole saw and cut that one. - The house is wedged between an overgrown bank on one side and a row of tall poplars on the other. - Hard in on the other side, eh, at the front. - Cut the big bit off. - With no way through, it's time to get out the pole saw. - Sitting about 6 or 8 inches out on the left side. - But it's tight all the way, and the team are negotiating every centimetre. - Still coming around nicely on the right. I got, uh, 2 inches. Can you shimmy? Whoa! Whoa. (HISS!) - They're stuck. - Oh holy. (TENSE MUSIC) - It's a move other local movers said couldn't be done, and I'm beginning to see why. (LOW, TENSE MUSIC) Mark and Kay's dream home is stuck. The Brittons team are running out of options, and it's time to do some heavy pruning. - Just get a chainsaw here and... just cut a few branches so we don't do any damage. This is the tightest part on the track, so it'll be worth just... spending a few minutes here and making it right, and we'll get through. (CHAINSAW WHIRRS) I only need a millimetre. (TENSE MUSIC) Wind your window up, Dion. Wind your window up. That branch might come down beside you. (CHAINSAW WHINES) (BRANCH CRACKS) Tow your truck out. (TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES) - Moving forward, the gap gets even tighter. If the house gets stuck here, the chainsaws will be coming out again ` this time for the house. (ENGINE REVS, GROANS) Oh, and it's through. And they're on their way again. - It was always gonna make it through. I just didn't know how. (CHUCKLES) I'm glad that bit's over. (STAUNCH ROCK MUSIC) - The first 60km were always going to be the worst, but this is really taking it to another level. - You got about a foot on your left. Good on the bank, good on the trees. - There's tight one-way bridges and overhanging trees around every corner. - Bit of a light rub there. All good. - It's 2.45pm, and the team are managing to make up some time. But up ahead, the house is too wide for a one-way bridge, so they're taking yet another bypass on to Waihau Rd. (STAUNCH ROCK MUSIC) And with fine weather now on our side, the further we get tonight, the better. There's plenty more brushes with trees, but so far, the house doesn't look too damaged. (MUSIC CONTINUES) - Whoa, whoa, whoa. - Oncoming traffic is causing a hazard. - Get that, Elwyn? There's a car coming to you. She didn't wanna stop. - Roger. I'll get it. Yep, no worries. Yep, stopping, D. Stopping. OK, car's all parked. Clear. - Three hours in, and we're still on shingle road, and the overgrowth is just getting more and more dense. (BRANCH THUDS, BRAKES HISS) - Hang on. Need to cut that one, D. Where's Clarke when you need him? (CHAINSAW WHIRRS) - Yeah, I was at home. I'd got my third bowl of chicken soup. But they're back on the road, and there are more obstacles ahead. (BRANCH SCRAPES, GLASS SMASHES) - Taken the window out there. - Given the narrow road, some damage was inevitable. - It break the glass? - Yeah, yeah. Flicked back on to it. - Oh stink. (DRIVING ROCK MUSIC) - Finally, at 4 o'clock, we get a chance to pull over. The old farmhouse ` oh, it's taken a battering. (MUSIC CONTINUES) But Elwyn's wrestling with a bigger problem. There's only an hour of daylight left, and there's still 15km of hard driving away from tonight's destination of Dartmoor Bridge. Class 1 pilot Barbara is in charge of what happens next. - I think we keep going. - OK. Me too. - Yeah? - Yep. - Cos, what, I guess where we leave it is where we pick it up from tomorrow night. - I'm happy to keep going if you are. I just thought we'd better decide that. - Well, the further we get it, the better. - BOTH: Yeah. - The road's getting better now, eh. - Well, we've only got about another 2, 3 K's, and you're off the shingle and back on seal. I'm thinking that bit there... No, that's just... - I hope you're at home, Clarke, nice and warm, mate, while we're out here in the frosty conditions, mate, just moving houses, cutting all the trees for you, buddy. So no worries, mate. You just chill out. We'll get this done for you. - Don't mind if I do. Barbara's taking the team to a safer parking spot about an hour up the road, and with the light failing, they're pushing hard to get there before dusk. (UNEASY MUSIC) But there's yet another bridge to cross, and with a very tight turn, it's difficult to line the truck up. Dion is relying entirely on the eyes and ears of the pilots. - Looking good there. A foot above there, D. Beautiful. Keep it coming, D. Another 3m. Keep going, keep going, keep going, keep it going. And... yep. Back the other way on number three. Other way. - The wheels are being independently turned on the trailer to inch it into position. - Yeah, just slow. Slightly to your left. (SCRAPING) Hold it. