I have spent a lot of time sorting out the centres website this weekend (blimey - my internet skills seem to come in handy everywhere!) The website is now finished: http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/lotusyog/ - pretty smart eh? It's wierd being back in front of the screen for long periods of time, but it gets me a break from hacking away at weeds. It's not all roses though - Ananda is suffering from a lack of attention so feels the need to pop in every 10 minutes to shake my chair, wave some toy in front of my face or scream falsetto. An only child through & through (he's not so bad really).
All in all I've settled in well and I'm enjoying myself - Cathryn likes to have someone to chat to about every day stuff, Eric is thoroughly relieved that he's finally found someone to sort out his website (last update:2002) and do some gardening and Ananda is just happy to have someone to give him piggybacks/listen to his rambling monologues and generally give him lots of attention. The food here is meat-free, egg-free, dairy-free, wheat-free and generally a bit fun-free - but Catheryn can make a mean bean salad/patty/bake so it's not too bad. The classes are good too - I've settled in to the relaxed style and am quite enjoying the lack of clenched muscles and pain. The hoards of 50-something ladies that clog up the drive with their cars and troop into the centre chatting away are all very friendly, though I often feel that I repeat the same conversation over and over.
I think I will leave on Tues or Weds - I have got a new rego for Rodney , but I really want to flog him soon, preferably before I need to get the WOF done. Then it'll just be me and my backpack again - hurrah!
Showing posts with label wwoof. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wwoof. Show all posts
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Day 213 - Paraparaumu
Well, this place is a little different!
Lotus Centre is run by an old boy called Eric and his wife Cathryn. They have 2/3 yoga classes a day (which are free to wwoofers) but which are of the army wavey, "relaaax" variety that is somewhat of a shock after bootcamp Paul's style. The couple have a precious 6-yr old named Ananda (which means 'bliss', poor kid is going to be tormented in high school) who, when he is not at school, is running around yelling "and you know what..." or "guess what..." and then launching into a 50 mile an hour dialogue that I inevitably get utterly lost in. Still, the place is neat and nice, and the town is pretty, so I don't think it will be hard to stay to the end of the week.
Rodney is due to have his new registration, so I have to nip down the post office afterward to get it sorted. I also have to buy him a new radio and get the key cut before I have any chance of selling him. What a palaver!
I must confess that after 7 months I am somewhat tired and wonderlusted out. Maybe when I am in Wellington I will put my flight forward a bit - I find the fact that I still have a few moths to go a tad daunting (not to mention expensive).
Lotus Centre is run by an old boy called Eric and his wife Cathryn. They have 2/3 yoga classes a day (which are free to wwoofers) but which are of the army wavey, "relaaax" variety that is somewhat of a shock after bootcamp Paul's style. The couple have a precious 6-yr old named Ananda (which means 'bliss', poor kid is going to be tormented in high school) who, when he is not at school, is running around yelling "and you know what..." or "guess what..." and then launching into a 50 mile an hour dialogue that I inevitably get utterly lost in. Still, the place is neat and nice, and the town is pretty, so I don't think it will be hard to stay to the end of the week.
Rodney is due to have his new registration, so I have to nip down the post office afterward to get it sorted. I also have to buy him a new radio and get the key cut before I have any chance of selling him. What a palaver!
I must confess that after 7 months I am somewhat tired and wonderlusted out. Maybe when I am in Wellington I will put my flight forward a bit - I find the fact that I still have a few moths to go a tad daunting (not to mention expensive).
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Day 206 - Rotorua
Rodney has risen (almost). One of the battery connectors had got a bit rusty, and all the shaking and banging around involved in driving down the bumpy lane to Paul's house had broken it. I bought a new one in town yesterday and replaced the broken one (with Pauls help)... and we have ignition - ish. The battery is a bit flat so it isn't starting, but it's making the right trying-to-start noise and I've put the battery on to charge, so fingers crossed!
Yesterday I went into town with Paul in the morning because of dead Rodney, and spent the day mooching around town and cleaning the studio whilst Paul did his practice (I'm just going to put my leg behind my ear... la-di-dah... now I'm going to stand on my hands for a few minutes... and so on). In the evening Paul had a pregnancy class. Linda and I attended, along with Paul's usual group of keen-beans (one of whom was a man) and 2 pregnant women. The practice was made all the more exciting by the fact that one of the pregnant women (possibly the most pregnant I have ever seen) had started having contractions that morning and had turned up to the class anyway! She worked her way through her poses determinedly, with the odd groan that sent Paul running over to check that she wasn't giving birth on the yoga mat.
Today I'm going to weed the lower orchard, do more fruit picking and pray that, once charged, Rodney will start (else I'm cycling to the yoga class)!
Later: Well, that was an interesting evening. Firstly - Rodney works! Yes, that is correct, we have ignition and forward motion - yipee.
It was blowing a gale when I left - the rain dementedly hurling itself to the ground in bucketfulls. Made it to the studio, all good, made it through the hard class without any injuries (how is it possible to sweat so much without moving?). Paul zoomed off for another class, so it's just us girls tonight.
I drove back with Linda following, and halfway down the lane to Paul's house I have to stop - the road is only blocked by a tree! Bugger. We get out of our cars to survey the situation and within seconds are soaked to the skin (yes, unfortunately it's still pissing it down). I look at the tree - it's pretty huge. I give it an experimental shove - it moves not a millimetre. I suddenly remember the chainsaw Paul used for cutting up trees, the one he leaves in the clearing just up the way. Linda runs and gets it and we spend the next 10 minutes shivering, cursing like sailors and trying to get the bloody thing started. No luck; no petrol. Linda yells "the axes!" I look at her, then the tree, then I run off and get the axes. It was a strange situation, let me tell you: it's dark, it's peeing with rain and Linda and I are on a muddy road, either side of a tree, taking it in turns to swing away at this stupid gum tree and yelling like loonies - that tree didn't stand a chance (thank goodness we had a bit of practice at chopping wood!). We cut a section off, heaved it aside, cut another section off, heaved that aside, cut away a few branches, then jumped in our cars and drove to the house, praying no more trees had fallen (we brought the axes just in case). Luckily they hadn't and thankfully I had already prepared a huge bowl of dhal soup and baked some bread earlier, so we were able to laugh about it over a warming meal. Boy, this place really has a monopoly on interesting experiences.
