Andy's thoughts on......

Being an exploited migrant worker-

Theresa and I have been working for over a month now and we’ve been fortunate enough to find ourselves working for good employers who provide steady work. Our first short-term work experience was not a positive one however…. We were called in to help out a crew of pollinators who worked for a contractor named Vince- Lesson #1- never trust a guy named Vince unless he is the lead singer of a Heavy Metal band. Anyhow, we arrived at the orchard and began working at 8:45 and finished working at 2:20 with a twenty minute lunch. Once we got back to the hostel I asked Vince if we were supposed to give him our hours. He responded that he had written down that we worked for 4.5 hrs. After doing the mental math I said that we had worked at least 5 hrs. He insisted that it was 4.5 and I decided not to push it and make a scene since it was a possibility that he might have more work the next couple days (and at that point we were getting a little desperate for work). So obviously he had all the control. Though the situation was frustrating, it was a good learning experience… and I figure it was not such a bad thing for a couple of Americans to get a little taste of what it’s like to be exploited migrant workers, if only for half a day…

Working  in the factory-

For the past six weeks I have been working  at a Kiwi Puree factory called Kiwifruitz. While the work is monotonous and sometimes even mind-numbing I have plenty of time to daydream and even get physical workout every now and then.  Kiwifruitz is  a small family owned business which sells puree to markets all over the world (primarily in Asia).

Here are my various jobs:

Palletizing- Taking 20 kg boxes of puree off of racks and stacking onto pallets (good workout)

Cleaning bins- using a pressure washer to clean the bins that the kiwi fruit comes in (Great for daydreaming)

Operating bin tip machine- the most important of all of my tasks, this involves loading and operating the machine which tips the crates full of kiwi fruit (350-420 kg each) onto conveyor belt which carries fruit into the factory. The challenge here is to make sure there is a constant flow of fruit going into the factory to maximize production. Actually one day, the conveyor belt motor broke and a co-worker and I had to manually push the fruit along the conveyor belt into the factory. This added a welcomed element of variety and challenge- two men trying to out-work a machine- and it was actually kind of fun for a couple hours. But after 7 hours of constant shoveling we were both quite relieved when the motor was fixed!

As I have said before, the people are good folks to work for, so that eases the pain of the monotony.  The operation is run by Craig, a very competent jack of all trades who understands that one of the secrets of success in running a business is showing genuine appreciation and respect for those who do the dirty work.  Some of the other folks I work with include Alex & Vera, a friendly couple from Argentina who are trying to get residency in NZ and hope to buy a farm/orchard of their own. There is also Tim, a Kiwi and an avid rugby fan who has generously invited myself and a few co-workers to join him for a variety of social gatherings.

Friendly Kiwis-

Prior to finding work in the fruit industry, I was looking at finding some construction work.  During a walk around an estuary near town, we came upon a carpenter who was working on a house. An inquiry to see if he needed any help on the project led to a thirty-minute conversation in which he informed us of the local construction situation (not good) as well as sights to see in the area.  While he wasn’t able to hook me up with any work, Nigel did offer to have Theresa and I over to dinner with him and his wife that Sunday.  We graciously accepted his offer and enjoyed a wonderful home-cooked meal while learning about their family and Kiwi culture in general. They both seemed very excited and fascinated to have a couple of foreigners in their home. In addition to being a builder, Nigel is also a very talented woodworker- he’s actually in the process of making his son a custom electric guitar for Christmas (check out his work at www.carpenterscraft.co.nz). While living at the hostel amongst people from all over the world has been interesting, we are a bit isolated in terms of meeting actual Kiwis. Some of our richest experiences so far have occurred when we have had the opportunity to spend extended amounts of time with Kiwis and our evening with Nigel and Linda was definitely one of our highlights thus far. 

