more news from aotearoa

Hello all,

Greetings from kiwiland again. The helpX at Whitianga was interesting in a good way. Different from what i expected but was pretty enjoyable nonetheless.

Met some people there and got on pretty good terms with them. Was planning to go for Hawke's Bay's Food and Wine festival on the 29th so needed to arrive around the 27th for it. Planned to go up to Auckland with Bob (my host) to transfer onto a bus to Hastings but instead went with Coco and David to Te Puke since there was also a bus from there to Hastings.

Trip with them was great since they drove, they stopped at several places along the way, so got to see some sights, such as the giant L&P bottle, etc.

I went by the giant kiwi (Kiwi360) in Te Puke. It was pretty hilarious in a way. Stopped at Rotorua for 7 hours, so went to the museum while i was there. The air seriously smells of rotten eggs, despite not having any bubbly mud nearby - relatively anyway. Rotorua's museum was really interesting. Chronicles the building's history as a bathhouse, how the "natural hot spring" industry came about as well as the Maori 28th B Battlion (men who were mainly drafted from Rotorua and its neighbours). I had really good butter chicken at an Indian resturant while there. I asked for a cheese naan and half the butter chicken to be packed into a takeaway box.

So yup. At Hastings now. Had a bad start upon arrival. My phone died on the bus, and because i was meeting Fernanda and Marcarena at the bus stop there (they were coming on a bus from Auckland after collecting their extra luggages up there), i needed to call them to check where they were - their bus, supposed to arrive before mine arrived late. And, because i dont have the number or map of where the backpackers were, it was half panic mode. Anyway, i tried a payphone nearby - which was spoilt. The working one needed a card. Which obviously i didnt have.

I asked a lady nearby, who claims that she doesnt have a phone. Tried a group of men who claimed "it's an ipod" (despite it not have headphones attached to it), "oh, it's yadayadaya, why dont you try the noodle shop opposite the road". Went to noodle shop, boss was some hong kong guy who spoke limited english, smiled when i enter, asked for phone, started to shake head, "huh??", the staff told the boss in canto that i wanted to borrow the phone, the boss "replied saying he knows, but calling needs money" then he uttered something along the lines of sorry to me. Left, went into another 2 shops which didnt appear to have a phone, noticed group of men looking at my direction as i went around. Finally managed to get the call at a roast deli further down. Funny thing is that while i was walking from one shop to another, i noticed one of the 3 men in the group i approached checking the payphones. Like seriously wth. After i managed my call, one of the man came up to me to point out that i dropped some cards (not surprising, i had a backpack, a daypack and a camera case on me and the cards were in the open camera case). Urgh.

That wasnt the end of it, as of today, it's been "3 days of unfortunate incidents in Hastings". Toda's my 3rd day here.

Anyway, was initially planning to get a fruit picking job in Hastings, but before i left Purangi with Coco and David, i got a call from Glentanner Holiday Park in the South Island, near Mount Cook. They were offerring me a barista position at 15/hr (holiday pay inclusive) with stay at the park for 100/week (power included, laundry free). Which is a really good deal since most backpackers charge about 125/week + laundry = payable and horitculture jobs giving minimum pay of $12.75/hr (holiday pay exclusive). Was undecided about it since i wanted to go for WOMAD in Taranaki (North Island) BUT, due to the horrid encounters, i figure it's a sign that Hastings isnt my place, despite how much i wanted to like this place. Will be doing some stuff around Hastings and Napier then running off i guess.

Will be flying to Christchurch i guess. I've booked a $195 wine tour for monday. It's a full day tour (lunch inclusive) + the guide is apparently really good, so fingers crossed, hoping for the best !