Kris and I made it back to the states almost three weeks ago and are happy to be home. New Zealand treated us great and we ended up spending the last few weeks in the northern regions of the north island, landing a wonderful and informative WWOOF stay in Ahipara and some great surf on the west coast.
Thanks to all of you who have read my blog so far, despite the fact that I didn't post during the last month of the trip.
Untill the next adventure...
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Raglan
April 11th, 2010
After leaving the Roadhouse, we came back to Raglan. Raglan is a New Zealand surf town with multiple world-class, and world-famous, left handed point breaks. These waves are perfect for goofy-footers like me and Kris because when you surf the wave, you are facing the face and supposedly, this is an easier way to navigate the ride. I can’t really tell the difference right now. There is also a beach break in Raglan that we surfed when we first arrived here more than a week ago. Raglan is by no means a secret and is generally crowded. The beach break is nice because surfers and swimmers are spread out, but if the surf is working it gets crowded with surf lessons and beach-goers. The point breaks however, are a different story. The past few mornings we have been at Manu Bay and by 6:45am there are no less than 15 people in the water. That population doubles in less than an hour. I am usually in the water briefly to catch some of the inside sets, and then hang on shore and watch the spectacle of 30 people in the water paddling for one wave. Sometimes, it’s all love out there and at others it’s a snake-fest. Kris holds his own pretty well in these conditions, even winning the hearts of a few grommets who recognize him in town. School aged kids are on the last days of a full two week vacation from school and around here, most of them surf. They are awesome to watch (most have been surfing since they were very small, and their experience shows) and by and large have a great attitude in the water, taking time to chat to just about everyone and just having fun. There is also a surf beach south of Raglan that works when Raglan is flat. This spot is pretty far out along rough and winding gravel roads, but the beach is beautiful and there are a few different breaks so surfers can spread out a little more. We have had some great surf there too. We went out there yesterday and were surprised to find a Volcom sponsored, teen surf competition crammed in to the little dirt parking lot. What a change of pace! The conditions looked not-so-good for surf and it was almost low tide so we took a long beach walk and gathered mussels for dinner along some rocks. By the time we came back, the DJ was awarding the lucky winners of the surf competition each a round trip ticket to Australia and a check. We went in for a quick surf, then headed back ‘home’ to shower and cook the mussels.
Incidentally, we are house-sitting in Te Mata, a small town 15km outside of Raglan, for a few days. I met Neil in the parking lot at Manu Bay one morning and he offered his place while he is away in Auckland. We are here through the weekend until he comes back; his son is having surgery and the recovery time is unknown. Neil’s house is a DIY project made of two shipping containers and is completely off the grid. Solar panels on the roof charge a central battery during the day for electricity when the sun goes down. There is a composting toilet which uses worms and therefore conserves overall water use considerably. A diesel stove is used for heating, which Neil plans to convert to bio-diesel and the cooking range and hot water are fueled by refillable gas tanks. Rain water is harvested from the corrugated roof and held in two tanks on this property. Just being here has been a great learning experience because the place is still a work in progress, but completely livable. We don’t know how long we can stay here as time is ticking and there are still a few places we’d like to visit. And we have to sell our van…
Hope everyone is well and enjoying these last few weeks of winter!
After leaving the Roadhouse, we came back to Raglan. Raglan is a New Zealand surf town with multiple world-class, and world-famous, left handed point breaks. These waves are perfect for goofy-footers like me and Kris because when you surf the wave, you are facing the face and supposedly, this is an easier way to navigate the ride. I can’t really tell the difference right now. There is also a beach break in Raglan that we surfed when we first arrived here more than a week ago. Raglan is by no means a secret and is generally crowded. The beach break is nice because surfers and swimmers are spread out, but if the surf is working it gets crowded with surf lessons and beach-goers. The point breaks however, are a different story. The past few mornings we have been at Manu Bay and by 6:45am there are no less than 15 people in the water. That population doubles in less than an hour. I am usually in the water briefly to catch some of the inside sets, and then hang on shore and watch the spectacle of 30 people in the water paddling for one wave. Sometimes, it’s all love out there and at others it’s a snake-fest. Kris holds his own pretty well in these conditions, even winning the hearts of a few grommets who recognize him in town. School aged kids are on the last days of a full two week vacation from school and around here, most of them surf. They are awesome to watch (most have been surfing since they were very small, and their experience shows) and by and large have a great attitude in the water, taking time to chat to just about everyone and just having fun. There is also a surf beach south of Raglan that works when Raglan is flat. This spot is pretty far out along rough and winding gravel roads, but the beach is beautiful and there are a few different breaks so surfers can spread out a little more. We have had some great surf there too. We went out there yesterday and were surprised to find a Volcom sponsored, teen surf competition crammed in to the little dirt parking lot. What a change of pace! The conditions looked not-so-good for surf and it was almost low tide so we took a long beach walk and gathered mussels for dinner along some rocks. By the time we came back, the DJ was awarding the lucky winners of the surf competition each a round trip ticket to Australia and a check. We went in for a quick surf, then headed back ‘home’ to shower and cook the mussels.
Incidentally, we are house-sitting in Te Mata, a small town 15km outside of Raglan, for a few days. I met Neil in the parking lot at Manu Bay one morning and he offered his place while he is away in Auckland. We are here through the weekend until he comes back; his son is having surgery and the recovery time is unknown. Neil’s house is a DIY project made of two shipping containers and is completely off the grid. Solar panels on the roof charge a central battery during the day for electricity when the sun goes down. There is a composting toilet which uses worms and therefore conserves overall water use considerably. A diesel stove is used for heating, which Neil plans to convert to bio-diesel and the cooking range and hot water are fueled by refillable gas tanks. Rain water is harvested from the corrugated roof and held in two tanks on this property. Just being here has been a great learning experience because the place is still a work in progress, but completely livable. We don’t know how long we can stay here as time is ticking and there are still a few places we’d like to visit. And we have to sell our van…
Hope everyone is well and enjoying these last few weeks of winter!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Easter Sunday
April 4th, 2010
It’s Easter Sunday and we have just spent our first night at the Oparau Roadhouse. We left Raglan a few days ago and have been parked at a small, quiet, and beautiful, locals-only fishing wharf to wait out the holiday weekend. Kiwi’s celebrate Easter for 5 days (Good Friday through Easter Tuesday) and we wanted to be out of the way for the chaos. Then we needed gas and ventured out toward a town called Kawhia where we found the Oparau Roadhouse for gas, and a sign for free campervan and tent parking. Soon after we met Bill and Brenda, the owners and some of the most generous kiwi’s we’ve met so far. Bill showed me the many places we could park in addition to offering laundry and showers (which at this point were much needed) in the main house that has been outfitted as a hostel (called backpackers here). There is a Canadian couple living there for the time being until they return home at the end of the week.
