Historic Abbeyfield House was split into six separate sections and moved from Masterton to Greytown. It was filmed by Clarke Gayford’s television show, Moving Houses. PHOTO/MARY ARGUE
MARY.ARGUE
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It was reminiscent of a Christmas parade in Wairarapa on a Tuesday night as the former Abbeyfield vicarage floated from Masterton to Greytown.
Work began on splitting the two-storey heritage building into six late last week – and four large pieces, a bay window, and a porch made the more than 25km journey to its new home.
The trucks, suspension groaning, left Church St at about 8pm to cheers from the hundreds lining the streets in Masterton.
The convoy, complete with pilot vehicles front and back, purple and orange flashing lights, made good time to Carterton. There, the eerie looking buildings cruised down High St, navigating patches of rain and raised pedestrian crossings before entering Greytown at about 10.15pm.
A film crew, including a drone, taking direction from a man that looked suspiciously like the Prime Minister’s partner Clarke Gayford, were part of the entourage. Gayford is the presenter on television series Moving Houses, which has filmed some of the most ambitious home relocations in New Zealand.
The relocations crew deviated from State Highway 2 at Hastwell St, cutting across the Fresh Choice supermarket carpark, before heading south down West St.
The new owners of the property said every part of the vicarage arrived safe and sound on-site, with work beginning early Wednesday morning to piece it all together.
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