Happy Birthday Mom
Today, Saturday the 4th May, it's my mom's birthday....so this is for you mother;
H a p p y B i r t h d a y to the mother of all mothers <3 I LOVE you today and ALWAYS and I can't wait until I get back home and we're togeter again!
A beautiful photo of a beautiful family <3 I miss you all!
The Grampians
It turned out to be a good exercise this morning!! :)
Me and Amanda (from Canada) are the depressed housewives here, with no jobs...so we decided to walk from central Nelson and our hostel, through the Cathedral Grounds (a beautiful chruch) until we reached the Fairfield House. From there we took the summit track all the way up The Grampians. It is a nice, sometimes pretty steep, walk up the round hill and the return walk took us about two hours. Very nice and the look out was amazing.
Late lunch, a couple of cups hot tea, time in the couch in front of the fireplace, studying and talking to my friend Louise in the phone (who is in Christchurch, looking for job at the moment)... that pretty much summarises my day!
Stunning view of Nelson from the top!
Morning silence
I love it. The house is empty, either people are already at work or still sleeping. Vidde left around 7am and I was not tired enough to go back to sleep. Instead I put comfortable clothes on and warm socks (it is sooo cold during night here) and made my way to our cozy livingroom and called my amazing mother on Skype... I think that we talked for about one hour, and I enjoyed every single minute. My mom is so much more than just my mother. She is a close friend of mine and I can talk to her about e v e r y t h i n g <3 Definately a great way to start this Thursday!
It has been a strange, long week. Still NO JOB, which means that I have studied a lot (I think I am pretty much done with assignment #7) and been outside a lot. Tuesday and Wednesday was warm and sunny, so a couple of hours outside was very nice. Either I go for a run in the morning or a nice walk around down town Nelson or in the parks/gardens.
Yesterday I had this meeting with SSL Laundry at 1pm. It took about 40min to walk there and of course 40min to walk back...so a nice time outside! The meeting was about one hour long and we went through everything about the company, safety, emergency actions and so on. We were also shown all the different positions where we will work, if we get job through Coverstaff. Interesting place, and now I am just waiting for them to call and ask me to come :)
Before it starts rain today, (we're expecting a rainy day) I am heading out for a powerwalk with Amanda!
Talk to you later!
Love,
Frida
Tuesday and still NO JOB...
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 :)
I love you!
Photo; belongs to Vidde Keith
My emotions play tricks with me
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 :)
Photos from Instagram
Abel Tasman National Park
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!
Maybe have found a new JOB!
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.
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
Being fired; check!
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
Easton Apples...our new JOB!
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 have left the North Island for the South
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
And some more photos!
5 weeks later...
We have been staying at Ducks and Drakes Hotel in New Plymouth, NZ, for five weeks this upcoming Saturday. It is CRAZY...five weeks, it is a long period of time. But we really love it here and we have had SO much fun during those weeks.
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
My life in NZ in photos....
Sunday 24th March 2013
I promised to be better in updating you about our life here in New Zealand and at the moment in New Plymouth. So, I am improving right now, and will try to continue the same way in the future :)
Today has been a nice, very relaxed Sunday...so far. We had a long, enjoyable breakfast this morning, went for a a short visit to a completely flat Fitzroy Beach and later on back home for some sun in our garden at Ducks and Drakes Hotel. Vidde is working and I am scheduled 5pm-8pm tonight, in the reception.
My plans are to get some studying done before work today, do some research on the South Island (heading there pretty soon) and go grocery shopping in a while too.
I do really enjoy spending more time in the same province/town. You get to know a place much better than if you just stay for a night or two, it is less stressful, it feels more like home and it is definintely easier for me beacuse of the courses that I am studying while I am travelling. It is important for me to have access to internet and when we're here I have that 24/7.
We will be continuing our travels soon though, so I will do my best to plan ahead and try to complete as much as I can before we leave. I have four more assignments in the Business English course left and next week does the Marketing course start. That is exciting!
Anyway, it is Easter this upcoming week. Not a huge event here, but still a lot of guests coming to this hotel and I would like to observe it in some way. Maybe hide an Easter egg that Vidde has to look for... haha! We will see!
Lots of love,
Frida
NEW PLYMOUTH
I can't really explain why I am SO extremly bad at updating the blog at the moment, but it feels like I have no time over. Bad excuse, I know. I would especially like to apologize to my beloved father, I know that I over and over again promise that I should update it more often...so here we go again dad, enjoy :)
I do write a couple of sentences in my dairy every now and then, but that of course is just for me myself and mostly just thoughts and feelings. Anyway, a lot has happened since the amazing day when we did the skydive in Taupo, the 6th March, and right now we "live" in NEW PLYMOUTH.
