Chapter 3

I am still going strong in NZ.I made it to the South Island and am currently in Nelson with my good friends Brian and Kaitlin Tripi Fisher. For Thanksgiving Brian, Kaitlin, their flatmate Dan, and I put on a big feast for all of Dan's kiwi friends. It being my first Thanksgiving away from home I had to step into the kitchen and attempt to recreate something half as good as a meal that Mom, Beth, and Madalyn would make. The next farm I will be headed to is a vineyard/raw juice bar. For the past month I have been working at Maranui Organics, an organic pig farm. There I did a number of things, random things. There was a hunting competition one weekend so we went to the final ceremonies and acquired some hare and deer skins. After loading up a big heap of skins into the back of Andrew's truck we went back to the house and started the Braintanning process. Things I did: Austrian woodstackin(look it up), planted potatoes, made compost piles, and general pig work. From the experience I have decided that my favorite livestock to work with is pigs! We also set up a automated corn feeder outside of the pig hut, so know the pigs have something to worship. I also made a new jingle for Maranui, which can be found at maranuiorganics.com. It is in the video with the pigs by the lake. I know I have been slacking on the blog, but I will pick up the pace. Photos can be found on my Facebook so look them up and like them. Over and Out

Hey there folks

I just now finished at my 2nd farm and let me tell you, I learned a lot. For the entire month of OCtober I was in Matapouri working on  a small family farm. Klaus, a permaculture professor, is a German bloke who before coming to NZ he lived in Bolivia with his family for three years. Vanessa, the wife, is a homeopath and quite the cheese maker. Frida, the daugher, is a typical highschool girl who just recently  acquired her first boyfriend. He came over for dinner a few times and I was harsh on him on Klaus's hehalf. Klaus has an extensive garden, raises goats for milk, gorws banana and other fruits in a forest garden system. He has also set up a duckponics system, which in short is a duck pond on top of a hill that is drained periodically to fertilize the downhill crops.  I have been chewing a lot of cane remiding me of the pearl river, eatings lots of unpasturized milk products, innoculating lots of mushroom spores, and eating lots of cherimoya, afruit described by Mark Twain as "puerly delicious".Can't say I have not missed home. Klaus asked me to stay a little longer, but I really have been needing to shake the wonder dust off my boots. Next stop Wellington to see Kelly Ockwell, and then to an Organic pig farm!
Over and out

Photots on facebook

Put some photos on facebook. A new post coming soon and pics will be up on the blog soon.

Made it with no delays or inconveniences!

I have been quite busy since I arrived in New Zealand. I arrived in Auckland at 6 am on the 19th, there I spent the day just putzing around the city. I attempted to drop my pack off at the international hostel for the afternoon, but apparently they don't do that kind of thing. So for the whole day I carried my pack up and down the streets of Auckland, to the Auckland Domain, to the Maori museum, to the harbor,to the University, and everywhere else in between. Let me tell you Auckland ain't no Mayberry,it's darn right expansive. After all of my adventuring I posted up in a coffee shop, where I people watched and watched the History of Funk.Thanks for that one Moma. When 5:30 rolled around I met Greg,my first WWOOFing host, at the international hostel. Greg works at the Kiwi equivalent of Dunder Mifflin. Exciting, right? Jenny, Greg's wife, runs the farm, and is who I have been doing most work with. After making it to the farm we ate mussels and then I hit the sack. Quite a long day. More to come soon. Keep smiling!