Move the shoulders

So again a delay in the updates; though I'm curious whose reading them at all?

Here's a quick update of where I went after the last post,


I got into Wellington after leaving Dannevirke and met up with a fellow member of the USP major at UC San Diego. I was fortunate enough to have a place to stay for a few days while I planned the next phase of the trip...the South Island.

The next few days consisted of food, sleep and acquiring internet access to check weather and fligth details.

Highlight of the trip = Ethiopian Food and Dancing

Photos to come

Next update will be in more detail of the wwoofing and adventures in Chirstchurch and Dunedin

also owe one of the recent adventure to Stewart Island for the Rakiura Track Great Walk.

Too bad this computer doesn't have a usb connection...

Until next time people of the world,

Cheers,
ReYlT

Duck Duck Duck!

Oh me oh my what an update this one will be (retelling it here will do it no justice).

Yay for native flora and fauna

But here goes:
Where were you? I was in the small farming region in the Waitahora Valley next to a small city: Dannevirke.

What were you doing? Wwoofing of course

What type of tasks did you get to be involved with? Oh let me tell you that the first day I got there started what would be 3 weeks of FUN!

After hitching into Dannevirke I got a ride to the farm and had no idea what was in store
Lets just summarize: young bull is being moved to another paddock to feed along with the rest of the bulls, unfortunately it decides to run through the bush and has no idea there's a 80 foot drop down into a creek. Well after 3 goes at trying to pull the body up with a tractor (yes it was not alive by the time I got there) and having the straps break each time it was time for some hard working wwoofers to get in there.

Nothing to do w/ the task but interesting nonetheless

2 other wwoofers from the US were there, I got out of the car, was told to get my boots on so I did and put on an overall and got down into the creek. To be quick lets just say it took 5 of us to bring up the different parts. Even though it was a young bull it was a heavy one.

I appreciate now people who produce and sustain their own sources of meat and vege. Be sure to find out where your food is coming from (remember that it may not be the most cost efficient and environmentally friendly). Transport costs and chemicals used in production of food need to be questioned by the consumers or else nothing will change.

**No pictures will be posted for those with weak stomachs and those who are vegetarian or vegan ;) **

Fun Fact for you though to get your mind off the last part

The second day of work was a nice change and brought me back to working on the conservation projects in the first few months. We got to work alongside the local country school and be supervisors/chaperones for the kids as they learned more about the wetland a local farmer had started and wanted to expand and sustain. This project is being adopted by the school and students got to learn about measureing the water visibility, temperature, pH, see the different creatures living in the wetland to measure how healthy it was and also plant some native plants along the slope next to the road to help protect it and stop any runoff from flowing into it without being filtered.

Wetland project

Look who gets to get a water sample

to the bottom for different test

back we go

now you can measure the water clarity

here's a daily overview of animal chores:
morning - feed calf, feed some of the ducks and then let them out to free range (so you can gather eggs in the area) feed chooks allow some out for free range (gather eggs), feed turkeys who are free range already, feed mother duck sitting on chicken eggs, feed chicks. Wash eggs
early evening - feed calf, round up ducks and feed them all, feed turkeys a bit, (gather eggs anywhere you see them).

Duck Duck Duck (3 of 20+ free range ducks)

During the week we got to work with the wwoof hosts' neighbor who has over 5000 sheep! It was just lambing season so Chloe, the other wwoofer, and I got to go help round them up so the lambs could have their tails docked and their ears tagged.

This time though instead of rubber rings the tails were ironed off (don't worry though the lambs were ok). It was a fun day getting to see sheep dogs do their work; it is amazing how well they listen to their owners and a different wistle from them will mean something else that the sheep dogs translate when rounding up the ewes/lambs. One of the most memorable days of my travels through NZ was this day, actually having the opportunity to work alongside a born and raised sheep farmer and his assitants and all of their dogs.