Bill and Brenda moved on to this property 20 yrs ago after moving into a bus as a result of a bad recession in New Zealand. Bill’s parents lived in Kawhia so the ventured here in their bus and eventually saved enough $ to buy this property, which at the time was just a house and land. They slowly built the roadhouse and grounds, and eventually moved into a flat above the shop and fitting their house for the backpackers accommodation.
The Oparau Roadhouse itself is quite the one-stop-shop. There is a general store stocked with hardware, sewing supplies, fishing gear, wholesale adult beverages and everything in between. There is also a self-service café that serves up Brenda’s homemade goodies. Brenda makes the New Zealand favorite, meat pies, from scratch and we’ve heard they can’t be beat. They also serve up dairy-free fried chicken, which we couldn’t resist yesterday. It was finger-lickin’ good. A few hours after our chicken and chip feast, Bill called us in for ‘afternoon tea’ (or lunch in these parts), which consisted of venison sausage, potatoes and salad. We were also served ‘evening tea’ (yup, you guessed it, dinner) and the next day, I’m still stuffed. So we have gone from rationing our food closely as the holiday weekend most stores are closed, to feeling like stuffed piggies!
It’s Easter Sunday and we have just spent our first night at the Oparau Roadhouse. We left Raglan a few days ago and have been parked at a small, quiet, and beautiful, locals-only fishing wharf to wait out the holiday weekend. Kiwi’s celebrate Easter for 5 days (Good Friday through Easter Tuesday) and we wanted to be out of the way for the chaos. Then we needed gas and ventured out toward a town called Kawhia where we found the Oparau Roadhouse for gas, and a sign for free campervan and tent parking. Soon after we met Bill and Brenda, the owners and some of the most generous kiwi’s we’ve met so far. Bill showed me the many places we could park in addition to offering laundry and showers (which at this point were much needed) in the main house that has been outfitted as a hostel (called backpackers here). There is a Canadian couple living there for the time being until they return home at the end of the week.
Bill and Brenda moved on to this property 20 yrs ago after moving into a bus as a result of a bad recession in New Zealand. Bill’s parents lived in Kawhia so the ventured here in their bus and eventually saved enough $ to buy this property, which at the time was just a house and land. They slowly built the roadhouse and grounds, and eventually moved into a flat above the shop and fitting their house for the backpackers accommodation.
The Oparau Roadhouse itself is quite the one-stop-shop. There is a general store stocked with hardware, sewing supplies, fishing gear, wholesale adult beverages and everything in between. There is also a self-service café that serves up Brenda’s homemade goodies. Brenda makes the New Zealand favorite, meat pies, from scratch and we’ve heard they can’t be beat. They also serve up dairy-free fried chicken, which we couldn’t resist yesterday. It was finger-lickin’ good. A few hours after our chicken and chip feast, Bill called us in for ‘afternoon tea’ (or lunch in these parts), which consisted of venison sausage, potatoes and salad. We were also served ‘evening tea’ (yup, you guessed it, dinner) and the next day, I’m still stuffed. So we have gone from rationing our food closely as the holiday weekend most stores are closed, to feeling like stuffed piggies!
The Honey Harvest
March 18th, 2010
This morning after breakfast, we began weeding the beds along the front walkway. Kris went with Debbie to bring the car to the mechanic, and I got to participate in the honey harvest! This is one of the coolest things I have done here. Jack has a hive at the bottom of a large hill among some poplar trees, and the honey is harvested once a year. Lucky me! It was fascinating. Neil is Debbie’s cousin’s husband and helps Jack with the harvest, as Jack is just starting out and Neil is a professional. Neil has an extra set of protective gear so I suit up quickly, grab the camera and hop on the four-wheeler. Eventhough we are running a little late (Neil has to make an appointment at noon), Jack and Neil keep checking each other and forgetting gear, their interactions are pure comedy. But, they’re pretty laid back and we get down there with everything we need.
The hives are arranged in boxes stacked in three pillars. The boxes have no top or bottom so the bees can move freely within. The honey comb is built around wooden frames which hang inside the boxes like files in a file cabinet. To extract the honey, they first light some stringy burlap into a little puffer thing- looks like a kettle with a stoker attached to the end so the smoke can be pumped out the spout. They lift of the top of one of the stacks and give the bees a puff of smoke to chill them out. Then they lift a ‘file box’ and place it on a metal stand with a slide beneath it. Next, the bees are blown through the box with a blower so they slide on the ground, and then we place the box aside. This is where I helped out, transporting heavy boxes of honey comb away from the hive space to beside the four-wheeler, which was just a few paces away. This process continued until we had 10 boxes to stack on the trailer.
Today was cold and the bees don’t take well to lower temps. It makes them angrier, as if disturbing their hard work wasn’t enough. But, the girls didn’t swarm us or anything. Although at one point Jack was covered and even Neil said, “Uh, Jack. Mate, you’d do good to get those girls off you.” Neil and Jack are still relaxed and comical around the bees. How can you avoid jokes when the nature of bees? The girls do all the work, and the drones are essentially useless except for the lucky few that mate with the queen, then they die. Sometimes Neil harvests the honey with no gloves, in the summer of course. He was also excited to be able to show off some of his bee knowledge to me. At one point he grabbed a drone, sacrificing it to explain the mating procedure with the queen. He squeezed the abdomen which popped out his reproductive innards. When the drone mates with the queen, his reproductive innards are ripped out from him and it’s lights out after that. However, mating with the queen is the pinnacle of a drone’s life, so what’s there left to live for? They are ignored by the worker lady bees because they don’t do any work. We also found an unlucky bumble bee that had snuck into the hive. The ladies had torn it to shreds, inside and out, leaving only a black shell of its former furry figure.
We were given a file’s worth of honey comb from the experience, which Jack and Kris cut from the wooden frame. So now we have about a liter of unfiltered honey along with us!
