 Northland |  Mount Maunganui en omstreken |
 Roadtrip to Coromandel Peninsula |  Gisborne |
 On The Road Again |
zaterdag 22 december 2007
Fotos!!!
Hier dan eindelijk wat foto's van mij en Nieuw-Zeeland! Klik op de fotos hier en je wordt door de magische wereld van het world wide web naar de desbetreffende picassa pagina gebracht.
maandag 17 december 2007
Ode aan Gissy
Gisborne, vrijwel elke reiziger rijdt er achteloos voorbij. Het lijkt ook een stadje van 13 in een dozijn van achter de autoruit. Maar stop hier voor een paar weken en je krijgt een ander beeld.
Gisborne, toevluchtsoord van oude hippies, surfers en kakkerlakken. Bedankt voor je gastvrijheid, je bijen en je geweldige inwoners.
Bedankt Peter voor de job en het bier
Bedankt Colin voor je kindse glimlach, je geweldige verhalen en je goeie raad
Bedankt Andres voor het gezelschap en onze gedeelde passie voor muziek
Bedankt ook Yassum, Hajji, Snake en de twee oude hippies van op de hoek (voor vanzelfsprekende redenen)
Geweldige tijd gehad hier, maar nu de voorjaarsoogst tot een einde komt is er nog maar weinig werk voor mij. Dus ga ik nu een tijdje leven van het geld dat ik hier heb verdiend, een wel verdiende vakantie lijkt me. Ik trek verder naar het zuiden, en hoop binnen een goede twee weken op het zuideiland te zijn.
Gisborne, toevluchtsoord van oude hippies, surfers en kakkerlakken. Bedankt voor je gastvrijheid, je bijen en je geweldige inwoners.
Bedankt Peter voor de job en het bier
Bedankt Colin voor je kindse glimlach, je geweldige verhalen en je goeie raad
Bedankt Andres voor het gezelschap en onze gedeelde passie voor muziek
Bedankt ook Yassum, Hajji, Snake en de twee oude hippies van op de hoek (voor vanzelfsprekende redenen)
Geweldige tijd gehad hier, maar nu de voorjaarsoogst tot een einde komt is er nog maar weinig werk voor mij. Dus ga ik nu een tijdje leven van het geld dat ik hier heb verdiend, een wel verdiende vakantie lijkt me. Ik trek verder naar het zuiden, en hoop binnen een goede twee weken op het zuideiland te zijn.
zaterdag 8 december 2007
A day in the life of a beekeeper
Leaving Mt Maunganui was not easy. I had made some good friends there, and was realy beginning to feel at home. But because the flowerpicking season was over, and I was fed up with working for Hamid anyway, the time had come to go.
I decided upon Gisborne, because Pierre had stayed with a beekeeper there on the WWOOFing scheme. He recommended his place highly. So I filled up the van and drove off to a new adventure, singing On the road again. I have now been working for Peter 5 days, making a lot of hours and even more fun. Let me tell you how a day looks like.
I get up around 8 in the morning and with a smile remember where I am. The "backpackers" Peter runs here is very funny. He built all these rooms next to his house and has people staying from all over the Uruguay, Japan, Filipines, Brazil, Germany, Czech Republic and Belgium. It's dirty and doesnt provide the services a backpackers should, but its a lovely place in a strange way.
When I come out of my room I see Colin arriving. He yells out "Time for breakfast boy", and gets out his waterpipe, which he fills to the brim with Marihuana. When we are both high anough to work, we get in the truck and drive to the factory. We pick up some empty beeboxes and put them on the truck. While we are working 'Snake' arrives. Colin tells me nobody knows his real name, and they've known him for 20 years. Snake is always high, and yells out things like "Ooooh yeah boy, machines I say". He 's crazy, I like him.
We drive to the places where the bees are kept, about an hour driving, through the mountains. It is incredibly beautiful here and completely isolated. Colin amuses me with his stories from on the fishing boats, where he spends half of the year, and about his previous life in Amsterdam, Ireland, Paris and South-Africa. He's on of those mad ones Kerouac talks about.