Rugby-

Rugby is everywhere in New Zealand… and I must admit that I have become quite fascinated with the sport after years of considering it a second rate sport. In terms of the actual skills involved, I still believe it can’t compare to my favorite American sports- Basketball and Baseball. But in terms of the physicality and toughness of the athletes, it doesn’t get any better than Rugby. It’s refreshing to see athletes who are so intense and willing to play through injury. Though I’m not exactly sure what a foul is in Rugby, I do know that there is no faking or acting in order to draw a foul (a disdainful art form which has been perfected by so many soccer and basketball players). From what I’ve seen, prima donnas would not fare well in this brutal sport.  A while ago, a bunch of us went into town to watch the All Blacks (NZ’s national team) play against the Wallabees (Australia).  It was an intense match in which Australia was able to pull out a last second win, much to the dismay of the bar full of Kiwis.  Hopefully we will get at least one chance to see the All Blacks play a live match…. And hopefully by then I will know the rules of the game….. 

Greetings from Tauranga, New Zealand

It is raining today, which means that I finally have a day off work and time to fill everyone in on what we have been up to over the last 3 weeks!  So to make my 6^th grade teacher, Mr. Parr, proud I will start off with the setting…

A little sheep on Mt Manganui

Andy and I arrived in Tauranga, New Zealand on a sunny Sunday evening.  We had spent the previous day driving south from the Coromandel Peninsula and had decided to treat ourselves to a little luxury camping at one of the holiday parks described by Andy previously.  A hot shower and flushing toilets were very welcomed after a week at the DOC sites, so we arrived in Tauranga squeaky clean and dressed to impress.  Tauranga is a medium sized beach town on the Eastern Coast of NZ’s North Island.  It has a nice little strip along the waterfront known as The Strand, where there are several cute cafes and swanky bars.  Most of them have store fronts that can be opened and spill out into large front patios complete with tables and umbrellas during sunny weather.  We are told that Tauranga is quite the hot spot during the summer months and it is THE place to be on New Years.  The main attraction, however, is the beautiful and majestic Mt Manganui, just a 5-10 minute drive from the city center.  It is a small, emerald mountain, speckled with sheep and rising up just along the ocean and beach border.  It is about a 30-minute climb to the summit, where the view is spectacular and can be completely taken advantage of only by paragliding off the top and around the mountain.  Andy and I have not been quite that ambitious yet, but you never know!

View of the beach from the top of Mt Manganui.

So we arrived on a Sunday and went straight to a little hostel known as Bell Lodge, where we had heard there were opportunities to find work.  We found the hostel hosts, Rick and Sheree, to be very amiable and helpful people.  They informed us that the kiwi-pruning season would be starting up within the week and ensured us we would be at the top of the list, since we had the advantage of owning a car.  Sounded good to us, so we decided to stay a week and see what came up.  Well, what came up was a whole lotta rain, meaning a whole notta lotta work!  But we managed to meet some nice people and have some fun outings exploring the area.

Andy cooking in the hostel

Andy organized a poker night!

Lavinia (Vermont) and Matthew (France) in the hostel

One of the highlights of our time here was a hike down to the bottom of a small waterfall known as Kaiate.  We weren’t brave enough to jump off the 20-foot rocks into the freezing cold and dark water, but we did take a little swim in the pool.  The setting was beautiful with the showering waterfall close by and all of the greenery.  Upon submersion, I had a few moments of panic as I felt my lungs collapse and the beginnings of hypothermic shock set in, but I adjusted quickly and found the rest of the experience quiet refreshing.  Andy and I swam for a bit and then began our hike back up to the top.  It wasn’t until I had been out for 10 minutes that the pain set in.  A severe earache accompanied me for the next hour, as the blood slowly but surely returned to my aching head.  It lasted so long that I thought I might have come down with a super speedy case of swimmer’s ear, but after a warm shower and hot tea, it seemed to return to normal. 

Hike to Kaiate Falls

Swimming at the falls.