View from the top of Old Man's Face Rock (too windy to hear)

Lamb docking



On the way home

lamb tails and beer?

you betcha

Here are some of the adventures on the farm and in the bush:

bush and creek

Glow worm hike


Natural Pools


What the Glow Worm Hike looks like during the day

Meet some of the Fam:

Jazz and the pup (3 days old) (Ben was named first, the brown one, black and white one suggested name by me after a week)

Charlie and Elvis

Mother Duck (one of many)

The local Tom has a great talent ;)

Max with eyes open after 2 weeks (Maximus in my heart)

Ben had his open first (teddy bear)

This a bonfire

Did I mention that it snowed! It hasn't done this in a few years and it has never been this much! No one expected it but it was nice in a funny way. It's true what they say over here: you may get 4 seasons in a day in some countries but in NZ you can have 4 seasons in an hour

the beginning

Keeps piling up

The last week and a half I was there 3 more wwoofers came after Chloe had left so it was a packed house. Some tasks included weeding, mowing the lawns (with a sit-down mower, fun stuff), digging up water pipes to apply clay tiling to them to prevent cattle from squashing the pipes and preventing us from getting water at the house, composting, daily animal chores, etc etc.

Plucking Turkey feathers w/ wwoofers from Japan and Korea

This was just a quick summary, many more an adventure happened but not enough space to put it on (and by this time you are probably only looking at the pictures and watching the videos)

One of many delicious meals!

Very fun time here, GREAT wwoof host, great company, lots of stories, lots of time spent with animals (all of whom are free range! that's the way to go, not feedlots!)

Off to the South I go, for how long who knows?

Until next time Planeteers,


Cheers


P.S. Enjoy ;)

Not wine capital NZ, but close

you know what you are going to say

Here's a quick recap of what adventures took place in Hastings/Napier located in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.

What did you do: Wwoofed at place that supplies fresh organic veg's and produce to restaurants and supermarkets in the region.

Hastings Farmer's Market

Tasks? Weeding, planting, watering plants, making tunnels (for the plants), packing, washing, a lot of work with basil and thyme.




Laying plastic rows for basil

He's pop-eye the sailor man...

Do anything else? Why yes, glad you asked. Got to explore the area on a bike (courtesy of the wwoof host). Riding the bicycle across the region reminded me why bicycles are AMAZING!

Bicycle Bicycle Bicycle

Some Bicycle Infrastructure for you

Got to see the city of Hastings (with lots pink banners, pink sheep, and fountains in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month).

Sheepink

Showing off or supporting a good cause?

Also visited Napier, an Art-Deco city noted mostly for it's architecture, high number of cafes, and wine of course.

Sculpture outside Info center



Falling Water

Some other adventures included hiking at Te Mata Peak Park, up to the peak and also mountain biking a bit in the park.

Journey to Te Mata Peak

Look Out #1

Picture Break

Te Mata Peak

Look out there

Taking the rugged terrain track to the top

Along with other wwoofers we went to Ocean Beach and hung out a bit after a good day of work catching some rays.

OB

Wwoofers from all over the world

Take care all,

Cheers

P.S.

Updatedateable

Many an adventure has pass, many more lie ahead. One day a good internet connection (something we take for granted in the US will pass me by)


Until that day, remember to support the fight agains Breast Cancer (October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month).

A river runs through it

Shleepy Time

Wwoof - Thames in the Coromandel What did you do? I helped out on a farm in the Kauaranga Valley; actually it was at the farm of the former co-leader of the Green Party here. I helped out in daily farm activities.

What type of tasks are you talking about? Well I'm glad you asked: I helped herd the sheep so we could tag the lambs as male or female (it was just lambing season), had to catch the lambs so we could tag them, not easy sometimes. Did you know that they have tails when they are born? Most sheep have their tails removed b/c since they are close to their back ends, when they go number 2, it gets the tail dirty and flies will lay their eggs on it (which then leads to maggots, I'm sure you get the picture). So I helped gather the lambs together and the hosts put rubber rings on their tails that slowly make the tail fall off (about a week to 10 days). Don't worry though after a day they don't feel it anymore. This is the least painful alternative to actually slicing them off.

Also helped with the burning of gorse/wooly night shade and rotten wood on the part of the property not certified organic (some of it is, some of it isn't).

Also rode and drove the 'mule' (see below)

Did you do anything else? Some good tramping (hiking) at the back of the farm

And? Spent a day in the Coromandel Forest Park on the Pinnacles Hike! Start point to Pinnacles Hut to Pinnacles themselves, back down and to the Hydro Camp to the Billy Goat Trail back down past Billy Goat Falls, across the river and to the parking lot. Met a couple from Washington D.C. at the hut and went up to the Pinnacles with them. It was quite windy and it even snowed a little!!!!! Great views, good tracks, good times.