When we arrive at the bees, we put on our suits, which arent very good, and start collecting honey. If it's good you can hear Peter yelling "That's more like it", if it's bad you can hear him swear all day. We put some new boxes on top of the hives, so the bees can collect some more honey. It's hard work, and I get stung a lot, but that doesnt worry me anymore. The venom keeps me alert, especially when I'm high.
After the work is done, which is sometimes late in the evening, we smoke some more and go back to the factory to put the honey boxes. By the time we finish there, Peter usually has bought some beers, and rolls a big joint to share with everyone. After that we go back to the backpackers where I cook up some dinner and fall asleep easily and happy.
I really like this job and want to learn more about it. Kemps, tell your dad to prepare a hive for when I come back!
I decided upon Gisborne, because Pierre had stayed with a beekeeper there on the WWOOFing scheme. He recommended his place highly. So I filled up the van and drove off to a new adventure, singing On the road again. I have now been working for Peter 5 days, making a lot of hours and even more fun. Let me tell you how a day looks like.
I get up around 8 in the morning and with a smile remember where I am. The "backpackers" Peter runs here is very funny. He built all these rooms next to his house and has people staying from all over the Uruguay, Japan, Filipines, Brazil, Germany, Czech Republic and Belgium. It's dirty and doesnt provide the services a backpackers should, but its a lovely place in a strange way.
When I come out of my room I see Colin arriving. He yells out "Time for breakfast boy", and gets out his waterpipe, which he fills to the brim with Marihuana. When we are both high anough to work, we get in the truck and drive to the factory. We pick up some empty beeboxes and put them on the truck. While we are working 'Snake' arrives. Colin tells me nobody knows his real name, and they've known him for 20 years. Snake is always high, and yells out things like "Ooooh yeah boy, machines I say". He 's crazy, I like him.
We drive to the places where the bees are kept, about an hour driving, through the mountains. It is incredibly beautiful here and completely isolated. Colin amuses me with his stories from on the fishing boats, where he spends half of the year, and about his previous life in Amsterdam, Ireland, Paris and South-Africa. He's on of those mad ones Kerouac talks about.
When we arrive at the bees, we put on our suits, which arent very good, and start collecting honey. If it's good you can hear Peter yelling "That's more like it", if it's bad you can hear him swear all day. We put some new boxes on top of the hives, so the bees can collect some more honey. It's hard work, and I get stung a lot, but that doesnt worry me anymore. The venom keeps me alert, especially when I'm high.
After the work is done, which is sometimes late in the evening, we smoke some more and go back to the factory to put the honey boxes. By the time we finish there, Peter usually has bought some beers, and rolls a big joint to share with everyone. After that we go back to the backpackers where I cook up some dinner and fall asleep easily and happy.
I really like this job and want to learn more about it. Kemps, tell your dad to prepare a hive for when I come back!
dinsdag 27 november 2007
Mt Maunganui the hard way
Mount Maunganui is een vakantieoord waar iedere week een cruiseschip aankomt en waar de rijke Nieuw-Zeelanders naast elkaar verbranden op het strand. Aan de andere hand is dit stadje aan de kust gesitueerd in het midden van de kiwiplantages. Deze industrie trekt elk jaar duizenden arbeiders van over de hele wereld aan voor een reeks jobs in de plantages. Van snoeien tot plukken, elke job is wel beschreven, saai en al te vaak onderbetaald. Veel Brazilianen en Chinezen werken er omdat het moeilijk is om zonder werkvisum een andere job te vinden. Enkele Europeanen met werkvisum zijn dapper of gek genoeg om het ook te proberen.
Het begon een drie weken geleden. Ik had net part-time werk gevonden in een schoonmaakbedrijf. We poetsten scholen, kantoren enzovoort, en ik vond het vreselijk werk. Na de tweede dag kwam ik "thuis" waar Paolo en Cristina me opwachten bij hun bus met de boodschap dat ze werk gevonden hadden in de plantages voor een contractor genaamd George. Ik besloot snel de volgende dag mee naar de plantage te gaan in plaats van het schoonmaken...