            The pristine, white sand beach known as The Mount, is another huge appeal of the area.  Its northern end begins at the base of Mount Manganui and it has a similar laid back, tourist attraction feel as some of the beaches I have seen in Southern California (minus the rollerbladers and cruiser bikes).  We have spent a few sunny afternoons there eating ice cream from homemade waffle cones and discretely sipping on prohibited mixed beverage and ciders.  The problem with spending a day at the beach here is that the sun is absolutely toxic!  That little hole in the ozone we all hear about happens to be just over our little island here in the South Pacific and that means that even a little sun scorches the skin.  Apparently, the skin cancer rate here is extremely high.  So add skin cancer to my growing list of New Zealand fears. (previously we discussed earthquakes and volcanoes).  Who said this place wasn’t dangerous anyway?!  Maybe there are no man-eating alligators or poisonous spiders and snakes, but it is chalk full of natural disasters just waiting to get you!

The Mount Beach

Another highlight was the day trip we took back up north to Hot Water Beach.  We stopped in there briefly on our way down to Tauranga, but didn’t have a chance to enjoy the geothermic hot spot.  This time, we came prepared with a shovel and milk jugs cut and fashioned into digging devices.  The idea at this one of a kind beach is to dig your very own hot spring!   The layout of the region is just right so that when the tide is out, there are areas where by digging just a half-foot or more in the sand, you can spring your own little pool of hot water.  Well, it sounds all simple and dandy, but the fact is that the water temp varies greatly from one foot to the next.  It can be tricky to find a spot that is not either freezing cold or boiling hot and then once you do get the right temp, it is constantly caving in on itself as the water in the pool erodes sand from the edge.  So it requires almost constant digging to keep the water temp where you want it.  That, however, is only a minor hiccup in what is plainly an indescribable experience.  To be sitting in a hot spring on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world looking out onto the clear ocean beyond….incredible.  It would only have been nicer if A) there were fewer other people enjoying this pristine moment with us.  And B) It hadn’t been windy and raining.  In all fairness we kind of lucked out on the weather for that day, because it was pouring and freezing winds when we got there and were setting up, but once we were in our little pool the sun came out and we had blue skies and warm air for about an hour or more.  It only started to get stormy again as we were packing up the car to go.  So really we hit the sweet spot of the day.

Hot Water Beach

Double rainbow on our way home from Hot Water Beach!

Andy's uniform.

So, to catch you all up quickly to what makes today’s rain so much more welcome than previous ones.   The weather finally cleared up after 2 weeks at the Bell Lodge and that meant that Andy and I had work.  Andy got a gig as a factory worker in a kiwi juice factory (It is actually kiwi puree, but everyone calls it the juice factory).  I will let him do the honor of describing that work to you, since I only hear tales.  He tells me he will post soon…  As for me, I am working out in the kiwi orchards.  Right now is the summer pruning season.  Basically, my day starts out around 6:45AM when the contractor comes and picks a bunch of us migrant workers up at the hostel and drives us to whatever orchard we are working in that day.  Much like in the US, they cram more of us than can fit into the vehicle so it can be a bit of an uncomfortable ride depending on what spot you get and how far the orchard is.  Most are about 10-15 minutes away, but some are 30-45 minutes.  (Don’t worry mom and dad, I always try to find a way to buckle up!).

My office.

On the Job.

Daily workout in our Gym!

At the orchard, we either do what is called bud thinning, where we pick off the flower buds that look deformed (there are thousands!) or we do crush tipping and pruning, where we pinch the end of the vine or cut it in certain cases to keep them from overgrowing and blocking out all the sun.  It can become physically demanding due to the repetition and extending your neck to look up and work overhead, but overall I have found the work to be very enjoyable.  After sitting in a classroom for basically 22 years, it is refreshing to be working with my hands out in the fresh air.  I can’t explain the sense of peace and connection as the sun twinkles off the green leaves above me and the birds sing next to me all day.  We are allowed to wear headphones, but I have found I enjoy the quiet time in my own head to think and reflect.  It has been very therapeutic for me after all the mental business of med school.  That being said, it is still work and I can always find some reason to complain about it.  Yesterday, everything was all wet in the morning and my hands were so cold that I could hardly feel them, let alone pinch the vines.  But the sun warmed us up as the morning went on and the day went quickly after that.  We are scheduled to work 9 hours a day, 7 days a week.  This is why it has become much harder to send out updates and e-mails.  I come home around 5PM, do a quick work out with my friend Lavinia and then basically crash for the rest of the night.  My only day off for the past 2 weeks was last Sunday (Halloween, but I was not feeling well) and TODAY!  So the rain is a blessing today since it means my weary bones get to rest a bit.

