Sharkey's Review of...

Roadhome NZ

Magazine

Published by
Chris & Kim Fay

Lower Hutt,
New Zealand

I've had the good fortune to view only one issue of Roadhome NZ, the September 1998 issue (above), which includes an article about a certian 1963 Crown bus conversion in North America. The 32 pages of the A4 sized magazine are tastefully embellished with Art Noveau clip art, and the occasional advertisement (Bill's Bus Stop, Solar Power - No Gimmicks & Good Experience)

Articles include Crafts (tie Dying), Food (Trucker's Tucker) Letters ("Are Christians or Pagans banned?"), several photos and drawings of housetrucks, and an Editorial announcing the demise of the magazine itself.

Unfortunately, Chris and Kim have decided for personal reasons to cease publication of Roadhome NZ, effective with the December 1998 issue. The first re-issue of this magazine, resurrected by a new publisher under the name NZ Wanderings has just been printed and mailed. I am in possesion of a copy and will be posting a review as soon as I can get the cover scanned.

The following excerpt from "Diary of a Housetrucker" will give you a feel for the unique perspective enjoyed from 'Down Under'.

Note: The following text is Copyrighted Material. Please respect the author's rights.

If only my words could have some effect on our housetruck. Our home has really had a rest from additions and alterations over the winter, with the weather, whist not being horrendous, is equally not conducive to drilling, hammering and filling.

When I look back at where our HT was at the beginning of the year, I can't help think, things haven't been too bad at all.

To be perfectly honest, the fact we have got to the stage we are today with the extensions is due to the unshelfish help of Phil, who had to endure my phone calls every time the sun came out during autumn, so I could commandeer his skills as a builder to turn our bare steel skeleton and pile of french doors, windows, and various other bits of building materials into a closed-in extension, all before the advent of the monsoon season.

So, decked out in a professional uniform of carpenters belt and cap, Phil set to work, cutting down doors, dwangs and noggins to fit where they were supposed to. I could not believe you could fit so many meteres of framing, and use so many screws in building a room that you can barely lie down in.

A few hints that I would like to share with you all for your own projects:

Firstly, throw away your level. All you need is a square and a string line. Nothing looks worse thatn lines that divirge at odd angles, unless you are after the higgeldy-piggeldy about-to fall-down look.

Secondly, when building the framing that forms the basis for all the work that follows, remember how important the bones are to our body.

And this bit from "Meals on the Move":

After visiting Blue Mountian, Leyland drove all the way back down to Naenae one time before realising he had put his shoes on the flat front wings of the Landy and driven off.(Bit like the Wally phone on the top of the Jap import these days) Anyway, he drove all the way back and found his lost shoes, one mile away from the other, but otherwise quite OK.

The new editor of Roadhome NZ has begun publication again. I will be sure to include an up-to-date review and contact information, so that interested parties can subscribe.

Last Update:
Mar 29, 1999