We stonden de volgende dag om 6u op om om 7u op de plantage te zijn. Daar ontmoeten we George, een verdachte naam voor iemand met de looks van een mohammed, hmmm. "My name is Hamid, but some people call me George. If there is any problem with the payment call Mike" Later ontdekken we bovendien dat hij met een vals Italiaans paspoort naar Nieuw-Zeeland is gereisd. Hij lijkt vriendelijk, maar we zijn zeer sceptisch, want dit alles is zeer verdacht.
De job is hard, heel hard. Het is bloemen plukken van de mannelijke planten. Een beetje uitleg is hier noodzakelijk. De vrouwelijke planten creeeren de vruchten, maar enkel als ze bevrucht zijn. De bijen doen hier het voornaamste werk, maar goedkope werkkrachten als wij helpen hen met het verzamelen van pollen. De bloemen die we plukken worden in een fabriek verwerkt tot stuifmeel en dit wordt verkocht aan de rijke plantages die het gebruiken voor pollinatie. "Are you pollinated?" is de toepasselijke slogan van Kiwipollen.
We worden betaald per kilo, $4.80 en de eerste dag hadden we ongeveer 3.5kg. Later ging het beter en beter en na een tijdje kon ik $80 per dag verdienen, met een record van $120. De Italianen en ik vormen een goed team, en na een week vervoegt Pierre, een Fransman ons. Hij is het ware bloemplukmachien, en verdiende op zijn beste dag bijna $150.
Iedereen van ons team behalve mij heeft ook een avondjob, dus plichtsbewust ging ik op zoek naar iets om te doen in de avond. Ik begon in een bar in Taurange om 8uur savonds en dien om 10 uur mijn ontslag in :-). Verder solliciteer ik in de sex shop, de pizza hut als driver of pizza maker enzovoort. Niet al te veel succes helaas.
Savonds hebben we soms een barbeque of drinken we wat bier op het strand. Het is een goeie sfeer, en dat is nodig want de job is hard en de omstandigheden al te vaak absurd. Elke avond weten we of en waar we de volgende dag kunnen werken, en Hamid blijft verbazen met zijn vele identiteiten.
Paolo en Cristina maken een reis rond de hele wereld, en houden een leuke blog bij. Het is in het Italiaans, maar check zeker de fotos en de grappige video die ze over het flowerpicking hebben gemaakt op http://www.mondovisione.eu.
Het begon een drie weken geleden. Ik had net part-time werk gevonden in een schoonmaakbedrijf. We poetsten scholen, kantoren enzovoort, en ik vond het vreselijk werk. Na de tweede dag kwam ik "thuis" waar Paolo en Cristina me opwachten bij hun bus met de boodschap dat ze werk gevonden hadden in de plantages voor een contractor genaamd George. Ik besloot snel de volgende dag mee naar de plantage te gaan in plaats van het schoonmaken...
We stonden de volgende dag om 6u op om om 7u op de plantage te zijn. Daar ontmoeten we George, een verdachte naam voor iemand met de looks van een mohammed, hmmm. "My name is Hamid, but some people call me George. If there is any problem with the payment call Mike" Later ontdekken we bovendien dat hij met een vals Italiaans paspoort naar Nieuw-Zeeland is gereisd. Hij lijkt vriendelijk, maar we zijn zeer sceptisch, want dit alles is zeer verdacht.
De job is hard, heel hard. Het is bloemen plukken van de mannelijke planten. Een beetje uitleg is hier noodzakelijk. De vrouwelijke planten creeeren de vruchten, maar enkel als ze bevrucht zijn. De bijen doen hier het voornaamste werk, maar goedkope werkkrachten als wij helpen hen met het verzamelen van pollen. De bloemen die we plukken worden in een fabriek verwerkt tot stuifmeel en dit wordt verkocht aan de rijke plantages die het gebruiken voor pollinatie. "Are you pollinated?" is de toepasselijke slogan van Kiwipollen.