This morning after breakfast, we began weeding the beds along the front walkway. Kris went with Debbie to bring the car to the mechanic, and I got to participate in the honey harvest! This is one of the coolest things I have done here. Jack has a hive at the bottom of a large hill among some poplar trees, and the honey is harvested once a year. Lucky me! It was fascinating. Neil is Debbie’s cousin’s husband and helps Jack with the harvest, as Jack is just starting out and Neil is a professional. Neil has an extra set of protective gear so I suit up quickly, grab the camera and hop on the four-wheeler. Eventhough we are running a little late (Neil has to make an appointment at noon), Jack and Neil keep checking each other and forgetting gear, their interactions are pure comedy. But, they’re pretty laid back and we get down there with everything we need.
The hives are arranged in boxes stacked in three pillars. The boxes have no top or bottom so the bees can move freely within. The honey comb is built around wooden frames which hang inside the boxes like files in a file cabinet. To extract the honey, they first light some stringy burlap into a little puffer thing- looks like a kettle with a stoker attached to the end so the smoke can be pumped out the spout. They lift of the top of one of the stacks and give the bees a puff of smoke to chill them out. Then they lift a ‘file box’ and place it on a metal stand with a slide beneath it. Next, the bees are blown through the box with a blower so they slide on the ground, and then we place the box aside. This is where I helped out, transporting heavy boxes of honey comb away from the hive space to beside the four-wheeler, which was just a few paces away. This process continued until we had 10 boxes to stack on the trailer.
Today was cold and the bees don’t take well to lower temps. It makes them angrier, as if disturbing their hard work wasn’t enough. But, the girls didn’t swarm us or anything. Although at one point Jack was covered and even Neil said, “Uh, Jack. Mate, you’d do good to get those girls off you.” Neil and Jack are still relaxed and comical around the bees. How can you avoid jokes when the nature of bees? The girls do all the work, and the drones are essentially useless except for the lucky few that mate with the queen, then they die. Sometimes Neil harvests the honey with no gloves, in the summer of course. He was also excited to be able to show off some of his bee knowledge to me. At one point he grabbed a drone, sacrificing it to explain the mating procedure with the queen. He squeezed the abdomen which popped out his reproductive innards. When the drone mates with the queen, his reproductive innards are ripped out from him and it’s lights out after that. However, mating with the queen is the pinnacle of a drone’s life, so what’s there left to live for? They are ignored by the worker lady bees because they don’t do any work. We also found an unlucky bumble bee that had snuck into the hive. The ladies had torn it to shreds, inside and out, leaving only a black shell of its former furry figure.
We were given a file’s worth of honey comb from the experience, which Jack and Kris cut from the wooden frame. So now we have about a liter of unfiltered honey along with us!
Te Ahuru Ora
March 17th, 2010
Yesterday around 4pm we arrived at our fourth WWOOF stay. We are about 80km south of Dunedin in a town called Milton (the marquee to the town reads “Welcome to Milton: The town of opportunities”). We met Jack at the info station and followed him to Te Ahuru Ora, which in Maori loosely means “A Safe Place”. Jack and Debbie relocated an old-style church to this 10 acre property in 1993 and converted it into a cozy home. They took out only the pews and pulpit, leaving the natural rimu wood interior walls, added a loft which serves as their bedroom, a coal burning stove with wetback to heat house water, and built two sets of French doors along one of the long walls. Out the doors, they built a conservatory out of bricks, some old stained glass windows and translucent corrugated ceiling. The conservatory is about as big as the house and stays warm in the cool weather so is a nice place to relax. It is also home to Jessie, their 2 yr old fox terrier, and some start up plants.
Jack is Maori and after an accident rendered him unable to continue logging, took up teaching and now passes on the Maori language to high school students as well as working on their lifestyle block. Debbie does various odd-jobs and caretaking for people in the community as well as working their property…which is beautiful and organized. Debbie is building their third glasshouse (all of which she has gotten for free, secondhand), the other two house peppers (capsicums) and tomatoes. There are two large, possum-proof veggie beds, and some fruit trees as well as a variety of herbs and flowers. Debbie and Jack are both into herbs. Debbie makes all kinds of extracts, decoctions, and mixtures from them; it’s her hobby. About the possum-proofing, one year possums decimated their veggie harvest so the proofing is necessary. So is having Jessie for hunting them and keeping them away in general. Possums are a real problem in New Zealand, responsible for eating copious amounts of native vegetation. A dead possum is a good sight for any kiwi, and they are even compensated for killing them. Their fur fetches about $7 per pelt (you can also pluck the fur from a fresh carcass, bag and sell that). It’s as good as wool for insulation, and mainly woven into socks and sweaters. A powerful pesticide called 1080 was recently dropped in the Taranaki region, and has caused quite a controversy as it is pretty heavy stuff. Kris wrote more extensively about this toward the beginning of our journey, see his site for more info.
Back to Te Ahuru Ora, they have animals here too. There are 2 kids and 6 goats which are used for milk and meat. On Sunday Jack and Debbie will get two piglets (called wieners) in addition to the two pigs they have already, also raised for meat. There are a small flock of about 8 sheep, but usually not slaughtered until they are older. And about 15 chooks (chickens). Jack does the slaughtering and butchering and we just missed one. It was a goat or a pig, I can’t remember. Bummer. As a one-time vegetarian and now meat eat, I feel I should experience the slaughter at least once.
The milking shed and animal areas are kept pretty clean here, which is a big change from being surrounded by cow shit and general filth during our stay at the dairy farm. Seems like we will learn a lot here during our short stay. Our days are packed though, breakfast at 8am, begin working around 9. Break for lunch at noon-ish, and continue until 3-ish. No matter though, we both have a good feeling about this place and look forward to our short time here. We can only stay here until Saturday morning.
Yesterday around 4pm we arrived at our fourth WWOOF stay. We are about 80km south of Dunedin in a town called Milton (the marquee to the town reads “Welcome to Milton: The town of opportunities”). We met Jack at the info station and followed him to Te Ahuru Ora, which in Maori loosely means “A Safe Place”. Jack and Debbie relocated an old-style church to this 10 acre property in 1993 and converted it into a cozy home. They took out only the pews and pulpit, leaving the natural rimu wood interior walls, added a loft which serves as their bedroom, a coal burning stove with wetback to heat house water, and built two sets of French doors along one of the long walls. Out the doors, they built a conservatory out of bricks, some old stained glass windows and translucent corrugated ceiling. The conservatory is about as big as the house and stays warm in the cool weather so is a nice place to relax. It is also home to Jessie, their 2 yr old fox terrier, and some start up plants.