Yesterday I went into town with Paul in the morning because of dead Rodney, and spent the day mooching around town and cleaning the studio whilst Paul did his practice (I'm just going to put my leg behind my ear... la-di-dah... now I'm going to stand on my hands for a few minutes... and so on). In the evening Paul had a pregnancy class. Linda and I attended, along with Paul's usual group of keen-beans (one of whom was a man) and 2 pregnant women. The practice was made all the more exciting by the fact that one of the pregnant women (possibly the most pregnant I have ever seen) had started having contractions that morning and had turned up to the class anyway! She worked her way through her poses determinedly, with the odd groan that sent Paul running over to check that she wasn't giving birth on the yoga mat.
Today I'm going to weed the lower orchard, do more fruit picking and pray that, once charged, Rodney will start (else I'm cycling to the yoga class)!
Later: Well, that was an interesting evening. Firstly - Rodney works! Yes, that is correct, we have ignition and forward motion - yipee.
It was blowing a gale when I left - the rain dementedly hurling itself to the ground in bucketfulls. Made it to the studio, all good, made it through the hard class without any injuries (how is it possible to sweat so much without moving?). Paul zoomed off for another class, so it's just us girls tonight.
I drove back with Linda following, and halfway down the lane to Paul's house I have to stop - the road is only blocked by a tree! Bugger. We get out of our cars to survey the situation and within seconds are soaked to the skin (yes, unfortunately it's still pissing it down). I look at the tree - it's pretty huge. I give it an experimental shove - it moves not a millimetre. I suddenly remember the chainsaw Paul used for cutting up trees, the one he leaves in the clearing just up the way. Linda runs and gets it and we spend the next 10 minutes shivering, cursing like sailors and trying to get the bloody thing started. No luck; no petrol. Linda yells "the axes!" I look at her, then the tree, then I run off and get the axes. It was a strange situation, let me tell you: it's dark, it's peeing with rain and Linda and I are on a muddy road, either side of a tree, taking it in turns to swing away at this stupid gum tree and yelling like loonies - that tree didn't stand a chance (thank goodness we had a bit of practice at chopping wood!). We cut a section off, heaved it aside, cut another section off, heaved that aside, cut away a few branches, then jumped in our cars and drove to the house, praying no more trees had fallen (we brought the axes just in case). Luckily they hadn't and thankfully I had already prepared a huge bowl of dhal soup and baked some bread earlier, so we were able to laugh about it over a warming meal. Boy, this place really has a monopoly on interesting experiences.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Day 204 - Rotorua
Another busy weekend here in Rotorua. On friday Paul 'went bush' for the weekend leaving me and Linda to our own devices. We went shopping and stopped off for an Indian takeaway on the way home. The evening was a bit of a lazy one; we skipped our yoga practice to eat the takeaway then scoff icecream and watch a peculiar old Audrey Hepburn flick called Charade. So nice to relax and see a movie!
On saturday we had a grand spring clean. The place was a tad messy, so it took a while. I was on hoover duty had a great time chasing the cockroaches around the kitchen, mostly yelling things like "die cockroackes diiiieee" - dear me, not very oommm. Next we went to the recycling centre: sounds tedious but was actually pretty amazing (must be said that the UK's attempts at recycling seemed somewhat lame in comparison). For a start there were 5 bins for different plastic bottles alone, a plastic bag recycling bin and a rather cheerful young man employed as a glass bottle sorter. What can I say - I was impressed. In the afternoon we fired up the weed wacker and mower and did some 'cross country mowing' on the near-vertical fruit tree hill (my poor aching arms & legs). Then Paul turned up at about 6 and dumped a dead deer on the sideboard (guess I shouldn't feel guilty about my cockroach killing spree).
Yesterday was a bit more relaxing, I did a bit of gardening and went on a baking spree. I've discovered a new passion for cooking whilst I've been here. My biggest challenge is that if getting rid of the millions of beans that Paul has growing in his garden. My task is made harder by the fact that Paul doesn't actually like beans and has been known to fish them out of the nice soup/fried veg you've just prepared. Why he grows so much beans when he actively dislikes them is past me. There are also lots of courgettes, but I have a great courgette bread recipe, courtesy of Karissa, so they are slowly being used up.
So - this is now my last week. More of the same as last week and the week before I am sure. It'll be sad to leave, Linda has become a great friend and Paul is always good for laughs and random gems of wisdom. We're going to finish off my stay with a trip to the cave. Yes - the cave. We're going to go on friday and stay for a few days. Linda is coming too, so it should be fun - a good way to finish!
Zuccini Bread (that's American for courgette bread)
On saturday we had a grand spring clean. The place was a tad messy, so it took a while. I was on hoover duty had a great time chasing the cockroaches around the kitchen, mostly yelling things like "die cockroackes diiiieee" - dear me, not very oommm. Next we went to the recycling centre: sounds tedious but was actually pretty amazing (must be said that the UK's attempts at recycling seemed somewhat lame in comparison). For a start there were 5 bins for different plastic bottles alone, a plastic bag recycling bin and a rather cheerful young man employed as a glass bottle sorter. What can I say - I was impressed. In the afternoon we fired up the weed wacker and mower and did some 'cross country mowing' on the near-vertical fruit tree hill (my poor aching arms & legs). Then Paul turned up at about 6 and dumped a dead deer on the sideboard (guess I shouldn't feel guilty about my cockroach killing spree).
