It was another huge week on The Block, as the teams churned out the spaces we've all been waiting for: those incredible rooftop terraces.
But they weren't on their own. The friends and families of the teams came to the site to give a hand with cleaning the houses. Thank God, because I've been paranoid they're going to go to auction with piles of dirty washing and debris scattered through the 'finished rooms'.
The visitors meant there was a whole new set of dynamics on site. Stace did what we like to call "pull a Sez", and checked with Nate's mum to see if he had any single brothers. Unfortunately he didn't, so we move on. I don't blame her - Yanita is being greedy with TWO partners. Okay, one of them was a dance partner. But still.
Meanwhile, we got an insight into the other relationships. Can I just say, Ling and Zing's girlfriends Laura and Alice are 10/10s. Do not let those ones slide lads. And apparently Julia's fiancé Clinton loved their golden shower. So that was... nice to know.
Anyway enough about the families, let's get to the rooms. They managed to film in what I can only assume was the brief 26 minutes where it wasn't raining in Auckland, meaning all the spaces looked pretty damn good in the sun. But which one took the 'highest' honour?
(Geddit? Because they're rooftops.)
Andy and Nate
After taking out the entranceway and stairwell, the boys were cashed up and not afraid to spend.
But they did that classic thing we all do on payday, when you have too much money and you just go crazy with spending. Like when I buy seven cushions from Kmart, or accidentally buy three lunches. The result was a space that had so much stuff in it, I'm unsure if anyone would actually be able to fit into the space.
The garden art wasn't the worst thing I've ever seen and the hedging was nice. But we can't beat around the perfectly hedged bush: that pergola was a big red mistake. The weird height, the hanging lights... Where do I begin? It looked like our intermediate school bike shed.
Stace and Yanita
Is there anything cuter than how Yanita says "go you!" to Stace every time they finish a space?
The girls wanted to use their height to their advantage - with the highest elevation, they have best views. In Yanita's words, there was room for "so much activities" on their rooftop.
The view was out of control stunning; put a mini fridge up there and I'd never want to leave. The only downside for me was the tiles. They were pretty, but they looked like after one rainfall (or one too many summer proseccos) they would be slippery AF. I would be constantly on the verge of smashing my teeth out.
But I mean at the end of the day, the girls could have chucked a couple of dead bodies in there as decoration, and your first impression still would have been, "Oh look at the view - I can see the Sky Tower!"
Ling and Zing
Ling and Zing were in party mode when it came to their rooftop this week. They seemed to be going for Bachelor pad funhouse as their aesthetic. I've never seen a cross between a light-up dance floor and a wooden deck before, but it was pretty fun.
As the boys said, "There's nothing like a nice big deck." Yep.
While the Christchurch brothers often fall apart on their finishing, this week it has to be said that their workmanship was second to none. Typically though, the lads thought all you needed for styling were a table and chairs (presumably to crack open some old ones with the boys amirite gents?) and a barbeque. Biff in some nice glasses or some colourful cushions boys, I'm begging you.
Julia and Ali
Julia and Ali rallied this week, taking out both challenges to start the week on a high. With tight budgets, the girls manage to produce a confusing rooftop terrace that looked like the backyard of a suburban Mt Eden villa. But like, in the sky. It was a very Alice in Wonderland-esque illusion, that I really can't figure out if I love or hate.
The judges, however, had no such qualms. They loved it, calling it The Garden of Eden. They noted that the girls had really thought things out - there was a door holdback, a herb garden, a hose, basically all the essentials for a real party.
The twins had a secret weapon to play: a minus two, sorry a "negative two" I should say, which they played against Stace and Yanita. Ali felt pretty bad about it, saying, "Sorry girls."
Julia then said she thought Ali's apology was totally unnecessary.
Cool.
It allowed the sisters to put the win into twin, and take out $5000 for the week.
As Yanita would say, "Go you!" Except in this case, she didn't. Odd.
The Block NZ airs Monday-Wednesday at 7:30pm and Sundays at 7pm on Three.