What else did you do? A lot of weeding of thistles (introduced from California); Also helped set up for the Saturday Market in the city, feed the cows, shovel manure to help make compost, and stir a biodynamic/organic mix for spraying the grass

Hay there

Chickweed, great for salads

Overall how was it? It was truly a great experience to actually get to work alongside someone fighting for the environment in Parliament yet also see that they are doing everything they preach at home. I learned a lot about an organic lifestyle on the farm and was glad I could help out with many a different task.
Twins!

In b/w headbutts

Siesta

Where are you now? I'm in Hawkes Bay or part of the Wine Country in NZ. Headed toward the Capital, Wellington after that.

Where are you going? More wwoofing in the North Island before I head to the South Island to wwoof; hopefully the snows still good by the time I reach it. Will try and go Bungy Jumping again and also will have to get on at least one of the National Parks for a few good days of tramping as well.

Until next time Planeteers,

Cheers,

Ty

P.S.

When they recommend that you boil the water first before drinking it, you should probably listen

Scones

So that's how they do it, anyone have an extra $20k?

So there's a lot to update everyone on, it's been a while, these last 2 posts and the ones from here on out are recaps of whats been going on in the last 2 months so keep posted daily b/c new posts may be up!

Listen:
Buena Vista Social Club


What were you doing after Keri Keri?


Wwoof - Kaitaia in the Northland at the Clean Green Machine. What did you do? Helped out around an ongoing project to start a new home. Trimmed some trees down to let light into the living room/bed room, helped apply linseed oil to timber for the new house that will also be using flexible concrete.

CHOOKS!

What else did you do? I attended many an Environmental Community Organization and really saw the grassroots efforts by local people trying to solve problems.

I also Got to hike around Lake Ngatu and I got to travel to Cape Reinga at the tip of NZ (a very spiritual place for the Maori people, see videos). Included in that trip was a drive down 90 mile beach, though not exactly 90 miles it is quite a long and beautiful beach.

Lake Ngatu in the Northland

Intro

Make it Rain

Attack of the Possum

View of Doubtless Bay and...

Cape Reinga Trip

What Bay?

The Light House

Cape Reinga, the meeting of the Pacific Ocean and Tasman Sea

Sea that right there in the Ocean?

Top Up

Some NZ history for you

Gasp

Made from an ancient Kauri Log!

Paihia - in the Bay of Islands in Northland What did you do? Walked the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, the place where the Maori and the English signed the Treaty of Waitangi more than 150 years ago.

Site of the Treaty Signing

Maori Meeting House on the Waitangi Treaty Grounds

Inside the Meeting House

Stay tuned for more updates! Hope everyone is well,

Cheers,

Ty

P.S.

The power is yours

To the rival blog: Tyler TV, enjoy

World Famous in NZ

The Brave Don't Run

Midnight Youth

Greetings Planeteers!


It has been a while but now is the time for an update.


What has that loony guy been doing you ask?

He's been Wwoofing in NZ, that's what.

Recap:

Wwoof - Keri Keri, in the Northland at Planet Green Nursery
What did you do? I helped out at the Nursery with plant propagation, potting plants, weeding, and mulching an area I helped to clear; also had vegetarian meals each and every day, quite good recipes I hope to take back with me.

The beginning

Give it a little time

Slowly but surely

Weeding is fun

add the mulch

Score board weeds 0: TL 1, new native plants have a head start!

What else did you do? I read...a lot, haven't read that much before but it felt great. I also got to plant my very own tree at the nursery, all the wwoofers get to do it before they leave; hopefully in a few years it will have established and shaded out the weeds/grasses! Oh yeah and I got to hang out around two beautiful waterfalls next to the property. Also before I forget, there were a pair of kiwi that called at night next to the waterfalls but I was unable to pin point them to get a picture; happy just to be able to hear them in the wild! Yeah Conservation Efforts!

Waterfall #1

Waterfall # 2

Tree is planted!


Stay Tuned in the next few days for other wwoof updates!

Cheers,
Ty

P.S.

Earth Fire Wind Water Heart