We worden betaald per kilo, $4.80 en de eerste dag hadden we ongeveer 3.5kg. Later ging het beter en beter en na een tijdje kon ik $80 per dag verdienen, met een record van $120. De Italianen en ik vormen een goed team, en na een week vervoegt Pierre, een Fransman ons. Hij is het ware bloemplukmachien, en verdiende op zijn beste dag bijna $150.
Iedereen van ons team behalve mij heeft ook een avondjob, dus plichtsbewust ging ik op zoek naar iets om te doen in de avond. Ik begon in een bar in Taurange om 8uur savonds en dien om 10 uur mijn ontslag in :-). Verder solliciteer ik in de sex shop, de pizza hut als driver of pizza maker enzovoort. Niet al te veel succes helaas.
Savonds hebben we soms een barbeque of drinken we wat bier op het strand. Het is een goeie sfeer, en dat is nodig want de job is hard en de omstandigheden al te vaak absurd. Elke avond weten we of en waar we de volgende dag kunnen werken, en Hamid blijft verbazen met zijn vele identiteiten.
Paolo en Cristina maken een reis rond de hele wereld, en houden een leuke blog bij. Het is in het Italiaans, maar check zeker de fotos en de grappige video die ze over het flowerpicking hebben gemaakt op http://www.mondovisione.eu.
maandag 29 oktober 2007
Peace and quiet in Otamatea
I stayed in Otamatea for two weeks in the beginning of October (post a bit late, I know).
Otamatea is an intentional eco-village society, which means people who live there work together to try to create a better environment for them, their children and people in general. It is situated on a peninsula, surrounded by the Otamatea river, near Kaiwaka, in the south of Northland. It is a stunningly beautiful place, with nice and interesting people in it. Not only hippies and New-agers either, creative mix of people.
I stayed with Lynne and Reinhold, who started the community some ten years ago. It took me a while before I felt at home with them, but eventually I loved it there. I worked four hours a day in exchange for good food (which was welcome after my week in northland) and a bed in the outside sauna. I did a number of different tasks, including planting potatoes, weeding, moving cows, collecting cowshit, even beekeeping! By the end of the first week I might go back there sometime, by the end of my travels.
After that, I got back to Auckland, with mixed feelings about leaving. It was good to see Paul, he had two German couchsurfers staying, who were just heading for Northland, so I gave them some tips. Me and Paul talked a lot, it was almost like coming home. After two days I left Auckland again, heading to the south. It was a great feeling to realise, that every meter I drove, I was in the most Southern place I had ever been. Randomly I took turnoffs, stopped by the side of the road to sleep, no idea where I was. Next day drove on, till I came to Mount Maunganui, a little village close to Tauranga. I liked it there and still do. I went to Te Puke a couple of times, they call it Kiwifruit capital of the world. A man said I could get a job in pruning the orchards, they start somewhere this week, depending on the wheater.
In the meantime I hang around "the mount", sleeping in the van and taking free showers in the camping. I walk and run around the mount often, go fishing, read and relax. In the day there are always plenty of people around, but at night it sometimes gets very lonely. Yesterday I met some people who arrived in a pickup truck with leather sofas on the back. They unloaded them on the beach, and I joined in with my sofa. I wish all nights could be like that. One of the guys was a beekeeper, said he needed men to work, so I gave him my number, we'll see.
Funny little facts
- I was walking on the rocks around the mount a few days back, when I was suddenly stunned to see two seals barking at me. I stood there for a second or two, before realising that running was the better option. I ran, jumped off another rock and landed on half a meter of a huuuuuge seal who charged at me. Scary but o so cool. Offcourse I didnt have my camera with me.
- I went fishing, having no idea who the fishing rod works. A man explained it all to me, and now I get it. Didn't catch any fish, and was terrified that one of the blue penguins, who I could see swimming around there, would eat the bate, but luckily they didnt.
