Day 4-14: Haumoana

What lovely people there are in this country! We left Auckland just over a week ago and have been surrounded by just as wonderful company as we had there. We spent Wednesday August 30th mostly in the car and drove east to the Corramandel Peninsula where the views were quite amazing. We went for a couple short hikes and then drove around the Peninsula. The main highways we have found out are more like back roads through the Blue Ridge Mountains... except for the fact that there are no guard rails, the lanes are skinnier, and every other vehicle is a large logging truck... oh and they drive on the wrong side. So while Elisabeth stressed out with the driving, I leisurely looked out the window at the spectacular views of the ocean and seaside cliffs (and occasionally came close to losing my lunch as we would curve around a cliff and pass a logging truck and all I could see out my window would be the beach 30 feet below me). So we reached our destination, a recommended beach-side town, Whitianga. Of course knowing the lovely kiwi people, when we went to the town's campground to camp, the fellow campers agreed that the price was too high for meerly a pup tent and recommended that we go knock on some random lady's door and ask to pop a tent in her front yard (which happened to also be on the beach facing spectacular views of sea-side cliffs). sooo... i'll stop blabbing now. the next day we arose and drove south to where we have been for the past ten days: Marion Thomson's farm in Haumoana. Oh what a fine lady she is and her wonderful daughter, Bella. We have been working in their glasshouses every day, except our one day off, weeding, composting, and planting. It has been quite satisfying work, seeing the rows get cleared and replaced with fresh new plants. Elisabeth is definately in her element working with the plants. Meanwhile, Marion has been fattening us up with an endless supply of amazing food and Bella has been keeping us busy playing gin rummy. We took one afternoon to go for a hike on some nearby cliffs which provided unending views that were simply unbelievable. I swear everything looks fake, it is so pretty and green and perfect here. On our day off, Elisabeth and I went on a winery tour which was supposed to last most of the day and take us to many wineries... however after 3 wineries and a total of maybe a glass and a half of wine, we were both over our limit and had to call it quits. So we returned home to fix dinner for the Marion and Bella, the frenchman who lives in the garage and the young couple in a house bus on the property... the meal consisted of pancakes, eggs, hash browns, and wine... quite a success. So now we have come to the end of our stay here in Haumoana and are leaving tomorrow morning to find a place to backpack and camp overnight and then Tuesday we will head to a town called Upper Hut just outside of Wellington where we will work on a blueberry farm for a week. So two weeks in and we have had nothing but good times, although we still seem to be quite lethargic... perhaps it's all the food. (I will hopefully be able to add photos to my library soon... i'm at an internet cafe and forgot my camera cable) We wish you all well and hope life is as exciting there as it is here.

P.S. I just read that my extremely cool little brother, Zack recovered a fumble on the first play of the Oak Ridge football game last night.. sooo i just wanted to brag on him a bit.