December 2006 - Prior to the vineyard and orchard work we were lucky enough to land a job in an Orchid farm in Kerikeri. We stayed here for five weeks. This is one of the beautiful orchid plants that we worked with, the legs are mine.
One of our many jobs was to clear these giant plants from the greenhouses to be chopped up and re-potted. They aren't light!
This 'team orchid', from left to right Kris (visiting with Bleak Heart, for the hard workers and his partner Kath), Kath our patient supervisor, Cate and Annie.
December 2006 - Matai Bay, the Rainbow Warrior Monument.
December 2006 - After leaving Kerikeri we took a tour of the west coast of the Northland area of the North Island. One of the most spectacular sights has to be the gigantic sand dunes at Cape Reinga.
Christmas 2006 - We made our way back to Auckland to stay with friends. A few days before Christmas a group of us took a walk along the cliffs from Piha beach to Karekare beach (where scenes in the Piano were filmed). The motley crew from left to right: Ros, Cate, me, Chris and Wayne.
Christmas in Auckland where we stayed with Kirsten and her sister, Ros.
Cate getting into the festive spirit!
Experiencing Christmas Kiwi style, a quick visit to the beach on Christmas day.
January 2007 - journeying south we took a detour to New Zealand mural town, Katikati. Here I am with a local.
January 2007 - We stopped in Rotorua and early one morning we visited the hot springs a t Kerosene Creek, a steaming hot river perfect for bathing.
Enjoying the hot springs and beautiful smell.Update:
Currently soaking up the sun in New Zealands Wine Country, Hawkes Bay, staying in Hastings. We've moved on from vineyard work (see earlier post!) and are now torturing ourselves in the fruit orchards. To say that this is back breaking work wouldn't be far from the truth, if I didn't have a back problem before I'll definitely have one soon. Apple picking has to be the worst work so far. One and a half days lugging a child sized (no toddler mind, more of a tween) bucket strapped to my chest whilst clambering up and down and lugging a solid metal ladder, bruising my shins to a darker shade of brown, balancing 3m above the ground and gazing across a vista of apple trees pruned to deformity under the searing solar rays of ozone deficient New Zealand. This will be one and a half days never to be repeated in my entire life because we're not doing it again...........ever (I'd sooner do telesales). So there you go, enjoy your apples, they were probably picked by backpacker slaves.
On a lighter and happier note, it rained today, this is proving to be blissfull, for once, I'm not lathered in sunscreen. Next week we are continuing to pick fruit but of the lighter variety. Paid by the hour and not by the crate, we will, lucky souls, be picking nectarines. The bruises will be topped up and the spines further compressed, but the trees are shadey, the pace is slower and nectarines taste nicer.
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