Jack is Maori and after an accident rendered him unable to continue logging, took up teaching and now passes on the Maori language to high school students as well as working on their lifestyle block. Debbie does various odd-jobs and caretaking for people in the community as well as working their property…which is beautiful and organized. Debbie is building their third glasshouse (all of which she has gotten for free, secondhand), the other two house peppers (capsicums) and tomatoes. There are two large, possum-proof veggie beds, and some fruit trees as well as a variety of herbs and flowers. Debbie and Jack are both into herbs. Debbie makes all kinds of extracts, decoctions, and mixtures from them; it’s her hobby. About the possum-proofing, one year possums decimated their veggie harvest so the proofing is necessary. So is having Jessie for hunting them and keeping them away in general. Possums are a real problem in New Zealand, responsible for eating copious amounts of native vegetation. A dead possum is a good sight for any kiwi, and they are even compensated for killing them. Their fur fetches about $7 per pelt (you can also pluck the fur from a fresh carcass, bag and sell that). It’s as good as wool for insulation, and mainly woven into socks and sweaters. A powerful pesticide called 1080 was recently dropped in the Taranaki region, and has caused quite a controversy as it is pretty heavy stuff. Kris wrote more extensively about this toward the beginning of our journey, see his site for more info.
Back to Te Ahuru Ora, they have animals here too. There are 2 kids and 6 goats which are used for milk and meat. On Sunday Jack and Debbie will get two piglets (called wieners) in addition to the two pigs they have already, also raised for meat. There are a small flock of about 8 sheep, but usually not slaughtered until they are older. And about 15 chooks (chickens). Jack does the slaughtering and butchering and we just missed one. It was a goat or a pig, I can’t remember. Bummer. As a one-time vegetarian and now meat eat, I feel I should experience the slaughter at least once.
The milking shed and animal areas are kept pretty clean here, which is a big change from being surrounded by cow shit and general filth during our stay at the dairy farm. Seems like we will learn a lot here during our short stay. Our days are packed though, breakfast at 8am, begin working around 9. Break for lunch at noon-ish, and continue until 3-ish. No matter though, we both have a good feeling about this place and look forward to our short time here. We can only stay here until Saturday morning.
Friday, February 26, 2010
AMERICARNA
Feb 25th, 2010
AmeriCARna happens once a year in New Zealand. And we just so happened to be in Opunake the day over 700 American made cars roared into the sleepy little surf town and overtook the beach cove, their first stop on the North Island. As we drove into town that morning, we noticed the red, white, and blue balloons and streamers hanging from the lamp posts, the American flags lining the Surf Highway 45, and the people setting up along the road in front of their houses and figured something was up. After talking to some of the spectators, we were told that alot of these cars are shipped over from the U.S for the event. They drive all over the country, and they are heading south (just like us!). Anyway, we had to go check it out. Here are some of the pictures from the event...just another American cultural export!
CONUNDRUM OF A CONCIOUS CONSUMER
At the end of our daylight hours, we cook dinner and eat with Simon. Simon is surprisingly lively after working such a long day, and is always jazzed to talk with us. Our dinner conversations usually revolve around tourism, agri-policy, and their property. Simon had an organic farm in Ireland (he’s kiwi), where he sold his produce and supplied a restaurant there. He was certified organic for three years, then decided not to pay for the certification but still adhere to organic growing principles. They purchased the Wheturangi Homestead almost two years ago and are converting it to organic. They haven’t used any sprays since they took over and things seem to be sprouting up just fine. As in the U.S, it takes about three years to convert to organic certification status in New Zealand. Although Simon and Maria want to be able to live off their land, and maybe sell produce here and there, they do not have any plans to go through the certification process.
Before the introduction of man-made chemicals into the food supply, all food grown was organic. Now, foods grown or processed with chemical aides are called “conventional”, and the old fashioned way of growing food is called “organic”. For livestock to be called “organic”, they have to be fed an organic diet and not depend on the aide of antibiotics or hormones. Organic certification exists to distinguish those products that adhere to organic standards (generally, grown without chemical aides) and those that do not.
Organic foods are on the rise. Here in New Zealand, we have not come across Whole Foods-type super markets. I don’t think they exist here. For the most part, the only place you can get all organic food is in small, independently owned food stores that specialize in organics (and they are usually pretty expensive). However, since the industrialization of some organic goods (mostly milk, cereal, and corn products) they are readily available in the local supermarkets. Organic products are in higher demand than they were in the past, and therefore are attracting more producers. But can organic sustain the large scale?
Consider the ingredients of simple corn chips. If the organic corn is shipped from the U.S, and the organic oil used to cook the chips comes from New Zealand, and the product is sold in New Zealand, is it really organic? That corn had to be shipped over 7,000 miles. Consider the emissions required for that, especially when all of the components could have been grown in New Zealand. Peanuts are another good example of unnecessary food miles, at least here in New Zealand. We have been hard pressed to find organic nuts, or nut butters (which, I’m ashamed to admit, have been a staple in the diets of these two travelers) that did not come from China. This fact floors me even more when I look through the WWOOF book of possible hosts and at least half of them harvest nuts from their property. The label usually reads “made from local and imported ingredients”. Which really translates as 98% importe7 (nuts), 3% local (oil).
So, should my two examples of corn chips and peanut butter (they taste good together, by the way) really be considered organic? What does organic even mean? Is it enough just to know that the workers who harvest and produce organic goods, anywhere in the world, were not exposed to harmful chemicals? Would you choose to buy local conventional over imported organic? For the conscious consumer, these are very real questions. And judging by the increased popularity of organic products, and the supply and demand of food products in general, most of us are conscious consumers.
Before the introduction of man-made chemicals into the food supply, all food grown was organic. Now, foods grown or processed with chemical aides are called “conventional”, and the old fashioned way of growing food is called “organic”. For livestock to be called “organic”, they have to be fed an organic diet and not depend on the aide of antibiotics or hormones. Organic certification exists to distinguish those products that adhere to organic standards (generally, grown without chemical aides) and those that do not.
Organic foods are on the rise. Here in New Zealand, we have not come across Whole Foods-type super markets. I don’t think they exist here. For the most part, the only place you can get all organic food is in small, independently owned food stores that specialize in organics (and they are usually pretty expensive). However, since the industrialization of some organic goods (mostly milk, cereal, and corn products) they are readily available in the local supermarkets. Organic products are in higher demand than they were in the past, and therefore are attracting more producers. But can organic sustain the large scale?