Yesterday was a bit more relaxing, I did a bit of gardening and went on a baking spree. I've discovered a new passion for cooking whilst I've been here. My biggest challenge is that if getting rid of the millions of beans that Paul has growing in his garden. My task is made harder by the fact that Paul doesn't actually like beans and has been known to fish them out of the nice soup/fried veg you've just prepared. Why he grows so much beans when he actively dislikes them is past me. There are also lots of courgettes, but I have a great courgette bread recipe, courtesy of Karissa, so they are slowly being used up.
So - this is now my last week. More of the same as last week and the week before I am sure. It'll be sad to leave, Linda has become a great friend and Paul is always good for laughs and random gems of wisdom. We're going to finish off my stay with a trip to the cave. Yes - the cave. We're going to go on friday and stay for a few days. Linda is coming too, so it should be fun - a good way to finish!
Zuccini Bread (that's American for courgette bread)
- 350 ml flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 100 ml sugar (don't need v. much)
- large handful of raisins (optional)
- large handful of nuts (optional)
- 350 ml zuccini (about 1 large courgette)
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 tsp vinegar
- a bit of water (if the mix looks too dry)
- 75ml oil
- 1 egg or (and I prefer it this way->) 1 ripe banana (blended)
Preheat oven 350/180. Mix together the dry ingrediants. Add egg/banana, sweetner, oil vinegar and vanilla and mix. Add zuccini (raisins and nuts too if you are using them) and mix well. If the mix is too dry, add a bit of water. Tip into a loaf tin (use cake tin if you don't have a loaf one) and cook for 40-50 min (until done
Later: Rodney is dead... long live Rodney
I get ready to go to class. I go to the van and sit in it. I turn the key. Kschuk...kschuck... I say some impolite words. I stomp into the garage and borrow Paul's spare battery and jump leads. I attach aforementioned leads and battery to Rodney's battery. I turn the key. Kschuk...kschuck... I scream with rage. I check the oil (fine), I unscrew the radiator lid (very gunky - but is that bad, and if so what the hell can I do about it?) I kick the car (poor Rodney). It doesn't work; the car is still dead, my hands are covered in gunk and rust and now my foot hurts.
Bugger... hope this doesn't cost a fortune to fix!!
Friday, March 09, 2007
Day 201 - Rotorua
Well - despite being somewhat inundated by asian tourists, the polynesian spa was great. After a few hours soaking in various ones of different temperature (the 42 degree one was the best) my feet went white and the top few layers of our skin had flaked off (niice). Afterward we went to the beauty boutique and slathered ourselves in the samples of cream. All in all an affordable day of pampering (and we didn't even smell that bad afterward!).
The next day we got up early and I drove the girls into town for a coffee before heading off to class. They were hitching up to Mahamudra, of all places, so I dropped them off north of town and left them hopefully thumbing cars as I went back to town.
Filled with positive energy after a good class (the hot water must have loosened my muscles), I decided to stop putting off the inevitable and visit the 'wheel dealer' on the way home. Rodders' front tyres looked a bit bald and he was in desperate need of a new lock. Half an hour later and it's official, NZ car mechanics are the best. The wheel dealer guy took a look at my tyres and said "Nah mate, those are ok, you'll pass your WOF no problem with those" (WOF is the NZ version of MOT). I showed him the missing lock and he suggested I go visit the car wreckers up the road. I did and met a charming guy called Chris who, after expressing his disgust at car thieves ("Ah mate, that's terrible") sent me further up the road to a bigger car wreckers (Chris' place didn't deal with vans) to visit his mate Clive, - he even phoned up the place to warn Clive that I was coming! Clive had a look out the back and handed me the lock - I gave him a blank look - he explained that I had to go to get it keyed (get a key made that fitted to the lock), then fit the lock into the door myself. Soo - I drove back, took off the door panel and fitted the lock in the door. I don't have a key for it yet - I'll get that sorted when I find a locksmith, but Rodney is now secure again (I just have to clamber in the passenger door every time I want to drive).
Today I've been hauling the mower round the near-vertical fruit tree hill and mowing down the waist high weeds that grow everywhere. Very satisfying, but my back is hurting again - guess I'll have to take it easy this afternoon and chop up some fruit for the dehydrator.
Paul is away at the cave this weekend, but Linda and I will do something fun like rent some films or go horseriding (btw: for those of you who are confused about all the people here: Linda is here permenantly, she rents a room from Paul).
The girls e-mailed me yesterday, they successfully made it to Thames. They took lots of amusing pictures of us cutting wood/climbing trees/gardening on their last day, so when they upload them I'll link them into my page and you can have a good laugh. They tried to get a picture of Paul too, but he ran away - hilarious.
Anyway - I have to get on and arrange my next stop now. I'm planning to be here until the end of next week (ish), and then I'll head south to Wellington and then over the South Island. Chris and Karissa are heading south too - so maybe we'll be able to meet up and go on a bit of a road trip... who knows.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Day 199 - Rotorua
So exciting.... yesterday me and the girls were limping around like cripples (too much grunt work and hard yoga) so today we've rebelled and are skipping class to go to the polynesian spa. Rotorua is a very thermal place - the eggy smell of sulpher permenently hangs around and as you drive into the centre, the rising smoke makes it look like tens of fires are burning. With all this bubbling mud comes... natural hot springs. We are going to stink like rotten eggs for a week afterward - but my muscles need the heat, so it's going to be worth it.
