Andrea Excerpt PART II

From her mouth (typing) to your ears (eyes)....
"Our adventure in Abel Tasman Park was amazing.  We hiked along a coast trail with views of turquoise water and snowy mountains.  Getting to the hut just at dark, we slept in a giant bunk bed with strangers.   The next day we had a short trek to a lovely beach where we swam shivering a bit and then kayaked back to town in time to have a yummy meal of burger/veggie burgers with farm-fresh toppings. (Olivia gives this the BEST Burger in NZ rating!)  Then we drove down the west coast.  We have a lovely purple and green eye soar of a Juicy van. This minivan converted to campervan includes space and pull outs for eating, sleeping, cooking, DVD watching and a mini-cooler fridge. Brilliant.
Anyway, we had planned to drive into town but I had to pee, so we pulled off at a rest stop..  It ended up being a beach (nature reserve) where penguins have been spotted.  We decided to camp there for the night.  We didn't see any critters but the moon was shining on the incoming tide and it looked like mercury.  We sat in our camp chairs and drank wine.  To balance it out, we woke up being eaten by mosquitoes and sand flies and had to make a quick get away. 

We are headed south along the coast to check out the glaciers.  Olivia is such fun company (yay me) and in a crazy moment where some bees were after her lunch, she threw the meat stick she was eating across the beach.  It almost hit me in the head which would have been the perfect veggie moment."
More later.... 

An Excerpt from Cosby Kid Adventures PART I

I haven't had time to write with all the adventure seeking lately, but here is an update written by my wiser, older sister. This is how Andrea describes part of our first 48 hours together.This was almost three weeks ago when our adventures began. I wouldn't want to spoil the updates to come, but they do involve jumping out of planes, sleeping in a mini van, exploring by sea and of course the DREADED sand flies! More on that later.... off to celebrate my last night with my sister in lovely Queenstown. She has made so many things that backpackers like me can only dream of in NZ- a reality.
So here is a glimpse, from PortlanDrea herself, with my commentary of course.

"At one point, I was really hungry from rushing all day to the geysers, back to one town, grabbing our stuff, throwing my forgotten key at the hostel-dude, and jumping on a bus, I started fantasizing about nachos.  So we get into town and the most amazing looking hippie restaurant emerges like a mirage in the distance with "gluten-free" and "no meat nachos" beckoning me from afar. (read dietary restrictions of travel fun!) I have my big pack on my back, my day pack in front and assorted groceries/hat/wallet-purse dangling.  In my excitement, I turn to shout to Olivia about the nachos and I don't notice the step up.  I stumble and catch myself on the door knob making all sorts of racket and coming close to going through the glass door. (I am not the only clumsy Cosby.... it turns out.) Olivia and I are cackling and crying from laughing (in only that way we Cosbys can do so loudly) so when we enter my audience just says that they knew I was OK because we were laughing so hard.  Their food was fantastic and we ate their twice in our 24 hours in that town- GF buckwheat pancakes with blueberries and cream- yum!

On a similar note, after a 6 hours in a bus, Olivia all of the sudden says urgently, "we have to get off now" and we are barefoot with stuff everywhere.  A little girl helps Olivia find her shoe while I'm grabbing and stuffing.  She hadn't figured out that we could cut some time to her friend's until she saw the town.  The bus driver grumbled but we made it.  Then we borrowed a shopping cart that had been on the side of the road to push our packs when we got some groceries.  I think we might be famous already.  

To backtrack, after Auckland, we went to Rotorua which is known for it's sulphur smell which I kinda like.  Olivia says it smells like a fart of someone who has eaten lots of hard-boiled eggs.  She's not so much of a fan.  Anyway, we tried to do a walk there but our directions were bad so ended up getting lots of rides/directions from the insanely nice Kiwis.  That day ended with a 4 hour Maori ceremony (well, you know, the tourist version) and feast.  Yes it was touristy, but the food was interesting and good (it had been steamed in a pit in the ground) and the "actors" seemed authentically into it.  

The next rushed morning was our geyser day.  Also touristy (read expensive) but the colors of the water (lime!), the billowing steam, bubbling mud, and general landscape was really beautiful.  Then we jumped on the bus to Taupo where it poured during our evening but turned it around for our adrenaline adventure."


Peace and love to all!

You Might be an NZed WOOFER if....