Consider the ingredients of simple corn chips. If the organic corn is shipped from the U.S, and the organic oil used to cook the chips comes from New Zealand, and the product is sold in New Zealand, is it really organic? That corn had to be shipped over 7,000 miles. Consider the emissions required for that, especially when all of the components could have been grown in New Zealand. Peanuts are another good example of unnecessary food miles, at least here in New Zealand. We have been hard pressed to find organic nuts, or nut butters (which, I’m ashamed to admit, have been a staple in the diets of these two travelers) that did not come from China. This fact floors me even more when I look through the WWOOF book of possible hosts and at least half of them harvest nuts from their property. The label usually reads “made from local and imported ingredients”. Which really translates as 98% importe7 (nuts), 3% local (oil).
So, should my two examples of corn chips and peanut butter (they taste good together, by the way) really be considered organic? What does organic even mean? Is it enough just to know that the workers who harvest and produce organic goods, anywhere in the world, were not exposed to harmful chemicals? Would you choose to buy local conventional over imported organic? For the conscious consumer, these are very real questions. And judging by the increased popularity of organic products, and the supply and demand of food products in general, most of us are conscious consumers.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
PICTURES AS PROMISED
.JPG)
Well, the batteries in the digi-camera mysteriously powered up enought to take a few shots...the first and last pictures are of the property we are living on. The second is of Kris weeding the veggie garden with a fork, and the third is of Molly. Enjoy!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
WWOOF STAY IN URENUI
Feb 21st, 2010
We arrived at our next WWOOF stay in the rain, again. We are situated on a 10 acre lifestyle block (what the kiwis call a small farm, usually for personal use) a few kilometers inland from the coast among native bush. The Whangaru Homestead, it is called, is owned by a kiwi couple, Maria and Simon, along with their 1 yr old Australian terrier named Molly. We wake up to the rooster and all day we hear cicadas humming and their six Hereford cattle mooing. The cattle are especially vocal lately because Maria and Simon just added three calves, but the mooing really blends into the background. Maria is away for a few days organizing a cheese making class and Simon works 12 hr days as a seismic driller, so our calling was perfect timing for them!
This property is beautiful and quiet and just far enough away not to be too far from town. The town of Urenui is about 5km away and we are about 45 min from the nearest city, New Plymouth. Everything you could want is grown, or can grow, here. They recently discovered alot of clay here so Maria and Simon are researching earth houses. They also have plans to build a pizza oven with the clay and to host pizza-making courses here.
Our days consist of feeding the chooks (chickens), feeding Molly (who is a constant source of entertainment for both of us), weeding the veggie garden (the quintessential WWOOFer duty because weeding takes virtually no experience and always needs to be done; it can be meditating), harvesting veggies for the roadside stand (which is monitored by an honesty box), weed-eating along the roadside fence (one of the weed-eaters malfunctioned yesterday, leaving Kris to finish up while I moved on to other things), mowing the lawn (nothing worth parenthesizing about here, just pushing a lawnmower really), looking for surf (most days), and making dinner while Maria is away (Kris made delicious hamburgers last night using ground beef, or mince, from one of their cows slaughtered just outside on the paddock). And typing. All this amounts to about 5 hrs per day (minus looking for surf).
The expected work for a WWOOFer is between 4-6hrs/day, but even that is flexible depending on weather and need. This summer has been unusually wet and we have been working later in the day when the ground has dried out a little. Because we are in the trees, it is cooler here than when we stay closer to the coast. This morning is cool and calm and perfect for getting some reading/writing done.
Our digi-camera is out of batteries and we have yet to get film developed so pics will follow soon, but check Kris's blog (www.newsurfdialogue.com...it rocks!) for more pics. I think managed to snap a few of this place.
We arrived at our next WWOOF stay in the rain, again. We are situated on a 10 acre lifestyle block (what the kiwis call a small farm, usually for personal use) a few kilometers inland from the coast among native bush. The Whangaru Homestead, it is called, is owned by a kiwi couple, Maria and Simon, along with their 1 yr old Australian terrier named Molly. We wake up to the rooster and all day we hear cicadas humming and their six Hereford cattle mooing. The cattle are especially vocal lately because Maria and Simon just added three calves, but the mooing really blends into the background. Maria is away for a few days organizing a cheese making class and Simon works 12 hr days as a seismic driller, so our calling was perfect timing for them!
This property is beautiful and quiet and just far enough away not to be too far from town. The town of Urenui is about 5km away and we are about 45 min from the nearest city, New Plymouth. Everything you could want is grown, or can grow, here. They recently discovered alot of clay here so Maria and Simon are researching earth houses. They also have plans to build a pizza oven with the clay and to host pizza-making courses here.
Our days consist of feeding the chooks (chickens), feeding Molly (who is a constant source of entertainment for both of us), weeding the veggie garden (the quintessential WWOOFer duty because weeding takes virtually no experience and always needs to be done; it can be meditating), harvesting veggies for the roadside stand (which is monitored by an honesty box), weed-eating along the roadside fence (one of the weed-eaters malfunctioned yesterday, leaving Kris to finish up while I moved on to other things), mowing the lawn (nothing worth parenthesizing about here, just pushing a lawnmower really), looking for surf (most days), and making dinner while Maria is away (Kris made delicious hamburgers last night using ground beef, or mince, from one of their cows slaughtered just outside on the paddock). And typing. All this amounts to about 5 hrs per day (minus looking for surf).
The expected work for a WWOOFer is between 4-6hrs/day, but even that is flexible depending on weather and need. This summer has been unusually wet and we have been working later in the day when the ground has dried out a little. Because we are in the trees, it is cooler here than when we stay closer to the coast. This morning is cool and calm and perfect for getting some reading/writing done.
Our digi-camera is out of batteries and we have yet to get film developed so pics will follow soon, but check Kris's blog (www.newsurfdialogue.com...it rocks!) for more pics. I think managed to snap a few of this place.
Friday, February 19, 2010
TOWED AGAIN
Feb 17th, 2010
The rains keep coming, but have tapered off to a slow drizzle. We are still coming up short on surf or WWOOF stays on the east side so we decided to move west to the Taranaki region. We both need a shower and a change of scenery anwyay. We stopped along the way to call a few potential WWOOF stays and one was able to host us! It is so strange that we have been on a lush island where sheep outnumber people, and we cannot find surf, fresh fish, or lamb meat (but plenty of ocean chop, fried fish, and beef).
