Building blocks for a happy family

The thought of working with your partner all day is enough to send some running for the hills but not this couple, heck, they’ve even thrown their child in the mix too.

The Cattermole family, of Christchurch, have upped sticks to Ke¯ kerengu¯ , north of Kaiko¯ ura, to work on the highway rebuild.

Mum Vanessa, dad Glenn and son Mathew, 20, moved to the coastal township, cut off from Kaiko¯ ura by large landslides, in March.

They were all working for the same construction company, but on different projects, when the call came out for help after the Kaiko¯ ura earthquake in November.

Vanessa Hopkins said the family jumped at the chance to help with the rebuild.

‘‘It’s home, the South Island. And we’re all quite passionate about our jobs so it wasn’t really a question for us, it was just: when and where?’’

Farmers in the Ke¯kerengu¯ area had opened up their farm cottages to roadworkers, with the Cattermoles moving on to the same farm.

Mathew had his own cottage though.

Vanessa said she loved staying in the cottage, with home-cooked dinners provided every night. And sleep came easy outside the city.

‘‘I don’t miss the city life at all. It’s nice and quiet up here, and it’s a very pretty place. And living at the farm, we get to learn about the place, and learn about the people.’’

But what about working and living with husband and son around the clock?

‘‘It’s easy. He’s the boss here, and we’re the workers. It’s sort of the opposite at home ... We’ve been working together long enough to make it work.’’

She knew some of her crewmates from working in Christchurch, but had made a lot of new friends. Her team of 20 could double to 40 depending on the work.

‘‘We’re a pretty close family up here. They keep saying I’m camp mother. We all have a bit of banter. I guess we have to, you’ve got to have fun.’’

The highlight of Vanessa’s day was spinning yarns with the other workers over lunch, usually chicken or ham wraps, made by the local farmers and their families.

‘‘We’re very spoilt.’’

Work days had got longer since daylight saving arrived in September. Work was restricted to daylight hours, which were now 7am to 7pm.

Vanessa, although in charge of paperwork, was often called in when an articulated dump truck got stuck in the mud.

‘‘I love working on the grader. When the fellas can’t move it, I get in and go: I’ve got this. It’s hilarious.’’

The crews worked in all weather, but the final few layers of gravel and chip seal had to be put down in fine weather, as moisture could affect the quality of the road surface.

The pressure to finish the road before the Christmas deadline was not lost on the crews.

But Vanessa and her family were more motivated by doing the best they could, she said.

‘‘I just love my job.’’

And although she got to spend plenty of time with her family, other members were missing out.

‘‘I call the grandson every day. I’ll be in trouble if I don’t.’’