Here are a few more shots from the past few weeks!

Birthday cake after a hike and the beach!

Andy turned 34, so we ate fish and chips!

We found a little piece of home here in Tauranga...

Burger Fuel - A New Zealand delicacy.

The Mount Saltwater hot pools.  (Mt Manganui is behind us)

Sunset at the hostel

Out on the The Strand with Lavinia and Heather.

I hope everyone at home is well!  We will write again soon!

Andy's guide to car camping in NZ

It’s been about a week since we last wrote and there is much to tell….. After getting  some much needed rest at Heleen’s and Craig’s we were on our way up to the Northland in search of fruit picking/pruning jobs. Our destination was Karekare- but luckily we called before we drove too far to check in with the hostel which had the job connections. After they informed us that it would still be about 2-3 weeks before anything opened up, we checked in with a hostel in Tauranga (southeast of Auckland in Bay of Plenty) and they said there should be pruning work soon. So we switched directions and headed south (again through Auckland- feeling as though the city had some kind of magnetic pull on us, tempted to make a detour to stop for lunch at Sal’s New York Pizzeria, but we resisted the urge).

Since we had 3-4 days before we needed to hit Tauranga and put our names in for work, we decided to tour the Coramandel Peninsula. This area was highly recommended by a variety of locals and travelers. After spending $34 NZ on a campsite at a Holiday Park, we got a Department of Conservation (DOC) brochure for campsites which are considerably more primitive and therefore cheaper. We are starting to figure out the camping situation here- Basically you have a few options:

1.     Holiday Parks are full of RVs and Campers but also have cabins and tent sites- the facilities are really what you are paying for so even the tent sights are expensive- $17-20 per person each night. It is nice to have clean kitchens to cook in and hot showers, but not exactly the type of camping we had imagined we would be doing in terms of scenery or budget- even the 80’s music which is constantly being played in the kitchens and bathrooms doesn’t quite make it worth it- though I have enjoyed hearing Roxette for the first time in years.

2.     Then there are the DOC campsites which are often (maybe always?) located 5-50km down gravel roads in what I suppose would be considered NZ’s many National Forests. These are much more rustic and basic- pit toilets and cold running water typically. They cost about $9 NZ per person (though I can’t quite get used to paying for campsites on a per person basis and since they are self check in campsites we usually just pay $9 for the site- I think a lot of people don’t pay at all in the off season).

3.     The last option, which we have yet to try, is to pull off at a rest stop and sleep in the car or walk down a beach (there are SO many!) and pitch a tent. We’ve heard varying advice concerning the safety/legality of doing this. Some say it is not worth the risk as thieves often target backpackers/travelers and locals don’t appreciate random tents set up when there is usually an actual campsite just a short drive away. Others say as long as you are discrete you should be fine. It also seems that on the South Island, this is more doable. I’m sure we’ll choose this option at some point… just to make Kerouac proud!

So when in camping/traveling mode we’ve decided to use the DOC sites when we can find them, and every now and then treat ourselves to a Holiday Park for a hot shower and some tunes playing in the kitchen/bathroom.

Here is a brief overview of our first few traveling/camping adventures….