Monday, March 05, 2007
Day 197 - Rotorua
Well, I've been here over a week now. It's going well, my body is slowly getting used to the fact that it only gets to sit itself down during mealtimes and meditation (the latter of which is not exactly relaxing) and has just about recovered from getting into scorpion pose in my practice on sunday (see picture on the right - can you feel my pain?)I'm getting on really well with Paul, Linda and the girls also, so it will be very sad when Chris and Karissa go on thursday. We have got a lot of jobs to do in the garden today, so we'll be busy, but we will try to get some amusing pictures.
Oh, and during our intense double yoga class in town last night someone popped the lock on the drivers door and made off with the CD player, an Abba CD and my make-up. Scary visions of a cross-dressing thug dancing to Gimme Gimme Gimme...
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Day 194 - Rotorua
After shaky beginnings, I've settled in and having such a great time...
On Wednesday the wwoofers arrived; Chris and Caresa from the USA. They both met at the Kapala (spelling?) yoga centre in the US when they were both volunteering there. They are great fun, chilled and down to earth, and we all get along really well. They both have been in the yoga world for much longer than me, and really know their stuff, so we've all been having some fascinating long discussions about life, the universe and everything. The yoga practice itself is actually getting a bit easier - I think my muscles are beginning to get used to the fact that a yoga lesson is no longer a time to relax and stretch but instead work bloody hard each one of them. The girls are more disciplined than me and have their own practice - so I've been joining in - nothing hard core, just a little pranayama and chilled out yoga in the morning (meanwhile Paul is perched calmly in handstand, or sitting with a foot behind his head).
Paul really is a bit of a character; childish old man mixed with yoga hippy. He's always hopping around with lots of energy and going bouncing off to chop wood or shoot possums. Every now and then he hikes off into the bush to his cave where he stays and goes all spiritual for a few days ("man, and one time I was lying there all blissed out when this rat crawled up me and bit my ear, a I was like okaaay"). He's been encouraging us to go stay in the cave for a few days to meditate "you have a stream and you make a fire - I left one danish woman there for 9 days and she started hearing things and thinking the trees were out to get her - I mean... far out maan". He's also got a huge library of amazing books that we are picking our way through, and an awesome 70's music collection we groove along to when we are slicing the fruit we picked for the dehydrator.
So, all is good, yoga is good, muscles hurt less, mind is expanding and I'm learning how to chop wood and drive a trailer around. It's awesome maan. Who knows - a week in a rat infested cave next? Hmm, maybe not.
On Wednesday the wwoofers arrived; Chris and Caresa from the USA. They both met at the Kapala (spelling?) yoga centre in the US when they were both volunteering there. They are great fun, chilled and down to earth, and we all get along really well. They both have been in the yoga world for much longer than me, and really know their stuff, so we've all been having some fascinating long discussions about life, the universe and everything. The yoga practice itself is actually getting a bit easier - I think my muscles are beginning to get used to the fact that a yoga lesson is no longer a time to relax and stretch but instead work bloody hard each one of them. The girls are more disciplined than me and have their own practice - so I've been joining in - nothing hard core, just a little pranayama and chilled out yoga in the morning (meanwhile Paul is perched calmly in handstand, or sitting with a foot behind his head).
Paul really is a bit of a character; childish old man mixed with yoga hippy. He's always hopping around with lots of energy and going bouncing off to chop wood or shoot possums. Every now and then he hikes off into the bush to his cave where he stays and goes all spiritual for a few days ("man, and one time I was lying there all blissed out when this rat crawled up me and bit my ear, a I was like okaaay"). He's been encouraging us to go stay in the cave for a few days to meditate "you have a stream and you make a fire - I left one danish woman there for 9 days and she started hearing things and thinking the trees were out to get her - I mean... far out maan". He's also got a huge library of amazing books that we are picking our way through, and an awesome 70's music collection we groove along to when we are slicing the fruit we picked for the dehydrator.
So, all is good, yoga is good, muscles hurt less, mind is expanding and I'm learning how to chop wood and drive a trailer around. It's awesome maan. Who knows - a week in a rat infested cave next? Hmm, maybe not.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Day 191 - Rotorua
I've settled in here already. At first it was a bit like 'oo-er, not sure that I can last a few days let alone a few weeks', but now I think I'll stick it out. Paul, Linda and I have already set into a groove - despite being 60, Paul has a very kiddish sense of humor, so we all joke along merrily.
This is my day: I get up about 7ish and have breakfast, then I take the kitchen scraps to the chickens and, whilst they are fighting over the leftovers I sneak in the henhouse and grab their eggs. Then I do about 4-5 hours of gardening/maintenance stuff - not always gentle, this morning I spent 4 hours in the bush hauling logs about. Then I eat and relax. Then drive Rodders into town, praying that this time I won't go shooting off of the bumpy track to land in a tree somewhere. In town I pootle around a bit & go on the internet before Paul's class at 5.30. Class finishes at 7, or 9 if it is a double, and afterward I drive back in the dark, still praying that I won't go shooting off of the bumpy track. Then we eat a huuge meal, then meditate, then I go to my bed and sleep.
It's all busy - maybe all this hauling butt will burn off my spare tyre ;-). The new wwoofers are meant to be coming tonight - it's v. exciting. Now I'm going to go - time for the buuurrnn, plus I have nothing else to write (you're all going to get very bored reading this the next 10 days or so)...
This is my day: I get up about 7ish and have breakfast, then I take the kitchen scraps to the chickens and, whilst they are fighting over the leftovers I sneak in the henhouse and grab their eggs. Then I do about 4-5 hours of gardening/maintenance stuff - not always gentle, this morning I spent 4 hours in the bush hauling logs about. Then I eat and relax. Then drive Rodders into town, praying that this time I won't go shooting off of the bumpy track to land in a tree somewhere. In town I pootle around a bit & go on the internet before Paul's class at 5.30. Class finishes at 7, or 9 if it is a double, and afterward I drive back in the dark, still praying that I won't go shooting off of the bumpy track. Then we eat a huuge meal, then meditate, then I go to my bed and sleep.