• ............
• you are barefoot 50% of the day
• you eat the fruits of your labor- literally
• your everyday vocabulary includes words like "permaculture, horticulture, organic, spray free, harvest and mulch."
• your finger nails are dirty to a point that your mother would deem unacceptable
• you see both the sunrise and sunset in the same day (by choice)
• you haven't worn makeup in two weeks
• you've been pecked by a chook! (hen)
• rain actually means you have to change your work plan that day
• you've cleaned more dishes than at any point in your life time (shocking to my former roommates)
• you have more than 20 bug bites at any given time
• you find mosquito nets endearing
• taking a break means going for a swim in the ocean
• you haven't met a spider web you couldn't conquer
• when nature calls, you can really only go in nature
• you understand the use of a compost toilet
• your hands often smell like work gloves
• you have a farmers tan
• you are lulled to sleep by the Morepork (native NZ owl)
• you have attained new skills in painting, sanding, gardening, weeding, cleaning, fruit picking that makes you realize you are not as smart as you thought you were
• you have driven in a Ute (small truck) 
• you've been awakened by a possum
• you play with kids during your down time
• you discover the only way into THE town is to hitch
• you have discovered fifteen different ways to use avocados (list coming soon..)
• you've discussed American politics, food, family and economy over home brewed beer with your hosts
• you have consumed local foods like kiwifruit, plum chutney, whitebait, kumara and feijoa
• after a hard days work (a whopping required four hours) you indulge in amazing hospitality over delightful meals that have been prepared from the garden- SEED TO TABLE! 

 In other news, I have so much to report on the last two weeks of solo travel and meeting up with my sister, who as safely arrived from Oregon for a three week adventure. However, I am feeling back-blogged, so I wanted to share this list as I am about to post photos that will better depict the aforementioned and give you an idea of my first two weeks of WWOOF experience in the Northland of NZed (the British way of saying EN-ZEE.) And to the disappointment of my LSU Communications professors I have not been editing, spell checking or attempting any journalistic content on my previous blogs. Perhaps that's the goal for the next half of my tale telling! Please excuse the rambles and enjoy my Olivia-esque train of thought. I can't believe I am already half way through my time here and have only five weeks left!
Abrazos a todos!

Holy Guacamole!

I have successfully completed my first two weeks of WWOOF'ing, though it feels like longer. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, but time does move more slowly in the Souther Hemisphere. As mentioned, I spent one week on the avocado orchard and then was placed at the Eco Village- Rakanui in the same town. I spent most of my week there helping to paint a house on the ten acre property shared by five families. This assignment was a connection from my first woofer host, to her benefit, because by keeping me in town I could sell the avos. at market for them this week-end while they were on holiday. It really worked out for everyone and allowed me to diversify my WWOOF experience, while familiarizing myself with one small kiwi town. Mangawhai (the wh makes an "f" sound because it is Maori) is about and hour + north of Auckland and has seen an influx of kiwi and international residents seeking an "alternative" lifestsyle. Native Aucklanders and Europeans alike have come for the surf beaches, fertile (volcanic) soil and organic gardening. This has left a sour taste in some of the retirement folk around here who preferred their population of less than 1,000 for decades. In any case, with two Four Squares (groceries) and two pubs this bustling metropolis was a great first woof setting for me. It is mostly rural farm land leading up to stretches of estuaries and beaches on the East Coast.
       I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to get my hands dirty, immerse myself in kiwi farm culture, get to know the families and experience the "real" NZ, spray free. WWOOFing work can be very humbling, since I knew next to nothing about horticulture or bread making or composting. Basically any skills I have attained in my years of academia or professional life teaching, managing and international diplomacizing was pointless. However, I enjoyed the change of scenery and a good work ethic is helpful no matter what the task. However, where I grew up on 21 acres I helped paint a house at age 9 and could push a wheel barrow before I could see over it. Thanks for believing in child labor, eh dad?:) The other skills I felt I could bring to the table were love of animals, eagerness to learn, willingess to do mundane tasks and of course my affinity for sweating in the sun for love of food. And having the 2+ years of market experience under my belt enabled me to run two avo. markets over the week-end without a hitch. However, it was much easier than DC, given that I spent half the day chatting to bystanders about my crossword, barefoot and conversing with a 95 year old man about why he believes NZ is the best country in the world right now. 
For now, I have said goodbye to WWOOF and have embarked on a one week solo trip farther north for beaches and sun. More later!

Avocados, Aguacate, Avos, Palta......