With DOC brochure in hand and a new “plan,” we drove south through Auckland , then east towards the Coramandel Peninsula. With our hearts set on a campfire (not all campsites allow them) we chose a spot in the Coramandel Forest just east of Thames. The area was beautiful- rural, hills rolling and vivid green with scattered farms and sheep everywhere. We found our campsite a ways down a gravel road and near a shallow, rocky river. The DOC campsites are simply cleared areas in the forest- with no trees in the actual campsite to provide a bit of privacy and separation from other campers. We set up camp, heated some baked beans, and roasted hot dogs over a modest little fire made from damp, gathered wood. Sounds cozy and peaceful, right? Throw in the guy camping a couple hundred feet away blaring Nirvana from his caravan and the swarm of mosquitoes surrounding our tent in the morning ready to attack and that complicates things slightly- but overall it was a successful camping outing.

The morning found us hiking a short, steep climb to a view over a valley (see photos) as the clouds opened up on another sunny day. We headed north along the rocky and rugged west coast of the Peninsula. The further north we drove the more spectacular the views became as the road wound from along the coast, up onto green hills overlooking the ocean. We were both excited to be in the midst of what we had imagined to be the classic NZ landscape. As is often the case, the pictures don’t quite capture the beauty of the land- but the scenery is more majestic than either of us had imagined.

On through Coramandel Town and up to Colville- the last sign of civilization before trading paved (or “sealed” as they call them here) roads for more gravel. We made one last attempt to find campfire wood to buy (something about buying wood in a bundle just seems wrong, but you’re actually not supposed to burn wood found in woods at campsites). A lady at a convenient store gave us directions to an old lumber mill that apparently sells wood. Driving out to the mill on “Cemetery” Road in this dusty little town in the middle of nowhere NZ seemed more than a little ominous, but we were determined. Then our car bottomed out on the rutted driveway, producing a gut-wrenching sound that had us wishing we had splurged for a vehicle with more than 3 inches of clearance. Luckily, no damage was done- but unfortunately, the mill was closed. So we turned around and headed on our way, a little apprehensive, and hoping that the gravel road ahead would show mercy on our family wagon.

Along the way we gathered some driftwood from the beach for a campfire and eventually settled into a nice, sheltered campsite in Fantail Bay. Thankfully we resisted that age-old urge to see what’s around the bend, and decided not to drive 15km up the road to the next campsite. Once we saw the road ahead, winding and climbing it’s way along huge cliffs rising above the sea to the tip of the peninsula, it was an easy decision to drive no further. This was the first night we slept in the back of our car, since rain was forecasted and we didn’t want to have a soaked tent for the next night of camping. The car actually proved to be quite cozy, and much warmer than the tent.  

The picture shows our camp site, but the tent was just out drying...we didn't use it

Our first Tui beer.  Pretty common round these parts and named after the also common and musical Tui bird, 

We enjoyed a steep but beautiful grassy hike overlooking the ocean in the morning, and headed southeast over a mountain pass to the east coast of the peninsula. Our destination was Hot Water Beach- a beach with hot water just below the sand which can be reached by digging 1-2 feet. Since it was a sunny Saturday afternoon, the hot pools were crowded and we decided we would visit again, sometime during a week day. We treated ourselves to a Holiday Park Campsite and some hot showers that night.

This is about half way up on our morning hike.  Sure makes you feel good to be alive!

Some scampering baby sheep we encountered on our way back down the peninsula.

 We stopped in at  beach known as Cathedral Cove the next morning.  A 30 minute hike leads you to a white sand, clear water paradise.  The white limestone rocks produce an archway seperating two small expansions of beach, one complete with a small waterfall!

Looking out onto Cathedral Cove

Cathedral Cove...like paradise

….It’s now the following Sunday and we are settled into a hostel in Tauranga waiting for the weather to clear and warm up so the kiwi-pruning season can get started. Once we start working (hopefully this week) we will probably be working non-stop for 4-6 weeks, then who knows…… 