On our way to New Plymouth did we stop in the National Park Village to do the well-known Tongariro Alpine Crossing. A walk/hike/mountaineering on 2,3 miles that took us about 8 hours return. We were so lucky; this was a sunny day with completly clear sky. Definantely an amazing walk with beautiful views over magificent landscape. This is actually where the Lord of the Rings partly is filmed. With probably the worst blisters I have ever had on my heels, we went to bed pretty exhausted, but satisfied that night.
After that experience we headed west, along the Forgotten World Highway, which by the way was a very nice drive, and suddenly New Plymouth arisen. New Plymouth is located in the very west of the north island, in the Taranaki province. It is still nice and warm here (except from chilly nights) and we have the opportunity to still go to the beach, enjoy surfing, swimming and tanning. Me like A LOT! And luckily me and Vidde found a great "home away from home" here at Ducks and Drakes Hotel in the centre of this beautiful town.
So, we arrived about two weeks ago, and time does fly by. It just took us a couple of days to get in love with this towm and we decided to stay for a longer period of time and to try to find work here. We did, at Ducks and Drakes Hotel :) and since this past Monday we work for accomondation. Our working hours are 21/week and we do both housekeeping and are responsible for the checking guests in and do all kinds of reception work. We have got a lovely double room, free internet, free laundry and a great time with Jane, Rosie and the rest here! Have a look at our home; www.ducksanddrakes.co.nz.
At this very moment I do actually work... I am in the reception betweem 2pm and 6pm today. Vidde is already done, he did housekeeping this morning and left for some surfing at Fitzroy Beach a while ago. I am jealous!! I have done all the laundry that I needed to, so this is pretty much called spare time on duty.
Anyway, it is Friday today. I did some grocery shopping before to be able to make a nice dinner tonight... and tomorrow I am on the morning housekeeping shift again between 9am and 2pm.
Time to do some studying. I am suppose to upload my fourth assignment today (or at latest tomorrow at noon). I am done, I think, so just a final proofreading and then I am finished.
In one week does my second course start too; Marketing 1. Exciting!
To be continued - I am really going to try to be back soon!
Love,
Frida
Photo taken by Vidde Keith
(More photos; viddekeith.wordpress.com)
Photos from SKYDIVE in Taupo
TAUPO TANDEM SKYDIVING - 15000ft
I never thought that I would do it and I could never have guessed that I would be so cool about it, but......
I DID IT and Vidde did too. We have jumped straigt out of a plane here in Taupo! A tandem skydive on 15000ft. Marley took me down to the earth safely and we made a skydive in 200km/h with a freefall of 60 seconds. I just feel SO alive right now! It was just a really gooooood time in the air for about 15 minutes and I wish I could do it again and just enjoy it much more!!
Photos will come, veeery soon! Stay updated :)
Coromandel is BEAUTIFUL
Wow. Coromandal is amazing. Unbelievably beautiful driving along the coast and stunning views all over.
Going up here by car was a great idea. And our lovely green Nissan was by the way our greatiest deal in NZ, so far. We are so happy we bought it.
We have been driving around up here about one week now and we have seen spots, beaches and villages that we have been recommended to see. All very small, lonely places, but so cute. We are back to the white sand beaches again (after spending time on the west coast where there is a lot of black sand beaches), swum in the warm and nice ocean, visited Hot Water Beach; where we digged a hole in the sand and got to sit down in the hot springs. An experience, but a really crowded place...too many people, I guess a little to much of a "tourist thing" for us.
The other day we went on a shorter walk to the Cathedral Cove. Me and Vidde had company with a woman from the Neatherlands, that stayed at the same hostel, and we had an extrelmy hot but nice day. Probably one of the most beautiful places (I know, I said it again) in NZ, I promise. We walked through the cove at low tide and spent hours in the ocean and at the beach at the other side.
Suddenly, while we were in the water, Vidde looked at me, stood still staring, pointed at something in the water and calmly said; "I think there is a stingray right behind you". And that was true. A pretty big one actually. They are not that dangerous if you do not disturb them, but still...we returned to sunbathing short after. We also informed another guy, who was very close to it, and he freaked out and thanked us for saving his life....haha!
Anyway, we are spending our last day and night in Coromandal town today after seen places like Whangamata, Hahei and Whitianga. We are at the moment enjoying a great cup of cappuccino and a well worth it gluten free carrot cake with citrus cream cheese frosting @ the Chai Tea House. Do I have to tell you that I am back in heaven!? I LOVE those cute, organic cafés, where they alway offer me SO good treats. Dangerous!
My beloved boyfriend has, of course, taken more beautiful photos; have a look at his blog viddekeith.wordpress.com :)
Time to plan the future.....I will tell you more about it soon! :)