The highway around Mt. Taranaki follows the coast about 2km away from it, so there are no ocean views. On our first impression, the rain clouds hung so low there weren't many views of anything except fog! Pretty much every road you can take toward the coast will lead you there, so we turned on a couple to check out the surf. One road lead to a gated end so we turned around. And the van got stuck, spinning out on a slight slope covered in wet grass! This seemed like a perfectly fine place to turn our hunk-o-junk around, and would have been if it were not wet (or if it had an ounce of power). We were in front of a house so I walked up to see if I could use the phone (we have AA coverage, kind of like AAA). The door was open and the place was cluttered with trinkets and lace. A little terrier started barking before I could knock and was followed by a lean, middle aged man limping on a prosthetic leg with a large scar in the middle of his forehead. He quickly told me, with forced annoyance, that he’d seen us get stuck and that he had no phone, no cell phone, no tow rope and couldn’t help because of his leg. I said OK, no problem, sorry to bother you, and headed back to the car, but he had more to say. “And that’ll teach’ya for drivin’ all crazy!” Followed by other choice phrases. Whatever, this was the last yokel we wanted to deal with. Then he follows with, “Rodney might help you, he lives next door.” I thanked him for the tip and went next door. Rodney was just waking up after a "late-night" and his wife let us use her cell phone to call AA. Rodney was more accommodating than his neighbor, even excited to help because he just bought a little RAV-4, the 2-door kind, and wanted to see what it could do. That little thing was just enough to pull our piece-of-shit van out and get us back on the road. And then the freaky neighbor yelled at us again to stop drivin’ all crazy-like. Rodney offered us to clean up at his place, but we needed to press on. Many thanks to another kiwi savior!
The rains keep coming, but have tapered off to a slow drizzle. We are still coming up short on surf or WWOOF stays on the east side so we decided to move west to the Taranaki region. We both need a shower and a change of scenery anwyay. We stopped along the way to call a few potential WWOOF stays and one was able to host us! It is so strange that we have been on a lush island where sheep outnumber people, and we cannot find surf, fresh fish, or lamb meat (but plenty of ocean chop, fried fish, and beef).
The highway around Mt. Taranaki follows the coast about 2km away from it, so there are no ocean views. On our first impression, the rain clouds hung so low there weren't many views of anything except fog! Pretty much every road you can take toward the coast will lead you there, so we turned on a couple to check out the surf. One road lead to a gated end so we turned around. And the van got stuck, spinning out on a slight slope covered in wet grass! This seemed like a perfectly fine place to turn our hunk-o-junk around, and would have been if it were not wet (or if it had an ounce of power). We were in front of a house so I walked up to see if I could use the phone (we have AA coverage, kind of like AAA). The door was open and the place was cluttered with trinkets and lace. A little terrier started barking before I could knock and was followed by a lean, middle aged man limping on a prosthetic leg with a large scar in the middle of his forehead. He quickly told me, with forced annoyance, that he’d seen us get stuck and that he had no phone, no cell phone, no tow rope and couldn’t help because of his leg. I said OK, no problem, sorry to bother you, and headed back to the car, but he had more to say. “And that’ll teach’ya for drivin’ all crazy!” Followed by other choice phrases. Whatever, this was the last yokel we wanted to deal with. Then he follows with, “Rodney might help you, he lives next door.” I thanked him for the tip and went next door. Rodney was just waking up after a "late-night" and his wife let us use her cell phone to call AA. Rodney was more accommodating than his neighbor, even excited to help because he just bought a little RAV-4, the 2-door kind, and wanted to see what it could do. That little thing was just enough to pull our piece-of-shit van out and get us back on the road. And then the freaky neighbor yelled at us again to stop drivin’ all crazy-like. Rodney offered us to clean up at his place, but we needed to press on. Many thanks to another kiwi savior!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Feb 15th, 2010
We have now moved south to Mahia Penninsula to wait for another WWOOF stay. We contacted a couple places, but they were full and suggested we call back next week. So we figured we’d surf and study. Mahia is rarely without surf because the peninsula picks up swell from most directions, except for this weekend. We have been in the famed Mahia for two days now and in addition to choppy seas and high winds, it looks like a storm is making its way toward us. Today, we decided to drive about a half an hour east to Wairoa where we found a library to study in and power up the laptop. Because we are often without power, we have re-discovered hand-writing which is great because you can do it anytime. Reminds me of elementary school, hand cramps and all! We contacted a WWOOF stay in the Taranaki region on the west coast so looks like we are headed cross-country…
Still, at this point in our journey about the only fresh fish we have found is offered fried. Although we found some delicious fish & chips in Gisborne area, one can only eat so much fried fish; I think we have reached our limit for a while.
Here are a few pictures of Mahia. (sorry, can't figure out how to add captions to them. For now, I will just describe the pics at the end of my posts.)
LAST DAYS ON THE EAST CAPE
Feb 11th, 2010
Just as we were set to move along from Waipare Homestead, Kris and I got another WWOOFing opportunity on a vineyard close by, so we stayed in the area for an extra 5 or so days. Louia and the girls went to Auckland for the week so we opted to stay at the homestead and keep Scrubbs company. We really had a blast with Scrubbs, and the surf picked up for a couple of days! The three of us would wake up with a surf, go to the vineyard for 5 hours, eat, meet back up with Scrubbs for another surf, and then cook up a nice dinner.
The vineyard work consisted of moving down the rows clearing excess leaves to allow sunlight to get to the fruit and prepare for the application of bird nets. The job was fast-paced and our time passed rather quickly, but it sure made for rough, sore hands. In hindsight we should have asked for gloves. In all my years serving and drinking wine, I’ve never been to a vineyard so we welcomed the opportunity to help out for a couple days.
The vineyard produced merlot, chardonnay and muscat grapes. The muscat is organic and the others are simply no-spray. The owners would like to keep the option of applying a fungicide when molding occurs, a fairly common affliction among vineyards in this area. Because this was a short-term commitment (we worked the vineyard for 3 days), under pressure (they wanted to get the bird nets on pronto), there was not a lot of opportunity to ask questions. Although one morning Kris and I were driving in and saw a helicopter spraying crops over what looked like the vineyard, so we had to ask about their practices because we did not want to spend the day showered in pesticide. The copter was spraying a couple farms away, but being an airborne application I can’t help but wonder what if a big wind was to blow? Wouldn’t that spread the stuff on to other farms? (Note: I am only guessing that the spray was toxic.)