So many words for the same thing! That is my life right now. I spent the majority of time hunting avos. on the ten acres. But I also complete other handy tasks: feeding hens, collecting eggs, washing windows, mulching, painting. I can't believe I am almost done with my first WWOOF week. It has been a fabulous introduction into the organic lifestyles of this little farm, along with some hard work. My hosts are very cool, engaging people who are homeschooling little Ronan. A lot of the land reminds me of where I grew up (in Cleburne, TX), actually. Aside from many avos. for breakfast lunch and dinner, I have also eaten some amazing home cooked meals, made some homemade pizza dough and bread,  and spent some time at the beach. I am trying to get into reading now in my not-so-spare time. Currently, I am finishing Adding more~ing to your life: A hip girls guide to happiness & just started The Dirty Life ( a gift from my Meridian boss all about a city girl who moves out to an organic farm in NY.)
Today is my day off (kind of) so I am just checking in and then off to do a beach hike. Tomorrow, I am selling at the avo. stand at the market solo. Sunday Markets- I can do! Driving on the other side of the road, on the left side of the car- fingers crossed. This morning I sat and read the paper for the first time in weeks and drank a coffee (which I don't have on the farm) and had a cheese scone. Yum!  I can't be healthy every day of the week. I was at the local chocolate factory- Bennetts!
Many of you don't know that Bennett is my mother's maiden name, so I imagine we are probably related in some universe.
Next week I am off to an ECO-village in the area doing God knows what, but I will be amongst an intentional community. Don't worry- it's not a cult. It's more like a green sustainable village. The following week I am embarking on some solo travel farther north in the north land. All I know so far is beaches, hiking, sun and fun.
Until then----- Peace!

Isolated coast lines & rugby stadiums...

I think the title of this post is  the perfect juxtaposition to describe my favorite things about New Zealand so far. On the one hand, there are so few people (just 4 million or so) that you don't have to go far to find yourself surrounded by earth and nature for miles.  On the other hand, kiwi people are not shy, subtle people. They tend to be gregarious, curious, adventurous and boy do they love their rugby!
J and I ventured into Abel Tasman National Park knowing we had just two days. Abel Tasman was the first man to reach New Zealand. This serene coastal beach park is at the northwestern tip of the South Island. We got our gear and took a water taxi to the top of the coastal track. We spent the rest of the afternoon and about 10 kms hiking our way down in low and high tide, taking in the view. We camped out and made the rest of our journey the next morning. We lunched on quiet sandy beaches. We swam in the cold Tasman Sea and I were in awe of it's clear blue/ green water. Paradise. We met up with a crew for a half day kayak led by a local. Team North America (J&I) had tired arms, but appreciated the opportunity to see the islands and get closer to the seals. The seal pups are so curious they practically jump into your kayak! The next morning we made the trek back to a ferry to cross into Wellington. I took a day to recover, relax and organize myself for my farming adventure while J got settled in her new classroom for her year 4s. School started this week for them. I can't say that I was sad to hang out, run, do laundry and cook, instead of work.
Then it was time for the SEVENS!!!! The Sevens are an international rugby tournament that take place in a number of cities, including Wellington. http://www.sevens.co.nz/. It is a huge party for all kiwis and an excuse to dress and celebrate as if it were halloween. I didn't feel like I was missing Mardi Gras at all this year, because of the characters. Of course we went as TEAM NORTH AMERICA- USA & Canada stickers included. Though we weren't as ludicrous or scantily dressed as some, we  were patriotic. J and I even got serenaded our own national anthems by some kiwis who knew all the words. New Zealand won! So it is no surprise the party spilled from the stadium, into the streets and carried on throughout the night. Most importantly- I got to see my first HAKA! -the Maori tribal dance preformed by the All Blacks before a game, made famous by their winning the Rugby World Cup here last year. I had a great time in Wellington, but had to leave Jeannette to her life there and carry on with my farming mission.
I will be off the radar for a few days, as I do not have internet in my cozy WWOOFer hut. I arrived yesterday after a long busride to Auckland on Sunday, which ended with some of the best Vietnamese Pho I have ever had.I now sit at an Internet cafe in Mangawhei in the Northland. I have met my first farming hosts and completed two days (or 8 hours) of work. The location exceeds my expectations. I am on an avocado farm! Seriously. They also have chickens and an all organic garden, with much up keep to do, so I will have my hands full. I have my own private hut that is probably larger than any room I have had. It has a little kitchenette, complete with outdoor shower and compostable toilet. I think you you would pay some hefty rent for this hut in DC! My hosts are a mixed kiwi/ irish family who have a 6 year old boy. They are organic vegetarians and an awesome introduction into this lifestyle. I already know I am going to learn a lot. I eat from the garden, bake my own bread and pick more avocadoes that you could ever want. Today I tackled a major feat in getting a chicken off her roost (without getting pecked) and getting seven eggs!!! What did you accomplish today?
I rewarded myself with a coffee when I came into town to go to the Post shop. I hitched a ride, which is pretty easy, safe and common here. As a result, I also have an invitation for fish dinner tomorrow night with two new lady friends who are fisherwomen in the area.  I can barely understand what has to be the thickest accent I have heard since arriving 3 weeks ago. Gotta love it.
Peace,
Olivia

