Lambing and pruning in Pokeno

 Hey There!

I have been up to Pokeno for 3 days now. Been working with Pruning on Ken and Tricias vineyard together with Andrew from NZ and Joy from Ohio. We are also in the middle of the lambing and this mornig we got 2 new young fellas after a bit of struggle to get them out.

Cheers big ears!

Well, life on tha farm is kinda laid back..........

G'day mates!

Hope all is well with everybody and congratulations to everybody in the northern hemisphere, summer finally kicked in :). Weather in NZ starts to get colder now when winter is coming up and it's been pissing down all over the country pretty much every day since beginning of may. The temperatures are not to bad yet thou, around 15 on the days and down to about 8 on the nights.

About half a year ago, just a week after my arrival in NZ, I met Brenna from California on a campground in Turangi just south of lake Taupo. After a chat on the evening and a day of biking the day after we decided to travel togheter for a while becuse both of us were heading down south to the ferry in Wellington over the ditch to the south island. We started out west from there towards Tamaruni and "The Forgotten World HW" that was leading us through spectacular scenery to the town of Stratford and the Taranaki area. By sunset with an strong headwind we entered Stratford and decided to keep on south to the outskirts of the town before start looking for somewhere to stay for the night. Just before Eltham on HW 3 we pulled up on the driveway to a house along the road and knocked on the door to ask if we could pitch our tent somewhere on the endless green fields around. Russel and Karen Joblin togheter with a big part of there family where gathered in the house that evening and they didn't saw any point in us putting up our tent when we could come in and have a feed and sleep in the livingroom :). We stayed with them on there dairyfarm for a couple of days before we continued our journey south. Just before we left the place in mid-november Russel said "If your'e traveling this way on your way up north again, your'e more than welcome to visit us again". I keept that in mind and half a year later I sent and email to the nice family and asked if I could visit them again and experience more about diaryfarming.

In late april I left the small village of Pokeno 50 km south of Auckland and headed south on my pushbike with the intention to visit the Joblin family for a couple of weeks. I started out on HW 1 which just transportation down to intersection to HW 39. The weather was good and I enjoyed being on the move again after a week of sickness up in Pokeno. I passed Towns like Huntly, Ngaruawahia and Ngahinapuiri before I came to Pirongia were I decided to stay for the night. It was still kind of early but I'd covered a good distance so I bought some food on 4 square and sat down on a bench outside to firestation which was located in the middle of the town. As I had my lunch I was looking around for some place I would be able to put up the tent and there was a small sheltered area behind the town Hall just beside the firestation were I thought would be prefect.

I was just about to finish the coke I bought and go for a lay down on the lawn in the playground when a pick up pulled up at the firestation. I thought that I might as well ask the guy if a could put up the tent on the property of the fire brigade and maybe save me some trouble if some one would question my choice of place to crash. I introduced myself to the guy whos name was Bill. He said, fore sure, but your'e very welcome to stay on my farm togheter with my wife and my three sons. Couldn't say no to that and we through up the bike on the back of the car. They had a spare room, actually, a spare little house were I could crasch. On the night me, Bill and his three sons who also was working on the farm had a good chat and a couple of beers.

The following day I continue my journey down south and after another 2 days of biking I reach the decent sized city of New Plymouth. Liked the town by the time I entered it and after cruising around in the towncenter for a while I found a backpacker in the middle of the town were I decided to stay for the night. I met Maicon, Fabio and Daimon from Brazil at the backpackers and togheter with a bunch of kiwi-girls from Wellington we had some drinks before we headed down on the town.

