Bringing a taste of the deep South to The Block NZ building site, meet Dunedinites Emma Diamond and Courtney MacKay.
What are you going to miss about home?
Courtney: I am definitely going to struggle with being away from my fiancé. Luckily with Joe playing rugby for his job we are used to doing long distance and spending a lot of time apart… but it is never easy.
Has he taught you anything useful for your time on The Block NZ?
Courtney: I think Joe has taught me that hard work pays off and to always put my best foot forward and to keep smiling and having fun.
You might be lacking the brawn of your fellow competitors but do you think you’ll still be tough competition?
Emma: We feel that just because we are not physically as strong as males but it doesn’t mean we won’t be tough competition. We have a lot to offer and will most likely surprise ourselves in what we can achieve! We think it could almost be an advantage if we are underestimated – because it will give us the element of surprise against our competitors!
How will you cope without any luxuries? Who will be the worst at going without?
Emma: We easily adapt to different environments and we’re pretty confident we can cope just fine without any luxuries. We both love a nice hot shower however it’s not the end of the world if we have to go without. Luckily you won’t be able to smell us through the TV! We know this isn’t forever so it’ll be worth it.
Do you envision any tension between the two of you over the coming months? If so, how will you resolve it?
Courtney: We do expect at times there will be some tension between the two of us, it’s inevitable! It’s human nature when you put two people in a controlled environment under pressure. However we know each other well enough that if there is tension we can recognise this and allow ourselves to get over it. I think finding some space will be the key!
What are your biggest worries about doing The Block? How did you prepare for it to start?
Emma: Our biggest worries are the lack of knowledge we have when it comes to renovating and working with short time frames. We’ll definitely make good use of our tradies as they’re the experts.
Courtney: We both made sure we had a fair idea of the style we liked and made sure we were both on the same page with design ideas. Luckily we have similar tastes so we should be able to make decisions quickly!
The Block NZ: Girls vs Boys screens Sundays at 7pm and Monday – Wednesday, 7.30pm on TV3