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Now straighten number three. Keep just doing that. Looking all right now. Flick to the right. Yep. Looking good. Flick to the left a touch. Yeah. - The 4m drop to the river below isn't helping anyone's nerves. If it gets stuck on the bridge, I don't even know how you'd get it off without cutting it into pieces. - Flick to the right a touch. Just easy coming out of there, D. Need to go backwards. Go backwards. Forward on the second axle. - The easy part has been done now that they're at this end. Getting 17m of house to turn the corner is gonna test every ounce of skill the movers have. - Other way. Other way. (DISTORTION ON RADIO) - One person talking, please. - Yep, that's it. Looking all right at the moment. Yeah. We'll float it now. - After half an hour, they finally make it ` only just. (STAUNCH ROCK MUSIC) Time to pull up for the night. They've even made it past the Dartmoor Bridge to a parking spot at Taradale, just outside Napier. The team will hit the hay until tomorrow night, when they tackle the second half of the route up to Mahanga. (PHONE LINE RINGS) You've given up, and you need my help. - (LAUGHS) Mate, we've made it. We made it without you. - Made it? Excellent. - We're a little bit later. We had to cut all the trees ourselves, so delayed us a little bit, mate, but we're here, parked in the correct spot, and it's all looking good, mate. I think Mark will be rapt. - What a huge day! That's incredible. Good to hear that there was progress being made. I'm just, you know, sitting in front of the fire, knitting you a scarf, Elwyn. - Oh, good, mate. We could have done with a scarf today. - Some out there who said it couldn't be done, and you've managed through what we think's the hardest part ` except, of course, when you get to the other end. - Indeed, mate. Indeed. And I do believe that there's been quite a lot of rain today in Mahia, so I'll make a call through to Mark in the morning, and, um, we'll just see how the weather's looking to whether... whether we, uh, delay it by a day or whether we just keep on keeping on tomorrow. (TRUCK ENGINE REVS) (BEEP!) It's 10pm, and the last part of the move will be completed at night. After spending the day sleeping, they're rested. And there's good news about the weather ahead. - I spoke to Paul Steele this morning up at Mohaka. He said they've had a bit of rain the last few days, so he's expecting the paddock to be a little bit sticky when we get there, but his words were, 'Hopefully we'll be OK.' - RT: Good to go. - Copy. Rolling. Roger. And all clear to come on through there, D. - And the team are away on night two of the 240km journey to Mahanga. - Still got a metre and a half on your left. - They're over halfway, but East Coast roads are, well, never an easy drive, especially for a truck carrying a house. Tonight's journey heads up into the steep hills towards Lake Tutira. From there, they turn on to the loop bypass to avoid a low-lying bridge ahead and pass through the small towns of Putorino, Mohaka and Raupunga. At Mohaka, we detour across a local farm, then back along the coast, until the turnoff to Mahanga Beach, and the final approach up to Mark and Kay's site. (ROCK MUSIC) It's 1.30am as they approach Mohaka, but it's rush-hour traffic for the local big rigs. - I'm just getting trucks heading for Port of Napier now. You guys are just talking to them on the radio, and they're just parking up in the in the shingle pits and letting us round. Guys are all going good and communicating