A "Brief" History of week one in New Zealand

So we have been here for one week now and are starting to get a feel for the place and the people.  As American city folk, it has been a bit tough overcoming our immediate suspicion of Kiwis who will walk right up to you and randomly strike up a conversation.  Just yesterday we were sitting outside a small grocery store in the beach town of Piha and a Kiwi man came over and asked us if we needed a ride somewhere.  (I think this is the first time that we could honestly say we did not since we managed to score a 1997 Mitsubishi Legnum on Sunday).  The man chatted with us for 20 minutes or so about where we were from and what we should check out in New Zealand.  This doesn’t seem to be an uncommon finding around these parts.  If you ask a question of almost anyone, it seems they are happy to go out of their way to assist you.  After a 10-minute chat or so they really warm up and it seems they are about ready to invite you out to the pub and then to stay for the month!  That’s an exaggeration, but people are very welcoming and do not seem to share that American way of offering something, but secretly hoping you will refuse.  It is very refreshing, though takes some practice getting used to open conversation with strangers.  For example, we mentioned before that opening a bank account took us 2 ½ hours.  It wasn’t the process itself, but all of the conversation between.  The banker (Brittney) was very kind and we talked a long while about what to see in Auckland and where she has traveled in the states.  She even took the time to look up where a MAC store was in the area and gave us her e-mail encouraging us to use it for non-bank related questions!  Just way above and beyond what I have experienced in customer service anywhere else. Similar story when we set up our cell phone.  The guy was just so kind and it really felt like the relationship that was built was more personal than just business.

As for what we have been up to - the first week was A LOT of walking around the city center trying to orient ourselves and figure out where the cheap food was (we came to the conclusion that there is NO cheap food in Auckland).  We wandered around through a beautiful park in city center called Albert Park and then around Auckland’s University.  The campus wasn’t much, but they have the whole park right next door.  We made our way over to the Auckland museum and spent a few hours there learning about the history, native wildlife, the Maori (indigenous people) and freaking ourselves out learning about the volcanic activity in the region.  I have never had a fear of volcanoes before, but after sitting through a similation of what is expected to happen here in Auckland someday, I have gained a keen respect for those guys along with the quakes that seem to be pretty prominent round these parts.  The museum gave a nice shout out to Mt. St Helens, referencing it often….mostly just to compare how tiny it is relative to the volcanic activity here.  From my understanding the largest eruption in known history was here about 2,000 years ago!  Yikes.

Friday night we were very lucky to have a dinner date with a Kiwi family that is longtime friends of Carel’s (a friends of Andy’s in Portland).  Heleen is originally from South Africa and her husband, Craig, is from New Zealand.  They met while on a working holiday in the UK about 16 years ago and we got to see pictures from their adventures (including Carel with his long locks) while we were visiting.  They have two very cute sons named Daniel (5 y.o.) and Joshua (3 y.o.), who kept us entertained with magic tricks and rope swings while Craig and Heleen told us all about the land, the culture and arboring competitions!  It was very lovely to get out of the city center and spend a quiet evening with a home-cooked meal.

Saturday we decided to take a day trip out to one of the islands off the East coast of Auckland.  We settled on Waiheke because it boasts beautiful white sand beaches, amazing wine and a bird sanctuary!  We spent the first hour or so on a guided bus tour that quickly took us through the island’s scenic hotspots and then dropped us off in the town of Oneroa. We then strolled along our first NZ beach collecting seashells as the sun came out to greet us.  Theresa even found a sand dollar! After a quick lunch we grabbed a local bottle of wine and took the bus to Onetangi Beach in search of  a nearby bird sanctuary. The trail through the sanctuary had the feel of an Asian jungle- exotic trees with huge leaves- and we kept expecting snakes to be dangling from the branches which draped over the trail. The birds were rather elusive, though we could hear them chirping throughout and we did see a few when we stopped walking and sipped on the wine. While we were catching the bus back to the ferry we had a chance encounter with a local celebrity- the top contender for New Zealand Idol- a singing competition among Maori people! She was in Auckland competing and according to her two friends, she was on her way to winning. The finals are next Friday and we are hoping to be able to catch it on TV.