On late Sunday morning, actually more by lunchtime, I started to bike my approxomately 50 km towards Eltham. The terrain was mostly very flat whit an amazing wiew over Mt. Taranaki that stands up like from nowhere in the middle of otherwise flat grassfields. Arrived to Joblins after a couple of hours of biking and it was really nice to se everybody again after 6 months. Have been here for 3 weeks now and got to experience some of the works on a dairyfarm which been really fun and interesting. Exept from the farm the family also have a stockcar racing team called Joblin Motorsport were the three sons Simon, Scott and Adam are competing and also are some of the best drivers in New Zealand. This weekend I got to follow to a stockcarmeeting to see some races wich was really fun. check out there website at http://www.joblinmotorsport.co.nz/

Early morning, getting ready for milking

Looking for some specific cows that lost there numbertag

Racing during the weekend. Russell in the back, Simon and Scott leaning against his stockcar

Wiew over a part of the big dairyfarm

Simon and Scotts 2 - year old son Boston in the truck that brings the stockcars to the meetings

Russell is getting ready for race.














On wednesday it's time to head of north again up towards Auckland. Russell and another farmer from the area called Keith is gonna drive me up there. This will be the last post on the blog from New Zealand and next time you'll hear from me will be in about 2 weeks when I've arrived in Alaska for next trip down south through Alaska, Yukon, BC and down to the lower 48 were I can look forward to roads like this. Cheers mates!



Greetings from mighty Pokeno

Olive harvesting in Pokeno. Later on we took of to Albany to get the 60kg of olives pressed.

Hey Everybody!

Hope all is well with everybody. Sorry for really poor updating on the blog the last month but been kind of busy just cruising around :). Have been moving on for pretty much the last month and heres short travelstory from life on the kiwi-roads. enjoy!


Left the town of Motueka and Riwaka Valley a
month ago. Felt kind of done with the apples down there and decided to move on after a total time of about 8 weeks there and about 6 of picking. More than a month on the same place and I start to get bored and have to move on again. I packed my stuff and headed of to Nelson and later on Picton to catch the ferry "over the ditch" to Wellington as they say down here. The biking up to Picton was kind of uninteresting becuse I done that stretch like 3 times already.

I arrived to Wellington wich I guess most of you know is the capital of New Zealand. Really nice city located on the southern tip of the north Island. I would refer to it as an tiny Vancouver. I stayed one night in the city with two american ladies I stayed with on the way down south. The next coming day, I continued my journey northeast towards Hastings and Napier. The first day after leaving Wellington was, as always expected after getting out from a big city, really boring. First the problem with finding the right roads through the suburbs when you cant bike on the motorway. A never ending story of jumping down and up on sidewalks, stopping for red lights and looking on the map 75 times during 2 minutes. Just not that good but something you have to deal with.

On my way northeast towards Palmerston North I hit kind of nasty weather. During on of the nights I came to the town of Shannon which is a tiny town about 30km before PN. I had nowere to sleep for the night and I was running out of daylight.There was no backpackers or camping in town either but I found the rugbystadium in the middle of the town and thought it would be perfect to spend the night under the roof there. when I had my dinner it was getting darker and the lights was turned on on the whole arena wich resulted in that it was a bad idea to stay there during the night. I moved on and along the street I met Bryan who invited me in to his and his wifes house for dinner a nice chat and later on good sleep in a decent bed.

My travel continued the following day towards hastings for a couple of days and I had to admit it didnt happend to much. The weather was bad and the scenery uninteresting when I passed through towns like Dannevirke and Norsewood. Slept in kind of funny places thou. Found a playground on a schoolyard outside Dannevirke where i sleept in some kind of small house there when the rain was puring down outside.

I reached Hastings later on and decided to pick some more apples there for a while. It was sunday and I cruised around the town for a while before I found the A1 backpackers were i decided to stay. I told the lady who had the business that I was looking for applepick work and she made a phonecall to some ray and after 2 minutes I got work. Had a great time in Hastings and met a lot of funny people but after the third day of picking I got some trouble with my ankle wich kept me away from the work. Stayed there the rest of the week anyway becuse I payed for it and spended the days drinking piss and did ocasionally visits on the internetcafe.