well. - RT: You got a good 2m on that truck. - Elwyn is able to give oncoming truckies some options to get past. - Just go a little bit more here, mate ` there's just a power pole right opposite your cab there, mate. Just go a little bit further forward. - RT: Yeah. And you're clear. - Thank you, driver. Have a good night. - RT: Up you come, D, when you're ready. Just good in that cutting there. (ROCK MUSIC) - With a clear forecast ahead, they're making good time. But only an hour in, there's an unexpected problem for Elwyn. - I think Clarke should be here changing this tire, while I bloody move this house. But anyway. I guess we'll just have to move houses with Elwyn some more. - Your joke's about as flat as your tyre, Elwyn. How about you just focus on getting that new rubber on the road? - You stay nice and cosy at home, mate. Can't wait to get this new scarf that you've been knitting us. - I tell you what ` I'd much prefer to knit a scarf right now than changing a tire in the dark. - Yeah, yeah, it's neat, eh. Yeah. (ROCK MUSIC) - Tonight's roads are a heck of a lot easier, and so far, they're making good time. - RT: OK. Coming round the top and on our way down. - There's only 10km to go to Mahanga, but up ahead is a rail bridge that they can't fit under ` time for another bypass. - It's gonna be tight up in there, D. Come on up. - But incredibly, two campers have parked up for the night, right where the convoy needs to pass. - Have to lift up over the van and the car and all sorts of junk here, mate. - RT: Yeah, up on your right a bit. Yep. - But the gap just isn't wide enough for Mark and Kay's home. (TENSE MUSIC) On your right side a flick. A bit more Yeah. On your right side a bit. - There's no other option ` they'll need to go up and over. (MUSIC CONTINUES) Oh, there's only a couple of inches there. Yeah, hold it there, D. - Whoa! - Hold. Woo. That third axle to the right. - Turn this wheel, bro. - Yep. Away you go. - They're just scraping past with only millimetres to spare. This could be a wake-up these campers won't forget in a hurry. - Yeah. Clear of the van. - Could have actually knocked on the caravan and woke him up. (ROCK MUSIC) - Luckily, no more campers are out tonight. There's just a few kilometres until the site's at Mahanga. - RT: Clear of bridge. - 5.24, just arriving at Blakes Approach here, so, uh, I'm not sure if Mark's here this morning, but I'm sure he'll hear us coming. - It's been a massive a couple of days of incredibly intricate driving, but finally they make it to Mark and Kay's. However, the section isn't flat, so Dion's parking up to make a plan. For Mark and Kay, the stressful wait is over, and it's a relief to see their home finally in Mahanga, on the Mahia Peninsula. - We're here, mate. We made it. - Yeah, yeah, yeah. - Yeah. - Bloody one piece. It's all good. - Pretty well undamaged, mate ` one broken window, I believe. - Yeah. - Yeah. So, uh, nah, looking pretty good. - Well, that's good. Yeah. - You reckon you'll be moved in today, Kay. - (LAUGHS) Absolutely. - Yeah? - Put a bed in there. - Cool, mate. Cool. - Yeah. (CHUCKLES) Sleeping in there tonight. - Just got this last little bit to do. We're going to, uh... Dion's pretty confident he can get up on this dry sand and get it in to Mark, first hit. - Fingers crossed. Yeah. (BOTH LAUGH) - With the truck lined up for the slope, Dion's ready for the final push. (ROCK MUSIC) (TRUCK ENGINE REVS) But the sandy, freshly moved earth isn't making things easy for Dion. - Looking good, mate. Looking good. Ooh. Stuck there. Righto. Mats down, eh? - Should have floored it. (BOTH CHUCKLE) - Yesterday's rain has made the ground too soft, and the wheels can't get enough traction to get up the slope. The only other choice is to lay down some heavy plastic mats to support the truck over the last few metres. They're not gonna let a bit of sand stop them from completing a move others said couldn't be done. - Yeah, he's up on it now, look. - Finally, the plastic mats do the trick, and Mark and Kay's new home is on the levelled site. (ROCK MUSIC) - Sounds better now, doesn't it? Very smooth. - It's an exhausting push