Motueka was my first station in South Island…
According to the Measuem, Motueka was the main agriculture city in NZ before…
It was because kiwi and apple orchard can be found and also sea food~
Beside, The Must Go place in NZ——The Abel Tasman Bay also located here…
(Will introduce more after i go)

Since i am going to spend many days here, I will slowly introduce more about this town~

Like I said before, the agent: Tracy sent me to this city…
Without asking more about the job, I started my first job in NZ——Apple Picker~

After I reached, I just knew my working team was a group of Indian!
and also a litle WHVER…
Maybe because of Malaysian Culture, and also negative information from others…
I started have negative feeling toward Indian…
(In Secondary School, An Indian History Teacher was one of my most respect teacher)

I think this was a plan of God to sent me inside the community of Indian~

After Working with them, I found that they are friendly, positive and energetic~
The only thing I can’t stand on was they will sing out their India song loudly!
Even though they are wearing earphone…

Besides that, They just like normal workers…
And their working speed was…Hacking!

Let’s talk about Myself~
As soon I received this job, I told my self must stay for 1 week!

Thanks God for giving me strength for sustain for 1 weeks, although changed working environment and stop working for 2 days~

Why was the apple picker so hard for me?
I think the main reason is because my stamina and my Perfectionist…
The story start from the woking procedure:

Picking Apple is just fill the bin with red apple

First, everyone will pick 1 lane

I have to pick the apple from tree, put in the black bag…
When the black bag is full, I transfer the apple to the bin…
And Repeat~

Although it sound easy, the main point is:

1. A full black bag is about 18kg
2. A full bin is about 360kg
3. I have to use ladder to climb up apple tree~
   

These can consume all my stamina! (regret didn’t train my body well)
I have to carry a 10kg bag around…
and sometime have to climb up a 8-steps leader…
I only can sustain my bin for first 2 bin, afterward nah~

Next, maybe the problem of my perfectionist or my QC was too strict…
At beginning, the QC keep telling me:”This is still too green, you should leave it on the tree…”
But others people was also doing the same…
So I keep telling myself to pick better apple…
Finally, the QC told me:”Your trend looks good, your bin looks good too”
But it spent me more time than others people…
Then I used a lot of time to maintain my quality…
When I saw people just simply pick and do some visual work on the top of bin…
I started to feel unbalance~

At Last, others can pick 4 to 5 bins in a lane however I only manage to get 3 to 4 bins…
And I only can get 4 bins maximum, while others 6 to 7bins
Althought QC is telling me I done a good job, I still cannot feel good~
And if I convert to the money earn per hour, I wan below minimum wage:

For apple, 1 bin get paid 28 NZD and I took 9 hours to complete 4 bins
Do some calculation, I only get 12.44 NZD per hour…
But in NZ the minimum wage + Holiday Pay is 14.85 NZD per hour…
So I am working harder and earning lesser~
And I can’t even work on rainy day!

Basically, the main problem not because of the job but because of myself…
I believe that If I don’t give up, I will able to get 5 bins in 9 hours…
(Girls don’t be afraid, there was a Taiwan girl done better than me. She got 4 bins in the first day, I only get 2 1/2!)

Beside that, you can have a lot enjoy during working:

1. You can bite the apple whatever you like
2. Climb to the highest place an enjoy the scene
   
3. Enjoy the sunlight during the cold autumn
4. Some bird will sing in-front of you~
5. Meeting with sheep in rural orchard~
   
6. Chatting with other whv~
7. Do something with the Apple~
   

But Finally I gave up in 1 week…

I try to find a job in packhouse, but the owner sent me back to orchard work…
The new environment is a team with local kiwi, but I still manage to done 4 bins…

At the same time, Talley’s Motueka is employing mussel opener workers…
Since the working is easier and stable…
I ended my apple picker job~