It's all busy - maybe all this hauling butt will burn off my spare tyre ;-). The new wwoofers are meant to be coming tonight - it's v. exciting. Now I'm going to go - time for the buuurrnn, plus I have nothing else to write (you're all going to get very bored reading this the next 10 days or so)...
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Day 190 - Rotorua
I started my yoga wwoof yesterday. The setup basically revolves around a guy, called Paul, who runs a studio in town and has a big organic garden back at his house outside of town. The plan is that you do gardening in return for accomodation, and pay a bit if you want to attend the yoga lessons in town (I've attended so far - justifying the cost by the fact the food is included and the cost for a weeks lessons is what I'd normally spend on a weeks food).
I went to a lesson yesterday. Charming old man turned into yoga dictator. "Lift your front thigh muscle, calf goes to the left, tense left stomach right stomach front stomach back stomach, TENSE YOUR ARMS KATIE" aaargh. I've never had a more hard core yoga lesson in my life - or one in which I had to think so hard! Who knew there were so many muscles all having apparently to tense in opposite directions for even the most simple moves (e.g. standing upright). After theknackering lesson I followed Linda, another person staying, to Paul's house. The house is only 15min drive from Rotorua, but is out in the bush so to get to it you have to drive down the longest, bumpiest road ever imaginable. Just when I thought I'd been lead on a wild goose chase, we turned a bend and were there.
The house is built by Paul, and made of wood (they like their self builds here). I have a big room all to myself as I am the only wwoofer at the mo (more coming tomorrow). The house has a big garden, a cat about 15 chickens. The cat is a sweetheart, but got off on the wrong foot when it decided to leave rabbit guts on the floor of my room (niice). The chickens are stupid, but they eat all the weeds I pull up when I'm gardening - and produce nice eggsin exchange.
Looking forward to meeting other wwoofers tomorrow. Not really looking forward to 3 hours of muscle-flexing, sweat-inducing yoga later *sigh*. Still, I'm sure I'll feel very virtuous afterward, and after a while of letting Rodders do all the hard work, I probably need the exercise!
I went to a lesson yesterday. Charming old man turned into yoga dictator. "Lift your front thigh muscle, calf goes to the left, tense left stomach right stomach front stomach back stomach, TENSE YOUR ARMS KATIE" aaargh. I've never had a more hard core yoga lesson in my life - or one in which I had to think so hard! Who knew there were so many muscles all having apparently to tense in opposite directions for even the most simple moves (e.g. standing upright). After theknackering lesson I followed Linda, another person staying, to Paul's house. The house is only 15min drive from Rotorua, but is out in the bush so to get to it you have to drive down the longest, bumpiest road ever imaginable. Just when I thought I'd been lead on a wild goose chase, we turned a bend and were there.
The house is built by Paul, and made of wood (they like their self builds here). I have a big room all to myself as I am the only wwoofer at the mo (more coming tomorrow). The house has a big garden, a cat about 15 chickens. The cat is a sweetheart, but got off on the wrong foot when it decided to leave rabbit guts on the floor of my room (niice). The chickens are stupid, but they eat all the weeds I pull up when I'm gardening - and produce nice eggsin exchange.
Looking forward to meeting other wwoofers tomorrow. Not really looking forward to 3 hours of muscle-flexing, sweat-inducing yoga later *sigh*. Still, I'm sure I'll feel very virtuous afterward, and after a while of letting Rodders do all the hard work, I probably need the exercise!
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Day 183 - Colville
I haven't written in a while because I've been at the centre, with the only internet connection nearby in the 'town' of Colville (one shop, about 3 houses) - and that has an agonising 1/4 hr per pageload.
It's very nice here, I'm feeling very calm and ooomm. Sarah gave me a lift back on thursday, and I met Fiona, from England, who had been there a few days, and Ellie, from NZ, who had just arrived. We got on really well, and over the next few days we all mucked in with the chores, and spent the afternoons chatting away over coffee and cake in a cafe in Coromandel, or relaxing on Wahiki beach, just down the road. Sunday was Losar, Tibetan new year, and everyone took part in the ceremonies (puja, light offerings, lots of chanting). We only had one meal (part of the vows for Losar), at lunch, but we had a big feast and all scoffed ourselves silly, afraid that we wouldn't make it til breakfast the next day.
In the afternoon, a Czek couple turned up and Alice & Patrik, who's friends they were, told me they were desperate to sell their campervan as they were flighing to Samoa the next day. They were selling it for a bargainous $1500, with bed, cooking gear and body boards. I took it for a test drive (seemed ok) and bought it! I can use it to drive round the north island and then sell it in Auckland afterward for a profit. It is so nice to have the freedom to drive wherever I want!
I'm leaving tomorrow, driving across the peninsula to Whitianga. So will post an update and some piccies tomorrow!
Update: Here are the piccies as promised, ones of the van to follow...
After climbing up a huuge hill (as you can see - it's a bit windy!)
View of Coromandel Town from the top
Th peninsula coastline, north toward Colville
Lazing on Wahiki beach with Ellie (see - I do have a bit of a tan)
Fiona heads to the sea
It's very nice here, I'm feeling very calm and ooomm. Sarah gave me a lift back on thursday, and I met Fiona, from England, who had been there a few days, and Ellie, from NZ, who had just arrived. We got on really well, and over the next few days we all mucked in with the chores, and spent the afternoons chatting away over coffee and cake in a cafe in Coromandel, or relaxing on Wahiki beach, just down the road. Sunday was Losar, Tibetan new year, and everyone took part in the ceremonies (puja, light offerings, lots of chanting). We only had one meal (part of the vows for Losar), at lunch, but we had a big feast and all scoffed ourselves silly, afraid that we wouldn't make it til breakfast the next day.