Sunday we took a train to a car fair at the Auckland raceway and ended up purchasing a nice little Mitsubishi wagon for $2,600 NZ.  We have been pretty happy with it other than a dead battery this morning (possibly our fault since we were camping and opening the doors a lot) and some very quirky quirks (the left turn signal comes on every time the driver’s door is opened and the driver’s side door unlocks ever time the door is shut) The mechanic also highly recommend we change the timing belt on the engine since it is just now due to be changed.  That will be $500-700, which kinda sucks.  We get the sense it is variable, but we will be pushing our luck if we wait to get it fixed.  Andy has had the stress of learning to drive on the left hand side of the road with a left handed stick shift on what we have been told are among the most narrow, winding roads in the country.  And let me tell ya, they drive FAST out here.  They take those winding roads at over 70Km/hr.  We take them more at 40-50 Km, so needless to say we are the granny’s scooting along and holding up traffic.  When we are finally able to pull off and let people pass, we have actually been receiving honks of thanks!

Drove West out of town on Sunday to a nearby beach town of Piha.  It was very tiny, with one campground, one very small grocery store and a few other shops.  So beautiful though.  We camped in a valley surrounded by green, luscious hills on 3 sides and the ocean off in the distance.  It was FREEZING at night and we didn’t sleep well, but waking to the sound of beautiful birds in the morning was worth it.  We spent all of Monday just lounging around on the black sand beach and we climbed a steep, but short trail up Lion rock to have a wonderful view of the coast!  I bruised the ball of my foot climbing on rocks Saturday, so I was grateful for the day of rest, though I felt guilty not exploring the foot trails more in that area.  Seems like a shame.  We did take a hike up to KiteKite waterfall this morning.  It was beautiful and we saw some very majestic birds.  One was like a wren, but with a large fanned tail.  The others were some type of New Zealand pigeon, but they are about the size of chickens.  I will try to post some of the pictures.  LOVING this new camera with the zoom.  It takes amazing shots of wildlife…as long as they are not moving.

…… the next day- Wednesday- After taking care of some business in Auckland we decided to lighten our load a bit and drop some unneeded luggage off at Craig & Heleen’s. Heleen generously offered to have us stay the night (Craig & kids were at grandparents). Thanks Carel for the connection! It has made this transition much easier to get to know some very welcoming locals. So we enjoyed a restful evening sleeping in comfortable beds and regrouping before getting ready to head north on our way to Kerikeri in search of fruit picking jobs. Hoping to settle down for a while up there… That’s it for now- it’s getting late and we need to find a campsite tonight!

Dos and Don'ts of New Zealand travel

Well, we have survived our first few days in New Zealand with only a few bruises to bodies and egos.  Let's start with some Do and Don't traveling advice based on personal experience

1) DO NOT pack your visa in your checked luggage.  This is highly frowned upon when attempting to enter a foreign country, and you will find yourself holding up the queue (line) as you receive sighs of exhasperation and rolled eyes - all of which only solidify the fact that you are indeed a "stupid american"
2) DO sign your travellers checks before taking them to be cashed at the airport. If you forget to do this DO NOT sign them and then lie to the next person you ask to cash your checks when she asks "Did you just sign these sir?" because she received an email from her colleague that a tall, thin American is trying to cash unsigned Travellers Checks in the airport.
3) DO NOT assume that just because you are walking on the sidewalk, a fancy sports car won't suddenly pull into your path, force you out of the way while it cruises on up the walk to the following street to turn.
4) DO expect to pay $8 for 2 cups of coffee.
5) DO NOT expect to set up a bank account (or anything really) in less than 2 1/2 hours.  Though it will be a pleasant 2 1/2 hours in which the banker proceeds to tell you all the local hot-spots, her travels as a kid in the states and even takes the time to Google Mac stores in the area for you.
6)DO PACK LESS.

All in all we are doing well.  Catching up on sleep, working out details of daily living and exploring the streets of Auckland where birds fly in and dine next to you in restaurants and the kebab shops specialize in woodfire pizza!  Hope everyone is well back home and we will come up with a more proper post soon!

~Theresa & Andy