After Hastings I took of with the intention to travel out on the eastcape wich I did and I had the best of times between Gisborne and Mt Manganui. When I was on the south island my ipod got destroyed in the rain in Invercargill so pretty much what I can do to entertain my self on the bike is singing. It doesn't sound good at all and a lot of times I think for my self, ooh man, you have to stop doing that:). I was getting closer to the town of Tolaga bay northeast of Gisborne. The scenery was amazing and I was sitting on my bike just enjoying my time and of course sang some johnny cash lyrics. From nowhere this Maori guy named Ihi showed up behind me on a roadbike with the biggest smile I ever seen and asked "How's it going there, got a good voice:)". I never felt so stupid but dropped it after few seconds and we cruised togheter in to Tolaga bay where he lived with his family. He and his friend Tanga invited me for surfing at lunchtime and on the night we went spotlighthunting on the back of there pick up on some gravel roads in the froest outside town, great fun and of course, illegal:). We got a venison.

The day after in Tokomaru bay I met great people at the backpackers "Brians Place". The swedish girl Kira who was working there and the swdish guy fredrik who was staying there, well, he was from skane but lets consider him swedish anyway:). I also met this german chic called Andi and a swiss chic called Florina who I basically was traveling with for the next coming week. They were in car of course and I was biking but we enden up on the same backpackers night after night.

Been having kind of a cruisy holiday the last couple of weeks with a lot of staying at backpackers, barnights and meting a lot of fun people wich been great fun. Arrived up to Pokeno some days ago were I stay with Ken and Tricia wich was the couple I met my first day here in NZ. Unfortunately I've been sick the last couple of days but its getting better now.In the coming days I'm gonna make my way south and visit Karen and Russell who has a big dairyfarm in Eltham for a while before I'm heading up to auckland again to catch my flight to Anchorage in Alaska the 1 of june.

Beutiful scenery out on the eastcape, North Island, NZ

Wiew over Ken and Tricias vineyard in Pokeno just south of Auckland. North Island, NZ

Wellington, the capital of the country in the far south of the north island

This is what you'll see biking along the eastcoast of the North island

The travelroute in New Zealand
















As some of you know my camera got stolen down in motueka so kind of short of photos. Here are some random ones from Google thou wich is the same scenery I been biking through the last weeks

Take care people

Edvin

Well, life on tha farm is kinda laid back................

Hello everybody!

Here is a bunch of photos from New Zealand and Riwaka Valley outside Motueka were I'm picking apples. Everything is great here and we have a lot of fun. The photos are from fooling around at the pickers quarters, trip to kaiteriteri beach, walk up the hills of the valley and cooking up a big meal of mussles:). 

see ya mates

The route so far in NZ

To Bert about Burt

Hello Everybody!

It took me 45 minutes to get an applepickingwork in Motueka. I'm starting in about a week and at the moment I'm hanging out in Nelson. Tommorow I'm going back up to Mot for the big applepicker meeting at the orchard:).

This are som photos specially for Bert, enjoy my friend:). Apperently Burt had 2 motorcycles he raced with and there was not to much information about it in the hardwearstore except for the certificate och the mc.

See ya mates 



Ducks killed by green Honda - Bon Apetit

This is for Janet, the Drewcrew and everybody else who dont understand swedish, enjoy the reading:).

On the Thuesday the 25th of Januari I left Ettrick and Melrose Orchard behind and took of on my pushbike. With the sight of dark clouds in the northwest and headwind I slowly moved forward between the different fruitorchards in Teviot Valley, Cantral Otago. Ther're heaps of them here and everywhere you look you'll see apple, apricot or cherrytrees in the otherwis dry and rough landscape that reminds a lot from the scenery in Lord of the rings. Ooh yeah, I almost forgot, it was close to this area they did a lot from the movies so it's not to starnge:).

It's been nice to benn working for a while and got some experience in the orchardwork. I understand a lot more about an appletree now then I did before I came here. How important it is to take care of it whit prooning, thinning and some times spraying to get a god crops. I also got my fingers use to the work and learn how to place the ladder between the some times thick branches wich is very good for my upcoming career as an applepicker in a few weeks. I made a lot of new friends but to be honest, I'm sick of the town Ettrick.

With 12 hrs timedifferent it was the 24th of januari in sweden and ofcourse I pulled of the raod after a couple of hrs to make a phonecall to my mother on her birthday, as always, she had just arrived home from her work:).