In the afternoon, a Czek couple turned up and Alice & Patrik, who's friends they were, told me they were desperate to sell their campervan as they were flighing to Samoa the next day. They were selling it for a bargainous $1500, with bed, cooking gear and body boards. I took it for a test drive (seemed ok) and bought it! I can use it to drive round the north island and then sell it in Auckland afterward for a profit. It is so nice to have the freedom to drive wherever I want!
I'm leaving tomorrow, driving across the peninsula to Whitianga. So will post an update and some piccies tomorrow!
Update: Here are the piccies as promised, ones of the van to follow...
After climbing up a huuge hill (as you can see - it's a bit windy!)
View of Coromandel Town from the top
Th peninsula coastline, north toward Colville
Lazing on Wahiki beach with Ellie (see - I do have a bit of a tan)
Fiona heads to the sea
Friday, February 09, 2007
Day 171 - Colville
I'm back in the cool hippy cafe in Coromadel - Egypt gave me a lift and next we are going to the beach, can't wait to swim! The weather is glorious today; bright sunshine and the crickets are all chirruping away happily. Life is good.
Had a great time last night. The pot luck was held in a meeting room of the commune: a huge area of land owned by about 16 quirky old people. We watched the sun go down from the edge of the hill - the view was amazing - then perched on the wooden steps of the meeting room and lit a fire. We drank and chatted for hours, it was great. Below are the pictures of the view and the sunset.
This is a picture from when we climbed the hill behind the centre. It was really wet and windy - reeally bad conditions for climbing. You can see Mahamudra in the background.
And this are some from today - just before Colette and Laura left...
Colette, Laura and Egypt on the swing seat
Colette and Sandra in the Gompa (meditation room)
Had a great time last night. The pot luck was held in a meeting room of the commune: a huge area of land owned by about 16 quirky old people. We watched the sun go down from the edge of the hill - the view was amazing - then perched on the wooden steps of the meeting room and lit a fire. We drank and chatted for hours, it was great. Below are the pictures of the view and the sunset.
This is a picture from when we climbed the hill behind the centre. It was really wet and windy - reeally bad conditions for climbing. You can see Mahamudra in the background.
And this are some from today - just before Colette and Laura left...
Colette, Laura and Egypt on the swing seat
Colette and Sandra in the Gompa (meditation room)
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Day 170 - Colville
Greetings and salutations from the Coromandel Peninsula.
This is the first time I've been able to access the internet for 4 days - quite exciting. There's actually been a change of plan already and I am now helping out at the Mahamudra Buddhist Centre in Colville. This is due to the fact that I rang every single Wwoof place in Whitianga only to find out they were all full! Must be high season in Whitianga. So I resorted to Plan B and rang the centre and found out that they had room and were desperate for people to help out because they had a lama visiting from Tibet.
Bit of a mission getting here. My bus was not going to Coromandel, and NZ public transport being what it is, I had a mission impossible to get to the centre. First I batted my eyelashes at my bus driver to get him to stop in Byron where I changed over to a different minibus heading to Coromandel. In Coromandel I stayed for a night in a random African-inspired hostel before getting a lift with the postman to the centre the next morning. Carl was not quite your typical postman - big & beefy and wearing a grubby vest. His freckled 8 year old son sat between us and asked me questions about animals in India and Australia, and told me he wanted to be "a racing car driver slash secret agent" when he grew up. Both were very entertaining, and I was dropped off at the centre with a "byeee, enjoy being a monk-ess" at about 10.
The centre is a lovely place, with a big green garden. The odd shaven-haired old nun wonders around, wrapped in maroon. And us wwoofers are there to break the silence with our cackling and do all the washing and cleaning. Luckily having fun is not frowned on, so time has gone quickly. The first 2 days were manic: because the visiting Lama was giving lectures, the place was full of visiting nuns and people staying for the 4-day course of lectures, all needing cleaning up after
Luckily the lectures are finished now and the place is a bit quieter. I'm really enjoying myself; we all work in the morning and chill out in the evening. The people are so fascinating - ranging from friendly to wonderfully bizarre, and I've already had lots of fun and had many random conversations.
Tonight is a pot-luck meal leaving party - a bunch of us are going out to a commune near the sea, so we'll stuff ourselves silly and have a good time before Colette and Laura leave in the morning. I'm planning to stay here til tuesday :- I've received a call from John and Jean (my grandmothers old beau and his wife), so I've promised to visit them in Orewa on tuesday. Soo, I'm going aaall the way back to Auckland... at least the bus is cheap.
I am getting very jealous of the people with cars. Most people wwoofing own one (as many of the placements are very isolated), and being stuck out here makes them seem more and more appealing. A campervan has come up for sale for $2100 (bout 750 pounds) and I am sooo tempted. It would be amazing to zoom around to all the little places I can't get to by bus... plus I'll save money on accomodation as I can sleep in the van. Well, we'll see...
It'll probably be a few days before I write again - the 'town' of Colville has only 1 shop and 1 pub so, as you can imagine, internet cafe facilities aren't so great. I'll just hitch a lift with the next lovely person with a car to go to Coromandel!
This is the first time I've been able to access the internet for 4 days - quite exciting. There's actually been a change of plan already and I am now helping out at the Mahamudra Buddhist Centre in Colville. This is due to the fact that I rang every single Wwoof place in Whitianga only to find out they were all full! Must be high season in Whitianga. So I resorted to Plan B and rang the centre and found out that they had room and were desperate for people to help out because they had a lama visiting from Tibet.
