Marlborough

wow, I'm so far behind! Sorry.
Finishing on the amazing shelter I stayed in on my walk in the Kahurangi National Park. It consisted of a absolutely huge boulder sticking out from the hillside under which a couple of wooden beds had been made, one 2 meters off the ground in a crevice in the rock. So it was open on 3 sides to the forest on a hillside, with the sound of a stream not 15 meters away and a fire lit by my side heating my evening meal.
I sat by the stream savoring the comforting warmth of the food while dusk fell. I intended to sleep in but the chill air and the empty fire circle got me moving, plus I had to hitch back to my hosts, which I managed to do with an old deer hunter, returning from his day with out a carcass.

To my delight it was suggested that my hosts drop me in to Nelson the following day, which was ideal as I really wanted to move on, plus I wasn't totally comfortable with them either.

Nelson allowed me to sort out a back account and nearly get an elusive tax number necessary for the Ski Field Job and the following day I hitched on to Picton, the town in the heart of the Marlborough sound, from where I hoped to wwoof with a family out on Arapawa Island, an hours boat ride out in to the sounds. Sadly after waiting 2 days to hear from the host, it fell through, but I was able to pick up someone else, not so far out, which was easier and I could get picked up the following morning, prefect!

This landed me at Sherrington Grange [http://www.sherringtongrange.co.nz/] a family farm that makes high grade Manuka honey and beautiful handmade cow and goats milk cheese, quite an amazing enterprise, the house beautifully set 20 meters from the shore, and from the end of the jetty you could see right down the sound (where the photos were taken that were posted in the last post).

The cheese maker had just lost her goat milk provider, and so had just bought 50 goats, so it was my job to 'goat proof' the paddock they inhabited, which other than building a 3 meter wall is near impossible. But I spent quite a number of day’s tying meshing to the pre existing fence. Ok for the first few days, but it was slightly mind numbing after that. But it had to be done! Sherrington Grange was also a farm stay so they had guests on a number of days, plus they specialized in catering to abnormal intolerances, so the food was always very good, as it has been at all the places I have stayed. One evening me had mussels picked from their beach not half an hour before :)

I ended up with them for 2 1/2 weeks, which was grate but i needed to move on after that, which I did to another host in the Marlborough Sound who is in the long and slow process of setting up a wonderful Nature Reserve on a peninsular, an hours boat ride north in to the Sounds. They shop once a month, spending a night in town before heading back the next day where I journeyed with them to feed their re establishing rare Marlborough Green Geckos and Red Crowned Kakarikis (parakeets) after the 15 minute drive in 2 4x4s up the rough track to their home at 200m with views occasionally of the North Island and in to the sounds. They are a beautiful family of 5, the parents Dutch, making the inspirational decision to live in an amazing isolated environment, making such a commitment to the stunning wildlife and putting every penny they can back in to the project. Their 12 and 14 y/o son and daughter are given their own responsibilities with the animals they are breeding for re-introduction and the up keep of the 41 hectare property.

My week with them was varied and good fun, they were all great to be with and really interesting, the day started at 8.00 and I worked my 4 hours, often with Brian, until midday, but from then I wondered how to entertain myself, so I decided to do a carving. I managing to obtain a perfect piece of Totara, a NZ hardwood used by the Maoris in their carving, to make a Gecko. The piece of wood was a meter long, 40cm wide and 20 thick, a truly beautiful piece of wood that I am honored to get hold of and work with (I hope there is an images attached of the Gecko). So I spent my spare time and, to the end of the week, my wwoofing time carving this thing, and I believe it is hanging now on the Gecko enclosure. Quite proud of that piece actually.

Finishing the week with Brian and Ellen I squished in a final week in the sounds, before I headed down south to Wanaka for the ski job, at Mistletoe Bay - an eco stay, with camping and semi and fully self-contained whares (forays), placed on one of NZs Great Walks (the Queen Charlotte Track). They have a 100k water and waste recycling system that’s very efficient, in 2 years never having to be emptied, despite hundreds of people passing through. The first wonderful job I had was to empty a big festering rubbish disposal skip, yum. Despite that I did get to do quite a bit of work of their 1926 30ft wooden motor launch, which was really gorgeous and totally re kindled my love of wooden boats and again, of course, the place was beautiful, and at night you could watch the bank of bluish glow-works twinkling at you from amongst the foliage. Oooh and they had 2 piggiwiggies that were soooo cute and if you scratched one on the nose if fell asleep hehe.

On the last but one day I was e-mailed the facetious news that I hadn't got the job.................. :(

The following week my time had come to fly South despite the purpose being rather what diminished but deciding to look for work anyway, as I really need to have more people my own age around me, even though I'm having the experience of a life time, Its nothing without the right people to share it with.

So here I am in Christchurch for the 3rd time half way from the Marlborough Sounds to Wanaka, staying with a cousin once removed for a couple of night, having been completely spoilt with a wonderful meal last night in the city and tomorrow the outstretched thumb waiting for a generous passer by.

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Kahurangi

I stayed 3 weeks with my dutch family enjoying some beautiful experiences with them, including a beautiful wedding held in a field which was made up by the couple, and a nature skills day looking at bird calls and animal movement, its great fun trying to walk like a dog, or a crocodile, try it - especially running like a dog! Although give yourself plenty of room...
As one of my tasks I got to make a hurdle (a woven fence) out of sweet chestnut as a goat barrier, which i loved doing, and to cut down 130 sweet chestnut trees with a saw. Although I got to be with the children a lot, which is always revitalising. Unfortunately my time there ended when the father (Rob) had to fly out to Holland unexpectedly to attend his ill father. So the family needed space.
So again i moved on to an acquaintance in the area, a German family, who were further up the valley - closer to the Kahurangi National Park - which i was planning to do a 3 day trek in.