At lunchtime I enetered the town of Alexandra where I wrote the last post on my poorly updated blog. Alex is a pretty famous town here in NZ for vineyards an fruitorchards in the area. The landscape between here and queenstown is spectacular. I ate lunch, did som internetthings and bought a new traveladapterso I could charge my camera again becouse the otherone broke down a couple of weeks ago.

The plan for the day was to get to the town of Cromwell were I was gonna meet up with Glenn for som camping. As some of you already know me an glen were working togheter in Ettrick a couple of weeks before X-mas and he is now picking cherries in cromwell and are camping with his wee tent on some random place beside a like outside the town. Glenn is a 28 year old Kiwiguy from Dunedin. Very smiley. Everywhere he goes he drives his Yamaha MC and follow the works around the southern island. We met up at the supermarket and bought supplies. Bread, Ham and a 24 pack of export gold, you now, I have to stay hydorated on the bike:). After we pretty much finished the beer we took the last 4 one to go. We got the brilliant idea to climb a relatively big hill in the area cinsisted of loose rock and sand with a wiew ower the Valley and the town. Up was no problem but the descending was an adventure:). In the morning I heard glenn took of to work on his bike. I ate breakfast and headed north in the stron northwesterly wind.

In the town of Tarras I met my fellow travellers for the coming 3 days. Caroline Macarez, a french girl and her boyfriend Pier-luc Gagnon, a french canadian. Funny people and we decided to bike togheter. After a couple of hrs biking we stopped for a break along the raod. In the far distance we saw some ducks crossing the raod and 2 of them got hit by the nextcoming car. When we passed the ducks later on my new french friends stopped and picked them up to take a look at them. Caroline put her fantastic smile to me and asked "Fell for Duck to Dinner?". The rest of the day I was pedaling with 2 dead ducks on the back of my bike and later on when we camped we had duck, rice and melted butter for dinner:).

I was 2 more days with these guy before we slitted up on the morning in lake Tekapo. I headed out on the road on my own and my next campsite became Rangihita River just outside the town of Geraldine close to christchurch. I tried all day to get hold of Rink, a girl I met up close to Nelson on the way down. She lives in Dunsandel but she was out of town for the weekend wich meant no visit there. From here I decided to follow Inland Scenic route 72 upp to arthurs pass instead of the eastcoast and Lewis pass. When I woke up from my tent the older couple inte the camper beside me offered me breakfast. Except from them there were 3-4 other campers parked on the big field. Only older people thou so I felt a little bit as a memebr at a camptrip with PRO. I mean, sore legs, drinking coffe with creme and sugar with cinnamonrolls while we're listening to some kind of NZ "ring sa spelar vi" :). They were asking me if I wa gonna camp at Mt somers the next coming night but I explained that 30 km was a little bit to short for the day.

The weather was cloudy but the rain kept away and in the perfect time to stop for lunch I enetered the town of Mt Somers. The Inland Scenic rout is problably the best road I been following here in NZ so far. It goes by the bottom of the mountains and just by looking west I can tell a crossing of the country will be hard work. I miss my I-pod that got destroyed in the rain down in Invercargill so I cannot listen to my American countrymusic anymore :(.

My Body starts to feel alittle bit better thou. The inflammation in my left forearm starts to go away and the scrubs from my bikeaccident starts to heal very good. I start to get in applemode again and i'm exited for and applepickingseason up in Motueka, if I find any work ofcourse :).

In the afternoon the wind added up to the stage were it;s practicaly impossible to move forward. I found a nice campsite at Rakaia Gorge thou with a nice weiw over the gorge that goes through the mountains and out a few miles south of christchurch. The wind during the night was as they would say here "Bloody ridiculous".

In the morning the wind was weaker and rain came in instead. I layed in the tent pondering about staying another night. It was raining now and if the wind starts againg biking will bee really hard. The only things I had in food was some oatmeal and rice so I decided to bike anyway. You would thing that NZ in the month of Feb would be hot and tropical with a lot of Kiwigirls running around in bikini, and I'm sure thats the case, nort of Auckland. To lunch it was pretty cold and windy and I was biking in raisnclothes, I even put on my boots to keep some heat up in my feets.I spent most of the time before lunch on a gravel road far out on the countryside with sheeps and cows.

