Entries for June 2006
35 Days (and the coal ran out) in Spring Creek, Sun Jun 25
Back to topMy apologies to everyone who doesn't get the obscure phish reference. I think only Big Nate and Amy will appreciate it...
My fifth week working the vines... I believe I said I would be on the North Island soon, back on June 5th. Not so. I still wear my secateurs low and back on my right hip, backpack full of food and water, and loppers hung under my arm. I feel like a cowboy; a "vine-slinger". Ripping through plants at a blinding speed of 20 per hour. Well, its good enough for more than $100 a day.
I've decided this is my last week. I've had some great times and made a bit of money, but my hands are constantly aching and I wake up with useless claws. I've also lost sight of my orignal goal for this trip: to experience life in rural NZ. I've only been on one farm in all this time. I met a great Kiwi and Maori, but really don't know much about the people of this country or the lives they lead.
Continue reading "35 Days (and the coal ran out) in Spring Creek"
In Hell, you prune vines for $50 a day, Mon Jun 5
Back to topI can't believe it has been a week already. I work everyday at the vineyard, pruning vines. It's crappy work, but at the same time, I like it to some degree. You start the day before the sun is out and the ground is covered in frost, and then the sun blazes over the mountains and in one hour your sweating as you work. I'm determined to make money...because I'm totally broke. There was a hiccup with my online credit card system, so I found out I spent more than I thought. I might have to call up my credit union and see about getting a general purpose loan.
I'm typically scientific in my pruning. I'm always watching others, asking questions, and testing theories--in addition to working my butt off. I've also met some interesting people. Of everyone here, Grant is by far the most newsworthy. He's a real Maori. He knows the language, the songs, and the history. My favorite activity so far is to listen to him sing traditional Maori songs and listen to stories about his people or explain some aspect of their culture. How better to learn about the nose press, the haka, or the prophecies of the Waitaha people who predated even the Maori in NZ.