Apples

We secured our apple picking gig and had one week to kill before our 3 week sentence.  It was perfect timing because we wanted to head to the hippy town of Takaka and the Farewell Spit.  So over the hill we went to Golden Bay.  Farewell Spit is the northern most part of the South Island where birds migrate from all over the world to feed and nest.  After checking out the spit we headed to Wharariki Beach to check out the rock formations.  There are a lot of beautiful beaches in New Zealand but this was by far the coolest beach in New Zealand.  We planned it right and hit the beach on the low tide so we could enjoy the Sandstone rock arch formations to the fullest.  Slightly weary of stepping in seal poo again we avoided deep exploration of the caves.  As we headed up the sand dunes toward the parking lot trying to figure out where to sleep that night we ran into some hippies heading out to the beach to party.  So we figured if they can sleep on the beach than we can too.  So that night we decided to give Frenchy a break and sleep under the stars.

   

The next morning we woke up early and headed to Pupu Springs, a freshwater spring sacred to the Maori.  The water source bubbles up from the bottom of the pools and is the clearest water in the world.  Water rushes up through the sand at 14,000 liters per minute.  I can understand why the natives considered it to be sacred because it was magical.  Then we headed to Abel Tasman National Park where we camped at the best campground in New Zealand where Eugene only left the hammock once all day to go for a swim in the ocean.  On our way back towards Takaka we stopped at the Labyrinth Rock Garden which is   geologically interesting, due to its age of 250 million years old.  The limestone walkways were amazing, but also weird because there were McDonald happy meal toys hidden around every corner to surprise you and made us feel as if we were being watched by hidden trolls. 

When the fun was over, it was time to work, so we headed to the Mahau Orchard to carry out our duty the next morning.  Apple picking has got to be one of the physically hardest jobs we’ve ever tried.  The bag is comfortable to wear but weighs about 40lbs when it’s full.  The bins hold about 2,000-3,000 apples and you get paid by the bin which tops out at about 35 dollars.  They want you to fill four bins per day to make minimum wage.  There was only one day that I actually filled four bins; Eugene never made it to four.  The Kiwi guys we worked with were filling six bins a day and while they were working they looked like they were processed. They ate lunch standing up and never took breaks.  They were professional apple pickers.  The best part about working on the Orchard was all the free fruit, the kitchen, and the hot shower we got every night.  Oh the simple things in life…   Stocked up on fruit and some money in our pockets we decided to head to Kaikoura one last time in search of some tasty waves before leaving the South Island.

We actually found some tasty waves for a few days and then a cyclone hit and we were stuck staring at each other in Frenchy for two days. We finally escaped, hit the Marlborough Sounds one last time and caught a ferry across the Cook Straight back to Wellington on the North Island. Where we indulged in the city life for two days hitting up all you can eat sushi and rubbing shoulders with the NZ elite at the House of Parliament.