By lunchtime, or no, actually long after lunch becuse I was starving, I arrived to the village of Springfield. Once again I met a couple of French Canadains from Quebec who had pedal their bikes the other direction from Arthurs Pass. They told me I have an hard jorney ahead so I took a 2 hour lunch and by the time, the sun started to shine on my wet clothes. A bus arrived full of chinese people so I became the phototarget and for a while I felt like a moviestar. They are problably going back to china and show their friands and family the wet and lost Swedish guy on his pedalbike:). During the break I also realised that the batteri in my camera was empty. Great, tomorrow I'm entering the most scenic area on the island and no photos will be taken. The afternoon was sunny and I started the journey across the country ower to the westcoast.

During the night on my campsite at lake Lyndon went down and it was problably the coldest night in NZ for me so far. Cold enough to make me freez in my summersleepingbag with a comfortzone on 8+. I woke up several times in the night and it was nice when I felt the sun against the tent in the morning. I put my things togheter and by 9 I was all set for a day in the ridicoulos wind. My plan was to get to the Village of Arthurs Pass and after 2 km of biking I knew thats gonna be a challenge. By the time I passed Castle Hill I was thinking that it should be very good bouldering in the area with a lot of big rocks. Two minutes later I saw a dude with long blond hair throwing out a crashpad from his happy campervan. I pulled over for a chat and it turnes out it's Matt and his girlfriend from the state of New York in USA. They are here climbing and travelling on the sothern island. We talked for a while and later on we changed emails and stuff like that. It's amazing that I almost got more new friends from US and Canada during this trip than from NZ:). I kep pedaling for a while and stopped for lunch at lake Pearson were I got the lunchentertainment for free. It was 2 guy in the age of maybe 5 that was running around on the beach throwing stones in the water and feeding the ducks whit bread. There parents made several attempts to get the boys to the table for som food but that was not interesting at all. Every once in while they came up to me and asked what I thought about the "splasch" from the stones. I did thumb up and smiled and they runned proud away to get more and bigger stones :).

After the lunch I continued in the wind and people I met for shorter conversations on the road tol me about stormwarning at Arthurs Pass for the night. "So get your ass up there as fast as possible:)". If you want to know how it is to bike Arthurs Pass on a  day like that, read this:

Imagine pedal your pushbike for 80 km. If you think that sounds hard, then add approxomately 35 kg of gear you also have to push forward. In this concept, you also put in a steedy uphill pretty much all the way and I guess your knees will hurt just to think about it. If you then take one of the most windiest days you ever encountered and I promise you will have a very good sleep in your wet tent:).

Very tired I arrived to Arthurs Pass village just by the time the really bad wheater came in. I saw the "Bunkhouse" on a sig and with stormwarning it felt like a good idea. I met a couple of guys from Isarel, otherwise there were no people around at the cheap and dirty accomodation were you pay by an "honesty box" when the owner are located in christchurch. On the night the weather was really bad and I decided to rest for the day or wait till the bad weather calm down.

Im really glad I didn't even considering biking in that wheater becuse it was really bad. Actually I didn't even want to take the 200 m run to the store. So instead of being out in the rain and biking trying to be a "hard guy" (or stupiud:)) , me and the Israel guys stayed insade and ate our foodsupplies :). Kind of nice actually:).

Like always in NZ the weather can change over 5 minutes and 5 a clock it was sunshine, I decided to descend from the mountains before bad weather came in again so I put my bike togheter and took of. It was approx 3 km to the topp of the pass and then the steepest downhill I ever been to with the bike. It was a dangerous ride down becuse it was wet and with an 16% the speed was fast. I also needed to wave away and Kea that hunted me (a mountain parrot). I came down safely thou and put up my tent outside the village of Jacksons.