Bit of a mission getting here. My bus was not going to Coromandel, and NZ public transport being what it is, I had a mission impossible to get to the centre. First I batted my eyelashes at my bus driver to get him to stop in Byron where I changed over to a different minibus heading to Coromandel. In Coromandel I stayed for a night in a random African-inspired hostel before getting a lift with the postman to the centre the next morning. Carl was not quite your typical postman - big & beefy and wearing a grubby vest. His freckled 8 year old son sat between us and asked me questions about animals in India and Australia, and told me he wanted to be "a racing car driver slash secret agent" when he grew up. Both were very entertaining, and I was dropped off at the centre with a "byeee, enjoy being a monk-ess" at about 10.
The centre is a lovely place, with a big green garden. The odd shaven-haired old nun wonders around, wrapped in maroon. And us wwoofers are there to break the silence with our cackling and do all the washing and cleaning. Luckily having fun is not frowned on, so time has gone quickly. The first 2 days were manic: because the visiting Lama was giving lectures, the place was full of visiting nuns and people staying for the 4-day course of lectures, all needing cleaning up after
Luckily the lectures are finished now and the place is a bit quieter. I'm really enjoying myself; we all work in the morning and chill out in the evening. The people are so fascinating - ranging from friendly to wonderfully bizarre, and I've already had lots of fun and had many random conversations.
Tonight is a pot-luck meal leaving party - a bunch of us are going out to a commune near the sea, so we'll stuff ourselves silly and have a good time before Colette and Laura leave in the morning. I'm planning to stay here til tuesday :- I've received a call from John and Jean (my grandmothers old beau and his wife), so I've promised to visit them in Orewa on tuesday. Soo, I'm going aaall the way back to Auckland... at least the bus is cheap.
I am getting very jealous of the people with cars. Most people wwoofing own one (as many of the placements are very isolated), and being stuck out here makes them seem more and more appealing. A campervan has come up for sale for $2100 (bout 750 pounds) and I am sooo tempted. It would be amazing to zoom around to all the little places I can't get to by bus... plus I'll save money on accomodation as I can sleep in the van. Well, we'll see...
It'll probably be a few days before I write again - the 'town' of Colville has only 1 shop and 1 pub so, as you can imagine, internet cafe facilities aren't so great. I'll just hitch a lift with the next lovely person with a car to go to Coromandel!
Friday, February 02, 2007
Day 165 - Onerahi
My last day at David and Lyndsy's farm today - I catch the bus back to Auckland tomorrow. I'm definately going to miss my big bedroom and balcony, and being cooked excellent food every evening (if this is what all wwoofing is like, I'm definately a fan).
Apart from becoming an expert grass-puller and wood-chipper, I've also learned some good cooking tips from Lyndsay (who is Chinese): e.g. you can stir fry lettuce (tastes good), pumpkin leaves and stems can be dumped in the wok too, and you can make authentic sweet and sour sauce using only soy sauce, rice vinegar and sugar. Also learned some interesting things about diet and health whilst reading my way through David's literature: What Doctors Don't Tell You is the most memorable read (thay have a website) - some of the information is really quite scary.
I've now started flicking through my wwoof booklet to find my next location... exciting!
Below are some pictures from my balcony:
Sunset
During the day (the piddly trees are the mandarin orchard that we later mulched, and the lake behind is great for swimming)
Apart from becoming an expert grass-puller and wood-chipper, I've also learned some good cooking tips from Lyndsay (who is Chinese): e.g. you can stir fry lettuce (tastes good), pumpkin leaves and stems can be dumped in the wok too, and you can make authentic sweet and sour sauce using only soy sauce, rice vinegar and sugar. Also learned some interesting things about diet and health whilst reading my way through David's literature: What Doctors Don't Tell You is the most memorable read (thay have a website) - some of the information is really quite scary.
I've now started flicking through my wwoof booklet to find my next location... exciting!
Below are some pictures from my balcony:
Sunset
During the day (the piddly trees are the mandarin orchard that we later mulched, and the lake behind is great for swimming)
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Day 162 - Onerahi
Today the orchard mulching was finally finished (hurrah, no more woodchipping) and in the afternoon we went to a local beach and I managed to swim in the sea (blinkin freezing) and burn a nice red stripe across my back where I missed applying suncream. Don't know what my jobs for tomorrow wil be, probably fruit picking (pick one, scoff one, pick one, scoff one).Think I may have to chill out in Whangerai for a few days before working on another farm, not having lots of people around to socialise with is driving me stir-crazy (resorting to long ramblings on my blog to reconnect with outside world).
Monday, January 29, 2007
Day 161 - Onerahi
Boy, just finished my second day of work and I'm bushed. It's not like I even have to do that much - it's just so hot!
I've already got into a routine: I get up about 8am ish, and have breakfast and a cup of coffee. Then I sit about reading and relaxing before starting work about 9.30 - at which time I put on ear protectors, goggles and gloves and tramp down to the tractor where a huuuge pile of branches awaits. For 2 hours I feed the branches into the woodchipper until my tshirt is soaked in sweat, I have permenant goggle marks and my arms are numb from pushing stubborn logs in as they shake and vibrate about. And the pile doesn't get smaller as David keeps chainsawing new bits off the tree and dragging them up to me. We stop at about 11 for a tea/water break and chill out till I feel human again. Then we go back out again for more woodchipping, or to lay cardboard and newspaper round the baby orange trees before piling the mulch (woodchips) on top. The theory being that the nasty crawling grass underneath (horrible stuff, not like the grass we have in England) will die out and the baby trees will have a chance to grow. Hmm, lets hope it works; woodchipping is bloody hard work, 'specially in this heat!
Anyway, we break about 1 for lunch and sit around reading and recovering. Then I go upstairs and have a quick shower (woodships in hair, woodchips in clothes, woodchips bloody everywhere) before collapsing on my lovely bed and promptly falling asleep. Meanwhile David goes back out for a few more hours work (don't know how he does it - practice I guess). I wake up about 5 and go downstairs, pretending I don't feel knackered and haven't just slept for 2 hours, then laze around till dinner or go down to the lake for a swim. My host makes the dinner (I do offer to help ok?) then we watch t.v. or read more and I go back upstairs and collapse asleep again about 9 (pathetic).