The plans worked out perfectly and the following day I was able to get a lift to an entrance to the 452,002 hectare park (1,745 square miles - bigger than Cornwall). It is mountainous (in the Mt Arthur Range) with peaks coming out of the bush line up to 1800m, but the majority of the park is ancient beach forests. My 3 day walk started by climbing up Mt Arthur - 1800m - where I had lunch in the most perfect conditions, warm, sunny, no wind, perfectly clear, I could see for about 80miles in every direction, including Mt Taranaki poking out of a cloud 300 or so km away on the North Island! My day finished at a Department of Conservation (DOC) hut and I was just boiling some water when 3 Americans my age passed going back the way I had come to a different hut, and I was invited to join them as I was stuck with a bunch of old folk for the evening otherwise! So I walked back the way i had come for 2 hours to spend a really fun evening with them in a DOC shelter, well worth it (not that i really wanted to avoid the old people or anything!) They were actually really lovely people, I shan't slag them off.
The following day I popped up another mountain for luncheon at 1650m consisting of Peanut Butter and crackers and down along a ridge to the valley, and the beautiful clear cold river, which I couldn't resist a swim in. And trudged barefoot the last 20 minutes to the most amazing shelter Ever!

Which I will tell you about in my next post as I really need to go now :(

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Still in Motueka....

I now know how to milk a goat and make a wizard/ spoon. Pretty important life skills really. The blacksmiths had a couple of goats with a kid each that they milked, which was passed to me as their wwoofer, so over the week I obtained a proficiency in goat dragging.
Along with this, I spent a few hours forging out of steel over a few days on a coal forge, something I have wanted to do for years! It was awesome fun and i ended up making a spoon with a wizards face on the handle (there will be a picture...).

Ever onwards I joined Jane, Graham, Mat and Rebecca (Mums old school friends sister) again, just down the road. They are a gorgeous family and i had a lot of interesting conversations about Buddhism, as they practice, and I am interested in meditation but have no knowledge of it. This was very insightful and I had a wonderful relaxing week when i wasn't cycling up a 20km hill. On the Monday and Tuesday I had a little adventure into the renown Abel Tasman National Park, choosing to take the inland track instead of the coastal track (which is a flat graveled walkway cut through the bush where you can get picked up and dropped off by boat from some of the idyllic beaches). I felt this was rather below the experience I was looking for so instead i walked a deserted rough path threaded through the beautiful continuously changing native bush, over trees and around rocks. I saw 3 people in the 2 days I was on that route. It was absolute bliss. It took me just over 6 hours to walk 15k up to 1060m, the views are totally breathtaking. I stayed the night on my own in a shelter at 1000m sleeping on the floorboards in temperatures not far from freezing. I don’t think I will ever forget those 2 days.

I was passed on to a friend of Jane and Graham who needed 3 days paid strimming around the electric fence border of their 12 acre property, that was ok for 2 reasons, one i got paid and two i got to use a quad bike! Something else I have wanted to years and years.

I am now wwoofing with a Dutch family I met through one of my previous hosts, who are again a really beautiful family, who I am learning a lot from.
Last night I sent off my application to Treble Cone ski field to work the winter season (late June to September) as a lift operator, I’m slightly apprehensive, but its the first time I have ever really applied for a proper job, so we will see, and I will find out in May.

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Motueka wwoofs

From Kelvin and Paula’s I hitched to Motueka to stay a night in the Happy Apple back-packers before finding my way 10 km west up the Mot valley to my next host. Their drive starts at about 30m and ends after a kilometre and another 150m up (1:6 gradient), which I had to walk with my full pack. I chose this host because they are in the middle of building their own eco house, which really interests me as the works would involve construction.

I have just been under 4 weeks with them - Stephan and Natalie with Chloe (7) and Lotus (4/5 she had her birthday whilst I was there). The work was interesting and to my taste although most of the time I was there we were working on the roof in 30+ degrees. Which, satisfyingly, was finished on my last day with them after having stuck myself to every possible part of the plastic lining with litres of viscous contact adhesive.

My work involved layering the whole roof with ply board in preparation for the waterproof lining using 2000 screws - the plastic necessary as they were having a garden roof. And the roof was by no means simple, the house was interesting designed situated on about a 45 degree slope with absolutely stunning views for 50 or so miles down the valley to Motueka and across the Nelson bay to the Marlborough sound.

In amongst the 7 hours a day work were trips to a friends property on the hottest days where we played and lased in a beautiful pool and listened to jazz and ate organic home grown fruit and berries.

Despite this, life with the family was stressful at time, which was not in a health balance of positive and negative. With a relief my time there was terminated due to one of the hosts becoming ill. Fortunately I was able to move tot he host I’m with now the following day.

I had had my eye on this host as the Husband was a blacksmith, and I have always wanted to do some forging. Incidentally they are a really lovely family, who are interesting and musical and arty. The highlights have been learning to milk their goats! Which is great fun, so there is fresh un-pasteurised goats milk every day and gorgeous cheese most of the time. The food is also very good with allot of veggies coming from their garden. As well as this, Red, the blacksmith, is very open and i have now spent a few hours on the forge with him experimenting with making faces and doing a few other jobs, which has been so wonderful! I am also going to make a bushcraft knife which I have been planning for months and now have the opportunity to forge myself.

I may accompany Red and his son Angus to the Nelson market tomorow morning (6:30) depending on weather I can get up!

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Photos - Queestown

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