- Everywhere I park the van, young people seem to gather around with their cars, just to hang around. It is a strange NZ habbit. Most of the cars are tuned and their engines are loud. A lot of the kids race on the streets as well. They are pretty friendly though. I was drinking with a group of them, when the cops came and made us tip all of the drinks out (they had two cases of burboun and coke). They didnt seem to mind that they left all the bottles on the street though, strange country.
- Met a strange man who went to the pub in an overal. He told me that Japanese girls were hairy, because they eat a lot of fish.
- Mussels are easy to grab around here, and I eat them every two days. Each day is too much.
Allright, Im heading to Te Puke now, hoping that I can start working again soon, because my money is almost gone again (but aint that the way it will always be?).
Otamatea is an intentional eco-village society, which means people who live there work together to try to create a better environment for them, their children and people in general. It is situated on a peninsula, surrounded by the Otamatea river, near Kaiwaka, in the south of Northland. It is a stunningly beautiful place, with nice and interesting people in it. Not only hippies and New-agers either, creative mix of people.
I stayed with Lynne and Reinhold, who started the community some ten years ago. It took me a while before I felt at home with them, but eventually I loved it there. I worked four hours a day in exchange for good food (which was welcome after my week in northland) and a bed in the outside sauna. I did a number of different tasks, including planting potatoes, weeding, moving cows, collecting cowshit, even beekeeping! By the end of the first week I might go back there sometime, by the end of my travels.
After that, I got back to Auckland, with mixed feelings about leaving. It was good to see Paul, he had two German couchsurfers staying, who were just heading for Northland, so I gave them some tips. Me and Paul talked a lot, it was almost like coming home. After two days I left Auckland again, heading to the south. It was a great feeling to realise, that every meter I drove, I was in the most Southern place I had ever been. Randomly I took turnoffs, stopped by the side of the road to sleep, no idea where I was. Next day drove on, till I came to Mount Maunganui, a little village close to Tauranga. I liked it there and still do. I went to Te Puke a couple of times, they call it Kiwifruit capital of the world. A man said I could get a job in pruning the orchards, they start somewhere this week, depending on the wheater.
In the meantime I hang around "the mount", sleeping in the van and taking free showers in the camping. I walk and run around the mount often, go fishing, read and relax. In the day there are always plenty of people around, but at night it sometimes gets very lonely. Yesterday I met some people who arrived in a pickup truck with leather sofas on the back. They unloaded them on the beach, and I joined in with my sofa. I wish all nights could be like that. One of the guys was a beekeeper, said he needed men to work, so I gave him my number, we'll see.
Funny little facts
- I was walking on the rocks around the mount a few days back, when I was suddenly stunned to see two seals barking at me. I stood there for a second or two, before realising that running was the better option. I ran, jumped off another rock and landed on half a meter of a huuuuuge seal who charged at me. Scary but o so cool. Offcourse I didnt have my camera with me.
- I went fishing, having no idea who the fishing rod works. A man explained it all to me, and now I get it. Didn't catch any fish, and was terrified that one of the blue penguins, who I could see swimming around there, would eat the bate, but luckily they didnt.
- Everywhere I park the van, young people seem to gather around with their cars, just to hang around. It is a strange NZ habbit. Most of the cars are tuned and their engines are loud. A lot of the kids race on the streets as well. They are pretty friendly though. I was drinking with a group of them, when the cops came and made us tip all of the drinks out (they had two cases of burboun and coke). They didnt seem to mind that they left all the bottles on the street though, strange country.
- Met a strange man who went to the pub in an overal. He told me that Japanese girls were hairy, because they eat a lot of fish.
- Mussels are easy to grab around here, and I eat them every two days. Each day is too much.
Allright, Im heading to Te Puke now, hoping that I can start working again soon, because my money is almost gone again (but aint that the way it will always be?).
zaterdag 13 oktober 2007
Mad week in Northland
Left for Auckland and headed straight for adventure! I have described everything in detail in a little book I will to Belgium tomorrow, but for those who can't acces that, I will give some highlights.
