Jan 30th

On Wednesday I left the farm and the Derecourt family behind and headed to Mount Maunganui (surf town on the east coast). From Mt Maunganui, my friend Geoff and I headed up the Coromandel Peninsula for a couple days of traveling. We saw some really amazing sights, like Opoutere beach, Cooks beach, Cathedral Cove, Whitianga, Coromandel Town, and kilometers and kilometers of car side ocean views. We ended up catching the sunrise on the east coast, and the sunset on the west coast all in one day. We went snorkeling…but didn’t see much (a few brown/grey fish, that’s about all).

As of now, we are back in Mt Maunganui and I have no plans until Wednesday when I will start WWOOFing at the Tahara Center in Taupo. Can’t wait!

Cathedral Cove (above and below)

Sunset over Coromandel Town (below)

Jan 20th

I have now landed safely in Ngaruawahia, New Zealand. It’s a little tiny town about 20 minutes from the city of Hamilton and about 40 minutes from the coast. The family that I’m staying with consists of: Don and Davina (dad and mom) and Martin (boy, age 6), Dallas (girl, age 5), and Chance (boy, age 4). They’re great. There are also two other WWOOFers currently staying here with us, they are: Tony from Wisconsin and Seema from Alabama. Its funny to have so many Americans in one place. It’s nice, we relate to each other really well, and they are both really cool.

On a daily basis we end up tending to their 2 pigs/5 piglets (so cute!), calves, chicken, roosters, turkeys, ducks, two dogs and the squirrelly children. We end up working about 4 hours a day, or up to 20 per week. They are extremely relaxed. For example, on Monday it was raining so I baked banana bread and chocolate chip cookies for my work. Don and Davina have a great sense of humor, so we get along just fine.

Jan 16th

Yesterday, after we were done working, my friend Keely and I drove to Hamilton to meet my other friend Kirill. The three of us then headed to a hot water beach in the little town of Kawhia. We picked up some fish and chips…first they forgot half our order, and second, it was disgusting!

We made it to the beach just in time. There was a family who had already found the hot spots in the sand, had dug out probably half a dozen holes, and were getting ready to leave. So we stole their holes and lounged in the hot springs for the evening. It was just like sitting in a hot tub…only smelled like sulfur. We ended up camping on the beach (up on level sand dunes). We built a fire, watched the sunset, and star gazed for most of the evening. It was by far one of the coolest things I’ve gotten to do in NZ, or ever. I’m SUCH a lucky girl!!

Jan 15th

So for the last two weeks I’ve just been hanging out in Raglan, and loving every minute of it. I have met some of the most wonderful people here. it’s a beautiful and relaxing little town, and I already can’t wait to come back someday. The landscapes and beaches are beautiful, and I’ve never seen so many stars in my life.

A group of us took a little trip to Bridal Veil Falls the other day. I felt like I was in a commercial for an exotic vacation. It was that amazing. Tonight, my friend Keeley and I are headed to a hot water beach to camp for the night. Supposedly you wait for high tide, then dig yourself a hole and sit in the hot springs. Fingers crossed it’ll be a success.

Sunday is my last day here at Solscape, but I have no doubts that I’ll be back again someday. For the next two weeks I’ll be staying on a little family farm about an hour inland from where I am now. I’m really excited to spend some time with a family and have a new adventure.

Just a picture of some of the crew: Pia, Kameron and Kiren.

Jan 9th

So I haven’t posted many blogs since about my first day here at solscape. And at that time, I still didn’t know what to think about it. It wasn’t what I had expected and I wasn’t so sure about everything. But now, after having been her for almost week, I can confidently say “I LOVE IT”. I finally feel like I’ve started this grand adventure that I set out to have.

For one, Solscape is a wonderful place. It’s very much nature at its best. Two, I’ve met some really great people here. They are mostly single travelers like myself, so once we’re done with work we have the whole day to play together. Three, Raglan is an absolutely beautiful place. On one side you have gorgeous black sand beaches, while on the other, rolling hills and volcanic mountains. I’ll have to post more pictures.

I wish you could all see it

This is where i'm staying. I live with a really sweet girl names Karin from Sweden. it's super small, but we make it work.

This is the Station House. its a big kitchen filled with everything you would ever need, and a lounge area thats always full of people looking to chat and talk about the world. last night we sat around a played games with people from the UK, Sweden, the states, Italy, Germany, Australia and France. i've learned a lot since i've been here.

This is the open-air kitchen for campers. it's so wonderful to have everything outside. being woken up in the morning by a rooster crowing and brushing your teeth under a big palm tree are some of the many reasons i love this place.

Jan 6th

Sorry for not posting this one earlier. But I’ve realized in the last few days (after talking to my various family members about this trip and how I’m doing, that I’ve explained a lot about where I am and what I’m up to, but nothing really about how it FEELS to be traveling half way across the world on my own. So I’m going to try my best to explain it.

Honestly, I'm having a sensational time. It’s true that I miss home pretty much all the time, but its rarely an aching need that I can’t satisfy. More so, now I’ve come to appreciate my family, friends and the life I have back in Minnesota in a different way. Sometimes (not often anymore) I feel anxious or even like I‘m drowning a little bit. It feels like I need to be doing something more productive with my time, although I can never figure out what that is. Sometimes I get lonely (like right after Christmas). But mostly that coincides with not having anything necessary to do, and not having many (or any) deeper connections with people here due to moving arouns a lot. Here at Solscape there are always people around and everyone feel like one big traveling family, its nice. I would say the biggest drawback to traveling on my own is: everything that I do, and everywhere that I go I wish I had someone to share the experience with. This country is one of the more amazing things I’ve experienced in my life and wish everyone I love you see it too.

92% of the time I feel like myself and am having a really awesome trip. And that percentage keeps growing everyday. I’m going through a lot of changes here, and learning a lot about myself. And sometimes that just takes a couple of days to adjust to. I am truly haveing the experience of a life time, and don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything at home (with the blizzard conditions and below zero temps). I feel as though this is exactly what I am supposed to be doing with my life at this very moment. It seems to just fit. And I’m good at it.

Jan 3

RAGLAN

I’ve officially landed in Raglan. It’s a beautiful town on one of the most famous surfing beaches in the world. The place I’m am currently WWOOFing is called Solscape. I’m staying in a little (and when I say little, I mean little) one room cabin type thing with two other girls. One if from Germany, the other is from Sweden, and they are both really nice. I start work in the morning, and from the sounds of it I’ll either be gardening or cleaning. It’s wonderful to have internet. I feel so free. So if anyone wants to skipe…just let me know. Ok. All for now.