Team North America takes on the South Island

As mentioned, Jeannette and I embarked on our adventure first stopping in Queenstown, the quintessential summer stop for tourists, adrenaline and partying! Due to my  lost wallet issue, I was on a strict budget that prevented me from capitalizing on one of my "Top 30 before I turn 30" goals: SKYDIVING! But alas, I have a few more months to make it happen here. After encountering some rowdy Irish folk in Queenstown, we headed off to Wanaka, a local lake resort town where allegedly some of the All Blacks (NZ rugby world champions) have recently purchased homes. It kind of has a SantaFe-esque vacation feel, but is still low key. We relaxed with ice cream, beach picnics and soaking in the sun next to the gorgeous lake with a mountain view and glacial water temperatures. We even took in a little paddle boating and Indian food. I think it was in Wanaka that I finally started to feel in full "holiday backpacker mode." We also worked on setting the pace and planning the remainder of our adventures. Fortunately, Jeannette had already taken care of the big planning items such as planes, trains and automobiles, but we then had to map out a route over more short whites of course.  With some reservations made and with a very lucky ride to make our bus, we decided to head directly to Mt. Cook, the highest point in New Zealand.  We were enthusiastic about this more isolated, serene setting. We checked into the visitor center for info. on renting gear and trail maps upon arrival.
We discovered we had that afternoon to complete the Mueller Trail we had picked out due to temperamental forecast for the next day. So we (foolishly) gathered ourselves and started out on a 5 hour hike that afternoon. About one hour in we realized that though short, the 1800 meter ascent was more than we bargained for. Jeannette and I are not novice hikers, but agreed that this was the most challenging thing that either of us had attempted since accomplishing Machu Picchu and Torres del Paine in South America. I cursed myself yet again for not having an ankle brace, but there was no turning back! Especially since our only booked accommodations for the evening were at the top of that point- at the Mueller Hut. So we trekked on, slowly, beyond rock scrambles and gale force winds to our destination. By the grace of God we managed to arrive about twenty minutes before sun down. Our sweaty, sun burnt, trembling legs now found themselves on snow in our path. Needless to say, our bodies ached as we climbed into our sleeping bag and were serenaded to sleep by 120kph wind noise in the hut we shared with 12 or so other trampers. We rose after the others and found ourselves to be the only humans on the trail the next morning as we descended- cursing every stair and unstable boulder. Survival!! We, of course, rewarded ourselves with pricey cafe food, coffee and chocolate at the end. We just missed the snow in Mt. Cook and Queenstown, unseasonable for this time of year. So I was fast asleep that night in my cozy YHA hostel by 7pm.  The next day, still sore and humbled by the trek, we boarded another InterCity bus to Christchurch. 
I wasn't sure what to expect from Christchurch, which was devastated by massive quakes in the last year. What used to be the largest city on the South Island is still in a state of healing and recovery. I could go on and on about the comparison of what seems to be highly productive NZ government rebuilding efforts vs. the efforts of say the US gov. disaster response circa 2005, but I will keep it light. J and I stayed at the Jailhouse Hostel, which is - you guessed it- an old historic jailhouse converted into a hostel. Clever buggers! We spent the first night people watching the locals at a pub over fish n' chips and a well earned beer or two. The following day I managed to track down my wallet finally. No thanks to the NZ courier post, it took over a week for me to recover it, but again keeping it light and not hateful. Anyway, we spent Saturday exploring the city, including the completely blocked off and abandoned CBD AKA the Red Zone. The buildings that are still standing are broken, tilting and abandoned.  However, a lift of morale and spending for the city has been created in the ever creative container mall. They have reopened shops and cafes from the area and built them in old train cargo containers. It is literally the world's first pop- up mall. Brilliant for the Re: Start Christchurch. I could go on an entire post about Christchurch rebuilding efforts, but you can also google it or click here http://www.flickr.com/photos/jjprojects/6336633624/ for images. My photos are posted on Facebook.  Additionally, there was a Buskers Festival going on that weekend so Jeannette and I sat  amidst the comedy on a nice summer's eve. The return of this world fest seemed to be a huge morale boost for the city as well. And wouldn't you know that the stars aligned for Jeannette and I as we found ourselves sitting right behind a group of local Christchurch girls about our age and some Chilenos- JACKPOT! Before we knew it we had finished our wine and were heading to The Brewery (local bar) with our new friends. We cracked some woodies (opened some Woodstock brand bourbon and coke in a can)-and carried on into the evening.  
The next morning came too soon. We had a lovely 7am ride to the train station to cross the Southern Alps going from the east coast to the west coast that day.  A very scenic ride indeed, that I slept through most of :). We finally arrived in Nelson that evening, tired, but eager to plan our escape into Abel Tasman National Park. 
More on that,  the Sevens Rugby Tournament and WWOOF'ing!