- First night in Orewa, met a couple, they took me out to a bar, and paid for my beer all night. Great talks about life, food and New-Zealand. Went to sleep, but too cold, so drove on after a while. Parked the van somewhere at a regional park. Woke up the next morning with the sunrise over an island-filled sea, wonderful.
- Russell, bay of islands, met two French travelers and took them to couchsurfer Douglas' place. We had some (a lot) drinks and went kayakking the next morning with the four of us.
- The next day me and the French travelers drove at Cape Reinga, where we watched the sunset and cooked some dinner together.
- Got stuck when I took my van on 90 mile beach, without 4 WD and on high-tide = recipe for disaster. I wanted to take the next exit a couple of kms further up, but got stuck on the way. The tide was coming in very fast, so I had to act fast. Ran to where I got on the beach, and luckily found someone with a jeep, who I convinced to help me out. This was a close call, easily could have lost the van to the sea there... But, as it always goes, it turned out good!
- Took the ferry from Kohukohu to Opononi, but was complely broke. By the time the guy came to ask for the money I was already parked in, so I payed with my harmonica. In Opononi I had to stop because the tank was almost empty. Met some people there who gave me food and beer. The next morning there was a flea market in town and I sold my old mp3-player and foldable chairs for $30, petrol money. Got a bee teddybear and a back massage for free as wel.
- The last night I spent with a young family I met in Dargaville. Completely mad, completely. Imagine pounding rap music, drunks, big bags of weed, drugs, and Christians raving about the destroying of all atheists, and me caught in the middle of it all.
This was very probably the best week of my life. It was hard due to the lack of money, but I received so much from people. When you need help, you are likely to get it. Or to put it in the words of Coulin: "Don't be shy!"
- First night in Orewa, met a couple, they took me out to a bar, and paid for my beer all night. Great talks about life, food and New-Zealand. Went to sleep, but too cold, so drove on after a while. Parked the van somewhere at a regional park. Woke up the next morning with the sunrise over an island-filled sea, wonderful.
- Russell, bay of islands, met two French travelers and took them to couchsurfer Douglas' place. We had some (a lot) drinks and went kayakking the next morning with the four of us.
- The next day me and the French travelers drove at Cape Reinga, where we watched the sunset and cooked some dinner together.
- Got stuck when I took my van on 90 mile beach, without 4 WD and on high-tide = recipe for disaster. I wanted to take the next exit a couple of kms further up, but got stuck on the way. The tide was coming in very fast, so I had to act fast. Ran to where I got on the beach, and luckily found someone with a jeep, who I convinced to help me out. This was a close call, easily could have lost the van to the sea there... But, as it always goes, it turned out good!
- Took the ferry from Kohukohu to Opononi, but was complely broke. By the time the guy came to ask for the money I was already parked in, so I payed with my harmonica. In Opononi I had to stop because the tank was almost empty. Met some people there who gave me food and beer. The next morning there was a flea market in town and I sold my old mp3-player and foldable chairs for $30, petrol money. Got a bee teddybear and a back massage for free as wel.
- The last night I spent with a young family I met in Dargaville. Completely mad, completely. Imagine pounding rap music, drunks, big bags of weed, drugs, and Christians raving about the destroying of all atheists, and me caught in the middle of it all.
This was very probably the best week of my life. It was hard due to the lack of money, but I received so much from people. When you need help, you are likely to get it. Or to put it in the words of Coulin: "Don't be shy!"
zondag 23 september 2007
On the road
My van is ready, or ready enough anyway :-)
I am leaving now for northland, and will live in the van for the next ten days, before ariving in Otamatea, where I can get food and bed for 4 hours of work on the farm/garden. Part two of my journey has begun. Catch you guys later!
I am leaving now for northland, and will live in the van for the next ten days, before ariving in Otamatea, where I can get food and bed for 4 hours of work on the farm/garden. Part two of my journey has begun. Catch you guys later!
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