This night was the first night on the trip, when i've been biking, that I put the alarm on my cellphone. Otherwise I use to wake up aroun 8-830 am but this night I put up the tent very visible from the road and there was a big sign "overnight camping prohibited". I also felt with the last days of headwind that it would be nice to hit the road early and be able to hear my own thoughts on the bike and not only the wind whistling around my head:). I started biking around 7 am and it was pretty cool, good conditions. Very scenic lanscape. I was looking to the hills in the west and knew that from up there I would be able to sea the Tasman sea and further out from there, the big continent of Aussie will be located. Not to much happend during the day, mostly biking and enjoying the scenery and the resonable wind.

Right now I'm in the town of Reefton approx 2 days from Motueka. Biking is holding up good and next time you'll hear from me I hopefully got som new work at an appleorchard:)

The computer here was really slow so I only got up 3 pics. Burt Indian, Caroline from France and the west coast crew sa couple of months ago

Cheers Mates

                                         Burts Indian

                                         Caroline making duck for dinner

The westcoast crew

                                         Comon sight in NZ

                                         Smiley swede on the bike

                                         NZ version of Cadillac ranch

                                        Beutiful scenery in Central otago

                                          Sheep shering

                                        If you get to drunk, other guys will make fun of you:), Nelson

Great wiew

My work contracts out, so I have to move on.......

Tjenare!

Idag lamnade jag Ettrick och Melrose orchard efter nastan 1,5 manader av applejobb och har nu borjat cykla norrut. I skrivande stund sa sitter jag i staden Alexandra mitt i det torra och ruggade landskapet i Central Otago. Nu kommer jag att cykla norrut via Cromwell, Twizel, Mt Cook mm tills jag kommer till Motueka uppe i Nelsonomradet dar planen ar att plocka applen ett tag. Jag har fatt lite adresser och telefonnummer mm av Sasha som jag jobbat med i Ettrich da han gjort nagra sasonger dar uppe. Kandes aven bra nar pete sa (agaren till Orcharden jag jobbat pa), Nar du upptacker att traden ar skit uppe i motueka, da ar du valkommen tillbaka hit.

Idag ar planen att ta mig till cromwell dar jag ska mota upp Glenn som jobbade pa Melrose innan jul. Han plockar nu Korsbar dar och campar vid en sjo som enligt honom ska vara kanon sa det tankte jag prova i natt. Har aven skaffat mig ett kastfiskespo sa det kanske blir trout till middag idag:). I ovrigt kanner jag mig lite tillknocklad efter en vurpa pa hojen i lordags da jag skull kopa mjolk. Holl pa att fixa till min pakethallare fram och saknade ett par delar som Earl, Byns "elder" som jag kallar honom, skullle fixa till mig. Pakethallaren akte ner och satte tvarstopp for hjulet och fram for cyklisten over styret och skrapade upp bada armar, hoger armbage och ena stortan. Jag linkade gaende tillbaka till huset och gjorde rent saren och det i arbagen var ett hal rakt igenon. Till raga pa detta hade jag redan dragit pa mig en inflammation i vanster handled. Sahsa gav mig nagra godnattpiller och jag kande inte av smartan mer den dagen:). Allt har borjat laka nu dock, fick bara en torn av otur.

Nu ska jag se om jag hittar nan park har i alexandra dar jag kan kaka lunch och forhoppningsvis hittar jag nagon medresenar under de kommande dagarana uppat i landet.

Hade gott alla glada sa ska jag forsoka skriva lite oftare

Det blir aldrig som man tankt sig

Tjenare pa er!

Det var ett tag senast jag skrev och vid det tillfallet befann jag mig i Queenstown dar jag var pa vag att borja jobba. Under andra dagen i queenstown stotte jag pa lite andra cyklister som skulle ta sig soderut mot Invercargill och tyckte att jag skulle cykla med dem vilket jag inte kunde saga nej till och jag var av en ren slump borta fran queenstown ungefar lika fort som jag kom dit. Det var i och for sig lika bra for nar jag ringde andy (killen jag jobbade for) berattade han att borjan av halva nasta vecka skulle jobbet bli installt eftersom de saknade material som var forsenat i transporten for auckland och vi kom overens om att jag skulle hora av mig om jag kom tillbaka til staden.

