dayoffrida - in NEW ZEALAND

This starts to be depressing. Vidde is working again, a full day 7.30am-4.30pm, but I have NO JOB. I keep on calling Coverstaff, but somehow they have a "hard time finding jobs for women". Typical...and bad timing, I guess.I have walked around downtown this morning looking for any openings, I have had a look online @ TradeMe (under jobs) and on www.backpackerboard.co.nz, but nothing right now.

 

Tomorrow I have a scheduled induction at a SSL Laundry at noon. It is a laundry place handling laundry from hotels and the hospital. Maybe they could offer me some work in the end of the week. I pretty much do a n y t h i n g to get some money in at the moment.

 

So, another day off. I took a long morning walk in this beautiful, sunny weather. I plan to study, even more, assignment #7 needs to be done by Friday... I maybe bake another gluten free apple pie. And probably hang out with Amanda, from Canada, who also is looking for a job...but doesn't have one at the moment (and her boyfriend Simon works).

 

Time for lunch :) 

It is one of these days today. A day when I think A LOT about things and I let feelings come and go. I like those days and I hate those days, at the same time. Because days like this both takes and gives energy. 

Days like today am I SO thankful for having friends and family that listen, give me advices and motivation. They remind me of who I have become and what I want and that I don't have to worry....it is okay to have; a day like this.

 

I had a really confusing morning, with some tears, but after some very meaningful conversations with people I truly appreciate having in my life was I able to enjoy a long, tasteful breakfast alone... I decided to put on running shoes afterwards, plugged in some "feel good music" and I went for an hour long powerwalk/run along Maitai River, in Queens Gardens and around cute neighborhoods. 

 

Vidde is working today, he is buildning something, somewhere around Nelson. The only thing I know is that the work site is located on a hill with a beautiful view :) I am really happy for him, but I have not got any work yet... I have been calling Coverstaff several times asking about jobs available today, but unluckily nothing, yet!

 

So, my plan for now, after a long shower and good lunch, is studying, at least until I hear anything else from Coverstaff or until Vidde comes home from work :)

Me and Vidde made plans for a full day trip to Abel Tasman National Park yesterday. It was Sunday, very warm and crystal clear sky when we walk up...so with other words; a perfect day for a day hike!

 

We left Nelson in the morning, around 7am, drove about one hour north and reached Marahau right in time to catch our taxi boat. We had a 30min ride along the coast and the feeling of fresh and crispy air and bright sunshine was a great start of the day.

 

The boat dropped us in Bark Bay and we started our hike south. We made stops along the way, at Medlands Bay, South Head, Frenchman Bay and made our way to Torrent Bay after 2 hours. 

We wanted to have a relaxed day and decided to take it slow and stop whenever we wanted, so that we could make the 4-4,5h walk longer :) And we did...we spent a nice hour on Torrent Bay, enjoyed a little snack and talked about the meaning of life and other interesting subjects.

 

Out pick up place was Ancourage Bay and we reached that point earlier than expected, so another 2 hours in the sun was very welcomed (after sooo much rain and "depressing" weather). In total a 12km easy walk, a veeery nice experience and much needed day with my love!

One day with just studying, planning the future and enjoying a relaxed day was enough, we want to work some more before we continue just enjoying ourselves here... 

A couple at our hostel, Amanda and Simon from Canada, told us about this company called Coverstaff. We went there a couple of days ago and signed up on a sheet for people interested in finding a temporary or permanent job in Nelson. 
After visiting different fruit packhouses this morning, with no luck (they are all full), did we drive by Coverstaff again. I think we spent about three hours at their office today. Filled all papers out, watched an informative dvd about safety at work, answered more questions and got as closest as we could to get started finding jobs. Vidde will go ahead and start Monday morning and I will probably get some café job during this weekend or in the beginning of next week.

 

I keep you updated, but fingers crossed for some more to do and then we plan to stay in Nelson a little longer! 

 

Love,

Frida

 

 

It is a true fact, we are fired from the apple picking job at Easton Apples here in Nelson. Or at least somewhere in between willing to go ourselves and they not wanting us to come back. But getting fired is an experience. We survived four days and that is all. A very hard and stressful job, not made for me...I guess. 

To be able to stay we had to pick 4 bins/person per day, and that is 4x400kg. Picking 1200kg of apples per day was impossible for me. I was not even close. I could probably improve (=pick faster) and make 3 bins/day, but still, that was not enough. Anyway, I am happy and satisfied! We made some money, but best of all we got to know what apple picking is like and we will definitely never ever forget this experience.

 

Today is are planning day. We have less than 6 weeks left in NZ, before TONGA is waiting for us. That means that we are going to see the rest of the South Island during those weeks. I can't wait! It is definitely a stunning place on earth...

 

Some studying needs to be done though, two more assignments and I am done with Business English Online!! By the way, I am sooo proud of myself; outside the stressfull and tiring days at work last week I worked on and finished Assignment #6 - and guess what!? I recieved the result and....I scored 10/10 marks. A great feeling!!

 

Talk to you lateeer!