So, all in all I'm having a good, if somewhat knackering and slightly cut-off, time. Food is great (nectarines never tasted as good as they do picked off a tree in the middle of a hot day) and I think this week will go quickly (and I'm not spending any money - yeah!). I think I will do another week somewhere up north before heading back to Auckland. Maybe somewhere near 90-mile beach.
I've already got into a routine: I get up about 8am ish, and have breakfast and a cup of coffee. Then I sit about reading and relaxing before starting work about 9.30 - at which time I put on ear protectors, goggles and gloves and tramp down to the tractor where a huuuge pile of branches awaits. For 2 hours I feed the branches into the woodchipper until my tshirt is soaked in sweat, I have permenant goggle marks and my arms are numb from pushing stubborn logs in as they shake and vibrate about. And the pile doesn't get smaller as David keeps chainsawing new bits off the tree and dragging them up to me. We stop at about 11 for a tea/water break and chill out till I feel human again. Then we go back out again for more woodchipping, or to lay cardboard and newspaper round the baby orange trees before piling the mulch (woodchips) on top. The theory being that the nasty crawling grass underneath (horrible stuff, not like the grass we have in England) will die out and the baby trees will have a chance to grow. Hmm, lets hope it works; woodchipping is bloody hard work, 'specially in this heat!
Anyway, we break about 1 for lunch and sit around reading and recovering. Then I go upstairs and have a quick shower (woodships in hair, woodchips in clothes, woodchips bloody everywhere) before collapsing on my lovely bed and promptly falling asleep. Meanwhile David goes back out for a few more hours work (don't know how he does it - practice I guess). I wake up about 5 and go downstairs, pretending I don't feel knackered and haven't just slept for 2 hours, then laze around till dinner or go down to the lake for a swim. My host makes the dinner (I do offer to help ok?) then we watch t.v. or read more and I go back upstairs and collapse asleep again about 9 (pathetic).
So, all in all I'm having a good, if somewhat knackering and slightly cut-off, time. Food is great (nectarines never tasted as good as they do picked off a tree in the middle of a hot day) and I think this week will go quickly (and I'm not spending any money - yeah!). I think I will do another week somewhere up north before heading back to Auckland. Maybe somewhere near 90-mile beach.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Day 159 - A farm, Onerai
I'm here! I managed to catch my bus ok in the end.
Last night I stayed at a lovely hostel in Whangerai (called Bunktown lodge, highly recommended). This morning David, the owner of the place I will work, picked me up and drove me out to Onerai, where the farm is located. It's a small place really, run by David and his partner Lyndsey (who I haven't met yet, but seemed lovely over the phone).
This afternoon David showed me around the house, and then we drove down to visit a neighbour, Mike, to help him out with his irrigation. I say help; Mike, David and another neighbour (some funny old American guy with lots of facial hair) spent about an hour trying unsuccessfully to fit the bits of plastic together whilst scratching their heads and saying things like "dunno mate, dimn company sint us the wrong beets". Meanwhile Mike's young daughter and me scrambled over the fence to pick ripe peaches and scoff them down (well, it was listed as one of the required tasks!).
This evening we ate a v. healthy meal and chatted away about this and that. Turns out that David used to work in IT, and actually worked in Milton Keynes for 9 months on a contract (not EDS though, that would be really wierd). Funnily enough, he used to catch the 33 bus to N'pton on the odd Saturday to go shopping, and I pointed out that he had therefore driven right past our house several few times. It's a small world! He was addicted to Grand Designs when in the uk, and his house is like a grand design project itself - still in progress but very swish, and overlooking the bay and forested hills. I've got my own room, with it's own lovely terrace that I can sit on and watch the sun set behind the sea. Will put photos on to make you all jealous as soon as I get round to taking them.
Anyway, just watched Midsummer Murders and I'm now going to go to bed. Tomorrow I will be feeding the woodchipper and mulching some fruit trees. Also keeping my eye out for some wholesome kiwi farmer's sons, though our neighbours are so far off I don't think I should raise my hopes.
Last night I stayed at a lovely hostel in Whangerai (called Bunktown lodge, highly recommended). This morning David, the owner of the place I will work, picked me up and drove me out to Onerai, where the farm is located. It's a small place really, run by David and his partner Lyndsey (who I haven't met yet, but seemed lovely over the phone).
This afternoon David showed me around the house, and then we drove down to visit a neighbour, Mike, to help him out with his irrigation. I say help; Mike, David and another neighbour (some funny old American guy with lots of facial hair) spent about an hour trying unsuccessfully to fit the bits of plastic together whilst scratching their heads and saying things like "dunno mate, dimn company sint us the wrong beets". Meanwhile Mike's young daughter and me scrambled over the fence to pick ripe peaches and scoff them down (well, it was listed as one of the required tasks!).
This evening we ate a v. healthy meal and chatted away about this and that. Turns out that David used to work in IT, and actually worked in Milton Keynes for 9 months on a contract (not EDS though, that would be really wierd). Funnily enough, he used to catch the 33 bus to N'pton on the odd Saturday to go shopping, and I pointed out that he had therefore driven right past our house several few times. It's a small world! He was addicted to Grand Designs when in the uk, and his house is like a grand design project itself - still in progress but very swish, and overlooking the bay and forested hills. I've got my own room, with it's own lovely terrace that I can sit on and watch the sun set behind the sea. Will put photos on to make you all jealous as soon as I get round to taking them.
Anyway, just watched Midsummer Murders and I'm now going to go to bed. Tomorrow I will be feeding the woodchipper and mulching some fruit trees. Also keeping my eye out for some wholesome kiwi farmer's sons, though our neighbours are so far off I don't think I should raise my hopes.
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