for the Brittons team, and Dion's keen to call it a night. - Yep. That'll do you, bro. - Speak now or forever hold your peace. - Now it's all over to Mark and whether he's happy with the final position for the house. - Yep. Bang on. - Bang on? - Right there, man. - OK. She's done. Turn the lights off. Grab those. - Better light the fire. - Yeah. (ALL CHUCKLE) - Oh, well, yeah, we made it here without Clarke, so... Yeah, look at that, Clarke. We've done it, mate. We've cut all the trees and gone round all the corners and under the bridges and through the paddocks, and you might need a new job, actually, Clarke. (LAUGHS) - Yeah, we'll see about that, Elwyn. But I have always fancied myself as a truck driver. I guess I'm just too busy knitting your scarf (!) I can't wait to get up to Mahanga, to see what Mark and Kay do with the old farmhouse. It's a big moment for them. - You'll have to lift me in again. - There's been some movement. - Wow. Oh wow. Yeah. OK. Bathroom. Yeah. - Yeah, this is not bad ` you wanna see the other room. - Oh really? Oh. (CHUCKLES) Yeah. (CHUCKLES) - This must have been a bit of impact in here. - Yeah. - Bomb's gone off. Nah, it's all right. For the glass. - Yeah. This isn't a bad room either. - Yeah, it's nice. This would be sunny. - This is gonna get the, um... the sunset in here. Oh, yeah, there you go. Window looking at the sea ` this is perfect. Oh, and you can see to Mahia. This is cool. - For Mark and Kay, finally walking through their new home on site will help them decide on their plans. - A bit of work to do. - It's clear this house and this site scream potential, but it's a house others wouldn't have touched. And Mark and Kay have an enormous job ahead, turning it into their dream home. I can't wait to get back and see what they do. I just hope they can make it all come together. (TINKLY PIANO MUSIC) It was over a year ago that Mark and Kay moved their self-proclaimed rough diamond to Mahanga, and I was genuinely sorry to have missed such an epic move, so can't wait to catch up with Mark and Kay, especially given they've had to deal with a disaster that's affected thousands of people in this district. Cyclone Gabrielle wreaked havoc on the region. Flooding rivers and washed-out roads meant supplies to their property were cut off for extended periods. These are the roads Mark and Kaye's house travelled to get to their site. I'm standing right next to the temporary bridge crossing the Waikari River in the Hawke's Bay. Now, this is barely recognisable as a place the team crossed with their 42-ton truck and house to get to Mark and Kay's site in Mahanga. I'm guessing that the flooding will have affected some, if not all, of their progress, so I'm actually prepared to roll my sleeves up. I've also invited along my old partner in crime, Elwyn. Him and I need to talk. Kay gave me a heads-up to where I might find Mark. And it looks like Elwyn got here before me. - It looks good, doesn't it? - Yeah. Oh yeah. - Gidday, boys. - Gidday, Clarke. Nice of you to turn up, mate. Where you been? - Gidday, Mark. Good to see you, man. This is not the lending a hand that I had in mind, Elwyn. - Oh, look, mate, you know, Mark said he had a good spot, so I thought I'd come and check it out. - You went out fishing without me. It breaks my heart a little bit. - We got a few. - You got a few? - We got a few, yeah. - Tell me where you went? - No. - That was a test. And you passed. - (BOTH LAUGH) Not a lot of paint brushing going on out there, though, is there? - We've finished at the house, mate. - It's finished at the house? - Yeah, we're all done round the house, so we just thought we'd get this sorted. - Was Elwyn a help? Or has he just come down here to go fishing? - Oh, he's good on the bait. - He's good on the bait! - (LAUGHS) - Are you heading back to your house now? - Yeah, we can go back to the house. - Cool. We'll go and have a look, shall we? - Yeah. Let's do it. - OK. - In the three months since the cyclone, I'm hoping some progress has been made. Well, the deck wasn't here last time. - BOTH: No. - The deck's grown. - Yeah, well, it has. It shows off your view. - BOTH: