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Travel

Laughing Kiwi！

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Laughing Kiwi
In Motueka, I had been arranged to live in a BBH + YHA —— Laughing Kiwi
It’s a wonderful place since it could get the name of BBH and YHA at the same time!
Cost: 120/week
Just like its name, my life over here was a laughing life too~

First, allow me to introduce how special it is…
Unlike others, this backpacker contain 4 building…
1 for the owner, 1 self-contained family room and 2 backpacker lodge…
Besides, there was a Hot SPA, swing and a kiwi orchard…
Wonderful right?
后院，Back Yard弹跳床，Trampoline
温泉，SPA独立屋，Self-Caontained

At the beginning the owner arranged all the long stay workers in 1 house, another for short term backpacker…
But because of that worker house is full, I had been arranged into backpacker lodge~
背包客屋，Backpacker Lodge

Thanked God for separate me from my Indian work mate~
Not because I racist, but because they always drink…
And occupied all the living room…
So…

The main advantage of Backpacker lodge was it enable me to observe different kind of backpackers
So I knew how others backpackers live~
(And I found that most of the backpackers are facing their mobile device, especially in rainy day~)
I also observed what they eat, how they cook…
Besides, I could also practice my english as it was the only common language at here…

Inside the living room, there was a traditional heater (But it only open once for my 2 weeks stay)
4 set of sofa and a skytv television~
During the Boston explosion news, everyone will squeeze inside here watching the news…
Besides, weather forecast was also a famous channel since weather largely affected the Abel Tasman Trip~
Laughing Kiwi的客厅，Living Room

There was a Kitchen beside living room…
Since there were many stove and different people different dinner timing, normally no waiting for cooking~
And there were 2 bath room and 3 toilet, so no waiting too…
饭厅，Kitchen

And I lived in a 6 person dorm…
For the long term staying people were:

  1. Benito, my Spanish apple picking mate, can pick 5~6 bins averange…
    我的采苹果朋友，My apple picking mate : Benito
  2. Kim, a Korean who wake up early in the morning and work hard to learn english from TV…
  3. Beside, an agent: Johnly (or something) also arranged his workers sleep at here…
    There were 8 Malaysian come inside during my 2 weeks stay…
    Moreover, there were 3 Taiwanese came here for short stay too…
    After my 1 week stay, Chinese language, Asian traditional food smell was full of the house~
    我们这行人，We Asian
    Chit-chatting our government, University, study course, working…
    Not only bring up hometown feeling…
    But also gained many knowledge about my further study~

But there was always an ending in life…
To save money in the fastest way, I had to move to a Homestay which cheaper and closer to my workplace
Cost: 85/week

The main reason for me to move out was because of distance to Talley’s…
For Laughing Kiwi to Talley’s was 3km and took 45 minutes walk time…
And I had to be in the factory position by 6, which mean I had to get up on 4 for preparation~
So I moved out for a better life~

Thanked Laughing Kiwi for giving 2 laughing weeks…
Much more challenges were in front and to pass over~

Travel

Motueka, Apple and I~

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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

一个箱子（大约400公斤）的苹果，和装苹果的袋子（装满20公斤），1 full bin 400kg and 1 full bag 20kg

First, everyone will pick 1 lane

每个人都要认领1排来采... 1 people 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~
    这就是我们要爬和抬来抬去的梯子～ The ladder for us to climb and carry around~

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
    一望无边的苹果园～ Apple orchard~好多红红的苹果～ Many Big Red Apples不过很多都是要爬梯子才采的到... But most of them is ladder work...
  3. Enjoy the sunlight during the cold autumn
  4. Some bird will sing in-front of you~
  5. Meeting with sheep in rural orchard~
    羊儿冲过来了！Here came the sheep!

  6. Chatting with other whv~
  7. Do something with the Apple~
    用苹果壳做的苹果派，Apple pie by apple加面粉的苹果派，Flour-made Apple Pie每天有这么多的苹果，当然要好好利用！So many things can do with the apples!

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~

Travel

Suddenly, I’m in South Island…

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Because of lacking money, and the agent told me there is work available in south island…
I leave Tauranga to start working immediately…

Now I found that I was so stupid!
Because of some financial stress, I spent 1 week accommodation fee to travel to south island~
And when I reached here, I found that the work is not suitable me…
And I missed the Country of Kiwi——Tepuke!

The trip was arranged by the agent…
I was following 2 chinese, Tony and HY to South Island…
It’s better to go in group and by private car because cheaper, faster and safer…
Cost: 127 NZD/Trip

The Journey was from

Tauranga > Rotorua > Road 1 > Wellington > Picton > Motueka

 

The wind in Wellington is legendary strong!
I can’t stand the wind any longer than 10 minutes!

Because the ship start around 6pm and we reached 2pm
So I spent my time on the book I brought with me and the terminal~

接下来的海路旅程！My Sea Journey!Wellington的景点，Place to play around WellingtonNo Bees to South Island? But I still see some there...

At the terminal, I did the most profit spending in NZ…
Which was spend 1 NZD to play the Chocolate Clipping Machine, 3 chances, and clipped 2 chocolate which cost 4 NZD from the store~

About 4pm, the ship had come and time to check-in!

车子是这样出来的哦... How car store in the ship...嗒哒...我们即将上的船～ Tada... Time for boarding~

Waiting in the check-in line…
Wanted to take the photo of seagull outside, but the wind is too big!

海岸上有许多的海鸥～ Many Seagull outside~

Even the seagull also unable to fly~

Time to photography on the ship!

 

This time we are using Inter Islander

Cost: 3 peoples + 1 car 283 NZD

After reached Picton around 9pm, Our driver direct drive to Motueka…
From the map, we saw a shortcut to Motueka, but it’s a mountain road…
Although the road is shorter but the speed is slower too…
At last we reached Motueka around 12pm..

The Journey to South Island ended, and the life at Motueka Begin…