Cyklingen gick  i grova drag under nagra dagar ner mot Te Anua och Invercargill som ar den sydligaste staden av storre storlek i NZ. Dar gjordes ett stopp for bla kins buffe och ett besok pa en jarnhandel.for de flesta later detta helt ointressant men jag kan tala om for Bert att jag nu sett den riktiga "the world fastest Indian" som finns i en monter dar:). Burt Munros motorcykel som han flog fram med over saltoknen i Bonneville. Aven agarpapprena fanns att beskada :).

Cyklingen gick vi Catlins pa den sodra ostjusten och skars sedan inat i landet mot orten Ettrick. I riverton en halv dag innan Invercargill hade jag stannat och bott hos David och Carol Clapp som ar amerikander. De kande Peter som agde en stior fruktfarm i ettrick och vi ringde honom och kollade om han hade nagot arbete dar. Javisst hade han det och  nagra dagar senare Installde jag mig tillsammans med 7 andra 20 till 25-aringar fran Dunedin for Apple-thinning, dvs ransning av appeltrad for den kommande plockningen i borjan av mars.

Ettrick ar en valdigt lite hala och tillgangen till internet ar mycket begransad och for varan del helt obefintlig. Narmsta storre hala ar ruxburg ca 12 km norrut som vi anvander nar vi behover kopa proviant i form av baked beans och 12 pack steinlager. Vi jobbar hart med appeltraden under dagen i den mestadels stekande solen och pa kvallen hanger vi pa verandan till huset dar vi bor och kakar middag, lyssnar pa musik, dricker ol och snackar skit vilket ar en relativt trivsam tillvaro .Internetcafet i roxburg tillater inte att man pluggar in kamera eller liknande vilket gor att jag inte kan lagga upp bilder.

det kommer formodligen finnas jobb pa farmen till mitten av januari sedan sa far jag se vad som hander. Nu maste jag avsluta da internettiden borjar rinna ut.


Hade gott allihopa sa hor jag av mig nar jag ror mig vida och for all del. GOD JUL. (Madde, for ovrigt kommer jag fira julen nere i Dunedin med nagra vanner sa det blir inget taltande da :))

I got a job at the construction

Tjenare allihopa!

Imorse nar jag vaknade tankte jag att det skulle bli fantastiskt skont med en vilodag och bara strosa runt pa gatorna i Queenstown och drulla in i diverse sportaffarer mm och lamna in ansokan om arbete. Jag drog pa mig shortsen en t-shirt och hoppade i mina illa luktande cykeldojjor och begaw mej ner mot Downtown. Som jag skrev igar sa var jag pa en Job Agency har i staden och pratade med dem och lamnade cv. 5 min in i min promenad ner mot stan ringer min nyskaffade mobiltelefon och efter att varken haft eller pratat i telefon pa en manad tar det ett tag innan jag reagerar pa den.

Den som soker mig heter Andy. Han driver en Landscaping/construction firma har i krokarna och just nu haller de pa med ett jattehotell som byggs 6 km utanfor staden. Han undrar om jag skulle kunna tanka mig att arbeta under dagen och formodligen hela nasta vecka ocksa. Jag tackar givetvis ja och beger mig tillbaka till backpackermotellet for att hamta klader och solskydd och sedan ner mot stan dar skjuts till bygget vantar.

Han overdrev verkligen inte nar han sa ett hotellbygge pa mangmiljonbelopp. Hundratals arbetare irrade runt som myror och man var knappt halvags in i bygget sa det finns massor att gora. Jag , Andy, och ett par irlandare agnade dagen at att lagga och putsa sten i medans den heta solen stekte vara stackars armar som var totalt vita av solskyddsfaktor. Ett antal pauser under dagen hade vi da vi sokte skydd i skyggan bakom spa-delen av hotellet. Arbetet var ratt skoj och jag ska dit pa mandag oxa och formodligen blir det hela nasta vecka.

