So... I've finally made it back! My minor hiatus from the blogging world (although I can't really say I was much of a contender to begin with...) has ended and I'm back with avengence. I'm even trying to get my travelblog up to date, and thats no mean feat, since I'm nearly 2 years behind with that! Its become a bit of a running joke between myself and Stacy, but I'm confident that I can get it back on track, though it does look like I've got a lot of computer time ahead of me!
Just over one week to go and I’m leaving New Zealand. I can’t believe how quickly my time here has gone. More momentous than that though, in exactly 2 months time I’ll be arriving back to England! After nearly 3 years away it’ll certainly be strange going back home, but at this moment in time I’m very much looking forward to it. As much fun as the travelling has been I’ll be glad not to live out of a backpack anymore, have a nice comfy bed to sleep in again (although I currently do have a bed to sleep in, I spent most of the last 3 weeks sleeping in a tent with not much in the way to cushion my poor body from the uncomfortable lumpiness of the ground and for my last week I’ll be sleeping on a sofa… though can’t complain cos it’ll be free!) and a range of clothes to choose from each morning – who would have thought I’d turn into such a girl?!
My current location is an organic farm about an hour outside of Auckland. Having given up my room in Auckland when myself and Stace went on our last adventure around the North Island for 3 weeks about a month ago, I knew I’d be coming back to Auckland homeless so I decided to go work on a farm for a week in return for accommodation and food. Not a bad deal when you think about it and it has certainly been a fantastic experience for me. Some might say enriching and enlightening! Wish I had done more of it while I’d been in NZ, but at least I got a chance to experience some farm-life. Its not actually as you might imagine, cows and sheep mooing and baaing in the background with the odd chicken clucking. Its actually a collective farm, owned by 8 individuals who mainly farm crops, although there is livestock on the farm but not so much of it. Alas, haven’t had the chance to realise my newly developed life long dream to milk a cow, perhaps I’ll find a cow to milk when I get back home to the UK?
Most of my chores have been on the land owned by the lady I’m staying with, helping her tend to her gardens and her own veg patch but I did get to do some pear picking in the collective pear orchard the other day. Only having to work 4 hours each day to earn my keep, I’ve had an awful lot of spare time and its been great being able to catch up on some reading (I’ve just finished reading Bangkok Tattoo and Bangkok Haunt by John Burdett) as well as letting my fingers loose on the piano in the house. As much as I miss the big city bustle, I could get used to the quiet life.
And on that note, time to get some sleep as I’m up early tomorrow to continue with my weeding! More blog soon.