Yeah. - It's a great view. - Talking to you guys about when we first met was the fact that you had different ideas about what was gonna eventuate inside. - (LAUGHS) Yeah. - And have your ideas changed further? - They have changed a little bit. Yeah. - They have, yeah. - So you've still got some decisions to make inside? - Yeah. - The kitchen and the bedroom, probably. Yeah. - Should we have a look inside? - Yeah. - Turns out it's not just Mark's fishing that moved his focus from the house. In his job as an electrician, he's been helping others affected by the cyclone. So the interior work, it's been delayed. So in some ways, you know, the setbacks through, you know, the flooding and the delays that that's all caused has given you guys a chance to have a bit of a think about this and reimagine how you wanna live here. - Yeah, absolutely, I think, yeah. It's good to have time. I think you get a bit inspired when you see things happening. Then the possibilities of, oh, yeah, this could actually be really good. - And speaking of that, you've made some decisions, or changes, for your bedroom? - Yeah. We're gonna bring the bedroom into the lounge. - Right. - So that wall's coming out here. - Yeah. - With a couple of doors into the lounge into here, a sliding door. - Yeah, we'll put an en suite at the back. - Bring your bedroom forward, and you get an en suite out of it? - Mm. - Yeah. Very good. Why not? And obviously with that view out there, you really wanna, sort of, just make this as liveable as possible down this end of the house. - You were gonna give us a hand with that tomorrow. - (BOTH CHUCKLE) - OK. All right. Kitchen's off the cards. Start writing a list. Where's Elwyn? Is he still around? - (LAUGHS) - So, Elwyn, you hoping to come across another move like this any time soon? - No, no, I'm not. - (ALL LAUGH) - This was right up there, as far as tough. - Yeah, it doesn't wanna be harder than that. - It certainly was a hard slog for Elwyn, but it's a great outcome for Mark and Kay ` the move costs $70,000, and remember, the old farmhouse came for free. It is nice of you to pop along. - Yeah, yeah. - Yeah, at the end of it. And thank you for filling in for me. And actually, just on that note, you know, I wasn't making it up ` when I was unwell, I was whipping you up a new scarf. And I thought every budding TV presenter needs a look. - Yeah. - I'm not sure if this is yours, but it's a good starting point. - Yeah. Yeah. It's a shame you didn't quite finish it off. - Oh, I haven't quite. Yeah, look, I got this far, and I just needed to, sort of, measure it up against you. But I reckon we're about there. - (CHUCKLES) - I'll just finish that off. - I think that's about right. I really do. - There you go. Good. Excellent. - Yeah, that's good, mate. - That's great. - (LAUGHS) Bit rough around the edges. A little bit like the side of Mark's house. - (BOTH LAUGH) - Kay, I got you a little something too. - Aw. Aha. - Aha. Now, I know what you're thinking. This might look like a clock, but it's not. It's actually a tide chart. But I think, more importantly, it's a pretty good indicator of where you might find Mark. - (CHUCKLES) - See that incoming tide there ` that's when you're most likely to not have Mark around the house. But then maybe, maybe around this time, he might come and do a couple of boards or a bit of Gib. - Oh that's fantastic. I love that. Keep my eye on you. - Thank you for allowing us to come along and see this. I'm really sorry I wasn't here for the move, but, you know, it's gonna be a fun thing for me to be able to come back and see you guys really bring that vision and dream to life. - Yeah. Yeah. - We'll be out here on the deck with a beer and more fish in no time. - Absolutely. - I'm gonna try some of this. Get in there, Elwyn. Come on. Don't leave me hanging. - Better have a go, eh. Well, there's no denying that this is one heck of a spot, and Mark and Kaye certainly have their plans in place. I'm actually looking forward to the excuse to pop back and see how they're going sometime. Yeah, you've got to feel for them, but with all the challenges they faced from the cyclone,