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
First WWOOF stay in Anaura Bay
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
Feb 3, 2010
We arrived at our first WWOOF stay in the rain. And it continued to rain for three days straight. The road was washed out after the first day of rain and the rivers rose beyond their limits. If the rain had continued another day, there would have been full-on floods. Our first morning brought some work though. The rains uprooted a tree (very strange to see, it was a live tree on flat ground) on the property which blocked the path to the orchard. The moisture also weighed down a trellis into the flower garden. So we had a lot of trimming and hauling to do the past few days.
The property we stay on is called Waipare Homestead in Anaura Bay. It was built in the 1880s by Colonel Porter who married a Maori princess. It is now owned by Scrubbs and Louia Blakeney with their two teenage daughters, Juliet and Honey Lee, a handful of cats, two dogs named Lady and Bum Bum, and a rabbit that died while we were there. The homestead feels like it has really grown into the land. The roof needs to be replaced, but the structure of the main house is solid. It is made of kaui wood which is a soft wood, but the house feels surprisingly solid. There are modern out houses and showers for us to use and surf breaks in the bay out in front of the house, that is, when there is surf. Because of the heavy rains, the shorelines are lined with drift wood and sea-plants and the waters are muddy. It looks like they’re made of chocolate…if only! But Anaura Bay looks cleaner than the other beaches we’ve seen along the coast. The weather is clearing up today and we’ll have more hauling and clearing to do over the next couple days.
This WWOOF stay is more like visiting a friend and helping out around the house. The garden is barely producing right now, but I imagine at one time it was quite productive and tended to. The orchard has a variety of apples, peaches and avocados and some mornings we drink tea from kawa kawa leaves which are abundant here. Every inch of his property has history, including the hosts. Scrubbs is a kiwi. He used to be an accountant in London, but retired at 30 and soon after became a New Zealand film producer, most notably for the film Utu. Now he is on the school board and loves to surf. Louia is a Maori mamma who loves surfers and rock’n roll. She is very involved with motivating local youth. Their two teenage daughters are obsessed with make-up and clothes, and are hilarious. They have been hosting WWOOFers for 15 years, and prefer to call them ‘visitors’. Everyday brings something new here, and the only schedule is that there is no schedule. Generally, guests and residents sleep when they want, eat when they want and play when they want. Unless Louia needs something done around that house, and even that is flexible. But there are always hands to help out. Currently, we are two of three visitors. We plan to leave by the end of the week because, really, we’d like to move on to more commercial farming. But it’s been nice to wait out the rains here and have had some great conversation with some of New Zealand’s knowledgeable locals.
PICS: Waipare Homestead from two angles, Kris and I working on the fallen tree, Anaura Bay
TOWED (this has nothing to do with food)
Jan 29th, 2010
Still no surf in Gisborne. We’ve had some bad car juju, but the engine seems fine. The day after we bought it in Auckland we got towed, the trunk lock started giving us trouble and we have tried about 80 different ways to put up curtains, with plenty of help and little success. Last night we tood a road that led to a marine reserve to park for the night. And got stuck in the sand. We tried for about 2 hrs to dig it out, which only seemed to help the van fall deeper. We tried jamming flat pieces of wood around the tires for traction, which didn’t work that well.
Covered in sand, I decided to put on my walking shoes and go for help when suddenly we saw headlights coming our way (it was dusk at this point). “Y’oll roight thea?” said the man in a big truck with a Department of Conservation logo on the side. “A little stuck.” I replied. “I know! I’ve been watching you from the camera.” He points to the top of the bluff and sure enough, there was a small camera on top of a long pole pointed straight at us. The man’s name was Jamie, a curly haired Kiwi who monitors the marine reserve via the camera for the DOC with his equally curly haired dog, who’s name I couldn’t understand. I imagined him and his cronies watching a monitor taking bets on our fate. “Saw yous diggin’, took dog out for a wok, came back and yous stull thea! I’ll tow y’aut! He says with a happy voice. (By the way, I’m trying my best to convey the Kiwi accent)
The towing process took a while. We broke 2 tow ropes, Jamie almost got stuck himself, and he had to go home for stronger rope. On the final pull, Jamie really went for it. Kris was behind the wheel and I was supervising the scene. Our van was hoisted out of the ditch. It fish-tailed and tipped onto the right two wheels, then flopped over on the left two wheels before it bounced to a stop. Our heavy van, which was barely budging out of the sand pit, all of the sudden looked like a feather in the wind. Kris got out of the car and I tried not to look totally freaked out. “I was not expecting that,” he said. We were out of the ditch, thanks to our Kiwi savior, and it only cost $20 to fix the bumper. I wish I got pictures after this, but our stuff shifted around so much that I couldn't find my camera.
The next day we received word from a couple of WWOOF stays. We have one set for mid-Feb so we will look for a place to take us short notice until then.
Still no surf in Gisborne. We’ve had some bad car juju, but the engine seems fine. The day after we bought it in Auckland we got towed, the trunk lock started giving us trouble and we have tried about 80 different ways to put up curtains, with plenty of help and little success. Last night we tood a road that led to a marine reserve to park for the night. And got stuck in the sand. We tried for about 2 hrs to dig it out, which only seemed to help the van fall deeper. We tried jamming flat pieces of wood around the tires for traction, which didn’t work that well.
Covered in sand, I decided to put on my walking shoes and go for help when suddenly we saw headlights coming our way (it was dusk at this point). “Y’oll roight thea?” said the man in a big truck with a Department of Conservation logo on the side. “A little stuck.” I replied. “I know! I’ve been watching you from the camera.” He points to the top of the bluff and sure enough, there was a small camera on top of a long pole pointed straight at us. The man’s name was Jamie, a curly haired Kiwi who monitors the marine reserve via the camera for the DOC with his equally curly haired dog, who’s name I couldn’t understand. I imagined him and his cronies watching a monitor taking bets on our fate. “Saw yous diggin’, took dog out for a wok, came back and yous stull thea! I’ll tow y’aut! He says with a happy voice. (By the way, I’m trying my best to convey the Kiwi accent)
The towing process took a while. We broke 2 tow ropes, Jamie almost got stuck himself, and he had to go home for stronger rope. On the final pull, Jamie really went for it. Kris was behind the wheel and I was supervising the scene. Our van was hoisted out of the ditch. It fish-tailed and tipped onto the right two wheels, then flopped over on the left two wheels before it bounced to a stop. Our heavy van, which was barely budging out of the sand pit, all of the sudden looked like a feather in the wind. Kris got out of the car and I tried not to look totally freaked out. “I was not expecting that,” he said. We were out of the ditch, thanks to our Kiwi savior, and it only cost $20 to fix the bumper. I wish I got pictures after this, but our stuff shifted around so much that I couldn't find my camera.