 

Lots of love from NZ,

Frida

W are still in Nelson, we stay at Shortbread Cottage and it is still raining.... It did rain when we first arrived here this past Tuesday and since that moment it pretty much hasn't stopped at all. Crazy wet everywhere!

 

Anyway, me and Vidde went to the meeting we had arranged with Rob at Easton Apples early Wednesday morning. A quick meeting went by and we had A JOB!! How easy (did we at least think at that moment). We started picking apples already the following morning, Thursday at 7.30am. Kind of excited in the beginning and the only thing that we could think of was; "remember this is a fast way of getting money!" "Work hard and pick more apples than the rest here." Easier said than done!!!

Okay, this is the deal; It fits 25kg of apples in the basket that we are carrying around on our belly. About 25 of those baskets fill a bin up, which equals 400kg. To be able to stay (=not being fired) we have to pick 4 bins per person/per day, thus 8 bins together. The first day we managed to pick 3 bins...together. The second day we picked 5 bins together. Still not enough....and we do think that are working as fast as we can right now, but we have to pick 3 more bins.

 

Because of the weather we have been off yesterday and today. It is to dangerous running around and climbing up and down the ladders when it is pouring down. But I think that we needed a break...already, every single spot in our backs were hurting.

 

So, I finished my 6th assignment in Business Engligh yesterday morning, just two more assignments left and the course at the University of Jönköping is done!

Except from that there has been a lot of movie watching, baking (yes, we made an apple pie, gluten free of course, out of our delicious Eve apples from work) and for dinner yesterday we made lasagna, also gluten free. 

 

Hopefully we're back to work tomorrow, or at latest on Tuesday. That means more hard work, and more money. Then we will see how much longer we're able to continue, or how much longer they want to keep us :)

We left our "home" in New Plymouth this past Saturday...and drove down the coast, along the Surf Highway, in heavy rain. Not a very pleasant drive but we finally arrived in Plimmerton, right outside Wellington, that night. 

 

Sunday turned out to be a long, pretty windy, but nice day in the capital city of NZ; Wellington. We went to the Te Papa Museum, walked around in the shopping district, checked the Parliament buildings out and had a great lunch and coffee in the sun. 

Early monday morning we left the North Island, took the BlueBridge Ferry and really enjoyed the beautiful 3,5 hours over to the South Island and to Picton. We continued driving, through beautiful landscape, stopped in Blenheim for lunch and then we entered Kaikora yesterday afternoon. During driving along the coast we made stops for watching the wild seals play in the water. We are already in LOVE with the south!!!

 

This morning we woke up at 4.30am....TO EARLY, especially after sleeping with an eye open beacuse of us being worried about bed bugs. Luckily we never got any bites though. Anyway, our plan was to take the first boat in the morning to go outside the South Bay, Kaikora and swim with dusky dolphins. And we did and it was an incredible experience. In some way a little like the feeling I had after doing the skydive a couple of weeks ago. It was an amazing feeling to swim around and play with those beautiful animals. Today has definintely been one of the best days in my life!

 

Kaikora is small, so after getting dry clothes on after the swim we grabbed a good cup of coffee and drove back, through Benheim a second time and a little east, to Nelson. This is where we are at the moment. In a very cozy hostel, named Shortbread Cottage and they even offer us free internet. How awesome!?

 

So now our new adveture hopefully begins. We have a scheduled meeting with the owner of an apple farm tomorrow morning. Crossed fingers that it will give us a picking and packing job for about two weeks! If so, we stay here, save up some money and then continue our travels on the South Island. 

 

I almost forgot it, but we booked a trip to TONGA before leaving the North Island :) In the end of this amazing adventure on the other side of the world, we plan a trip including even more sun, warm wheather and I guess, a great time, on those gorgeous islands. I CAN'T WAIT!!

 

We do need to prepare some dinner now, I will be back updating you with photos soooon!

 

Lots of LOVE,

Frida

 

There has been a lot of working at the hotel, at least 20 hours per week. But we still have had enough time to enjoy the beaches, go surfing, doing all kinds off adventures, meeting and hanging out with amazing friends and got to know this cool place very well. Either we work in the mornings, during the afternoons or at night, dong housekeeping or being responsible for the reception and laundry. Me and David have also had the same days off, which made it easier to explore things and places together.

 

We have made our decision though, we are leaving on Saturday....for Wellington and then we are heading to the South Island. We have about two more months here and it is time to explore the rest of this stunning country.

Our beautiful green car "Pärlan" will of course come to the South Island too and then we plan to sell her before we head back to Auckland in the middle of June. The plan is to go back home to Sweden right before "Midsommar".

 

Tonight we have some planning to do, some things to book and problems to solve. I have, for examples, decided to drop my Marketing course, unfortunately, and that because everything is online, so I do need internet to be able to read the litterature, watch lectures and so on. There are also a lot of assignments to do in a group of five people. That work needs to be done by all of us and the rest of my group are located in Sweden, 10 hours behind me. They want to study at weekday nights and weekends, which means that I am asleep when they are awake. After discussing this with myself and other I am sure that I made the right decision.  

 

So, hope to be able to update you soon again! 

 

Lots of love,

Frida