Sorry that looks a bit long, but the gist of the question is: How can the underground telephone cable be located - the Chorus subcontractor does not have any 21st century tools for that (they are good with the tools they have, no disrespect).

I have recently placed an order for fibre, and was told there would be a scoping meeting on Monday (21 Oct), with install planned for Thursday (24 Oct).

This morning (Friday, 18 Oct) a Chorus van appeared, and the two staff said they were in the area and wanted to check the situation out, and maybe do the work right there and then.

I was surprised (and kind of delighted), showed them what I thought needed to happen, and they agreed with my suggestion for installation. Quickly they set to work, finding the power pole which brings the copper underground and to our house. Unfortunately, it turned out that there was a snag in the tubing, located under the driveway (the junction box at the house is to the side of the driveway). So maybe we would have to probe with holes through the concrete and the like, stuff that I was not prepared for, saying that I preferred to wait for the scoping meeting. To which the answer was that that would be the same two people, coming again on Monday. So we agreed that I would start digging beside the driveway, or dream something up by that stage.

Importantly, I have to add that the straight line between junction box and power pole completely avoids the driveway, and the existing cable must by the laws of geometry cross the edge of the drive again on its way to the power pole.  (Driveway goes North to South, junction box and power pole are to the East, but phone cable reaches the junction box from the West.)

So maybe I should dig along the driveway - but this is Titirangi, and there are roots and rocks and I have no idea how deep to dig in search for the re-emergence of the telephone cable (with a view of creating a shortcut to the junction box. (Blame a contractor in prehistoric times for a no doubt arty layout of cables...).

Questions:
1. Can I find someone who would detect the underground route of the telephone cable?
2. Our experience this morning did not follow the scoping-agreeing-building protocol, avoiding all signatures and formalities. Should I insist on that protocol? And is it normal that the same contractor does the lot?

Any help welcome!