The next day we received word from a couple of WWOOF stays. We have one set for mid-Feb so we will look for a place to take us short notice until then.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Jan 25th, 2010
The drive from Auckland to Waihi beach took a leisurely 2 hrs. Waihi is a vacation beach town with proper amenities and a backwoodsy feel. In Auckland, access to internet available in certain spots, but since leaving the big, bustling city, internet has been virtually non-existent and people look genuinely puzzled when we ask where we can access it. (We get similar confusion when we ask where the library is. We are at a library further south in Te Puke right now and internet is $8NZD/hr, which is about $6USD/hr!!).
So, making do with what we had, we headed for the beach to look for surf. The waves were small and offshore winds were howling but we decided to park the van anyway. During our two nights here, we got a couple fun sessions in and went on a beautiful hike overlooking the sea. The small north lot we parked in was busy by New Zealand standards and after spending some time here, noticed how clean our surroundings were. The bathrooms were well ventilated, stone floors kept clean and there was always soap by the sink. There were two average sized garbage cans for the whole lot. We were here through the weekend and it is the last few days of the holiday season, so it’s not that people weren’t around. They were. With loads of beach gear and food. But with these basic facilities, this public beach was kept clear of plastic bottles and junk food bags. (I will note here that junk food is abundant as well as a wide variety of energy drinks.)
However clean Waihi beach is, they lack a market for fresh fish. We searched and found nothing. We asked around and got that confused look again (“I reckon you can find it in the sea!” replied the jolly bread man). This still seems odd to me. Why can we not buy fresh fish at a beach town? Surely there is a market for it, there are multiple fish and chips shops on and off the strip (one shop did sell fresh fish but they were “out until Tuesday”, which made me think they shipped it from elsewhere. And we missed the Sunday market so maybe it is sold there).
We are now in Te Puke, furiously using internet to post our blogs and move along. We have contacted a couple WWOOF farms further south in the Gisborne region and are waiting for a response. Pictures will be coming soon!
Jan 23rd, 2010
We have been adjusting to life here in New Zealand. I must say I had high expectations of what my experience related to food would be like…maybe a little too high. The weekly farmers markets we have come to depend on for our produce in Seattle have been hard for us to find here (but I am SURE they are around). Aside from a fresh produce shop in Auckland, we end up buying our food stuffs in an everyday, everywhere supermarket. The supermarket itself is a worldwide phenomenon and they all have the same components. Profit maximizing layouts (dairy and meat at the back of the store so you have to walk through isles of tempting, catchy stuff on your way to the necessities), bright fluorescent lights so the products glow, and consumer friendly muzak. I have been reading in the book Stuffed and Starved;the Hidden Battle for the World Food System by Raj Patel that there is actually an academic discipline devoted to “reconciling the facts of the retail environment with their perception by shoppers.” It is called the study of ‘atomospherics’.
I like to think that food distribution systems were originally developed in the best interest of consumers and farmers, but sometimes that is not the case. Take the history of the supermarket for example. Traditional grocery stores required a clerk that gathered groceries for each individual customer. The stores made little profit because overhead was relatively large. As the gold rush gave way to agriculture, self-service grocery stores began to gain popularity in the west. To further the transition, food prices skyrocketed after the US joined WWI and riots ensued in the east, putting more financial pressure on grocers. Then, in 1916, Clarence Saunders opened the first King Piggly Wiggly, where shoppers helped themselves to groceries by pushing carts through a designated path through the store. This cut labor costs considerably while taking advantage of the human tendency to take more than we may need because there are no limits set; all while exposing the customer to every item in the store. As time moves on, we see the ‘self-serving grocery store’ concept further profiting by taking advantage of economies of scale as the modern supermarket chains we all recognize the world over- Safeway, Whole Foods, Wal-Mart, etc.
We have been adjusting to life here in New Zealand. I must say I had high expectations of what my experience related to food would be like…maybe a little too high. The weekly farmers markets we have come to depend on for our produce in Seattle have been hard for us to find here (but I am SURE they are around). Aside from a fresh produce shop in Auckland, we end up buying our food stuffs in an everyday, everywhere supermarket. The supermarket itself is a worldwide phenomenon and they all have the same components. Profit maximizing layouts (dairy and meat at the back of the store so you have to walk through isles of tempting, catchy stuff on your way to the necessities), bright fluorescent lights so the products glow, and consumer friendly muzak. I have been reading in the book Stuffed and Starved;the Hidden Battle for the World Food System by Raj Patel that there is actually an academic discipline devoted to “reconciling the facts of the retail environment with their perception by shoppers.” It is called the study of ‘atomospherics’.
I like to think that food distribution systems were originally developed in the best interest of consumers and farmers, but sometimes that is not the case. Take the history of the supermarket for example. Traditional grocery stores required a clerk that gathered groceries for each individual customer. The stores made little profit because overhead was relatively large. As the gold rush gave way to agriculture, self-service grocery stores began to gain popularity in the west. To further the transition, food prices skyrocketed after the US joined WWI and riots ensued in the east, putting more financial pressure on grocers. Then, in 1916, Clarence Saunders opened the first King Piggly Wiggly, where shoppers helped themselves to groceries by pushing carts through a designated path through the store. This cut labor costs considerably while taking advantage of the human tendency to take more than we may need because there are no limits set; all while exposing the customer to every item in the store. As time moves on, we see the ‘self-serving grocery store’ concept further profiting by taking advantage of economies of scale as the modern supermarket chains we all recognize the world over- Safeway, Whole Foods, Wal-Mart, etc.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Greetings from Aotearoa, The Land of the Long White Cloud
Hi, and welcome to my blog!
After a smooth trip across the Pacific Ocean, we've arrived safely at our hostel (Bamber House in Mt. Eden) in Auckland, NZ. It's comfortably muggy and the sun is shining bright. Flying into Auckland reminded us of Seattle. This city is very green and interlaced with water. We are staying here for 5 days, during which time we will buy a campervan and set up our first farm stay. Stay tuned for more details on that...
I am really looking forward to posting about our farm stay experiences as well as issues related to food and food politics as it relates to my experience on organic farms here. I welcome and encourage your feedback on my posts. Are there topics you like, and would like to hear more about? Or did I leave something out? I'd love to hear from you all!
Thanks for visiting and stay tuned,
CC
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