Det ar fredag kvall nu och planen ar att hanga runt med diverse backpackers uppa pa motellet. Gick ner en svang till internetcafet for att agna en timma till att skriva detta och lagga upp en del av de bilder jag tatt men givetvis glomde jag kameran pa rummet sa det far vanta annu ett par dagar, tyvarr.

 hade gott allihopa

Queenstown, New Zealand

Hey mates!

De senaste 4-5 dagarna har vi varit ett helt gang som ockuperat Higwhay 6 soderut pa den Nya Zeelandska Vastkusten. Utover mig och anita fran Schiew (eller hur det nu stavas) sa ar det Nate och Tracy fran seattle, Rob och Suie fran BC Canada, Elaisa och Katerine fran Chicago och aven under sista dagen en osterikkiska fran lienz och en tysk kille fran munchen.

Vi tramapar pa relativt mycket under dagarna men vid 16-17 tiden klipper vi cyklingen, hittar en bra plats att sova pa, ofta en camping eller ett backpackermotel, lagar mat och dricker massor av den lokala skitolen Bitter Tasman vars enda fordel ar att den ar billig. Ja efter 100 km cykling smakar de mesta i dryck bra. Vi har sagt hej da till varanadra varje morgon i 4 dagar nu men slutat upp pa samma stalle pa kvallen iaf da det i princip bara gar en vag langs vastkusten. Vi har haft ofantligt roligt men igar morse skildes vi at da alla skulle at olika hall.

Jag har cyklat ensam de senaste tva dagarna. Den forsta mellan Haast och Wanaka och idag mellan Wanaka och "The adventure city of the world" som dom kallar det, Queenstown. Igar kvall nar jag kom fram till Wanaka hade jag averkat 15 mil cykling i relativt bra vader. Jag var sketatrott och hittade en billig 5 dollarcamping jag kunde sla upp taltet pa. Det finns amssor av stallen att sla upp taltet pa utover dessa sma campingar som drivs av the department of conservation men pa dessa traffar man alltid massa intressant folk och har man det minsta till social formaga sa ar det svart att inte valje dem. Jag slanger upp taltet och gar till en Tavern och koper en pizza och en 1,5 liter cola som jag inhalerar omgaende medans jag ser en gubbe fanga en trout i an som rinner forbi och roande iaaktar 3 australienska killar som forsoker fa upp sitt talt vilket de har stora problem med medans deras 3 otaliga flickvanner star och fryser i blasten och vantar pa att borja laga middag.

Efter fyra dagar av cykling och sena natter med mycket dricka vill jaga bara vara for mig sjalv och drar mig in i taltet dar jag pluggar in min amerikanska countrymusik, kakar jordnotter sipprar pa de sista dropparna av min cola. Har man en 33 cl racker det. Har man en 1,5 liter tar den slut iaf, fascinerande:). Vaknar upp nara timmar senare da det blitt morkt och gar det avancerade movet att ta av mig byxorna och glider ner i min sovsack och somnar ovaggat.

Efter bra cykling kom jag under dagen in i staden queenstown efter att ha traffat tonvis med andra turister utmed vagen. Rutten jag tog ledde mig upp pa den hogsta asfalterade vagen i NZ, vilket bara ar starx over 1000m, men iaf. 3 mil innan queenstown kunde jag se staden. Gick direkt och kopte en mobiltelefon och sedan till Job agencyn och lamnade lite cv och telenummer. Hon hade en "landscaper'' som behovde en hjalpande han nasta vecka och fram till slutet av Januari som skulle hora av sig nasta vecka. Ska agan morgondagen till at soak jobb sjalv har i staden och Bor for tillfallet pa Pinelodge backpackers hotel dar jag formodligen kommer kunna bo ett tag. ska parat med chefen James imorrn men de hade dealen 15 timmar arbete i tradgarden ger 1 veckas boende vilket jag tyckte lat som en bra borjan.


Hehe for ovrigt sa traffade jag Brenna som Jag cyklade med till Nelson har i Queenstown sa nu sak vi ut och njuta av pulsen i staden :).

Hade gott sa ska jag forsoka halla er uppdaterade om hur jobbsituationen gar har nere

Cheers mates

Framme pa NZ

Tjenare!

5 timmar tog det. 5 timmar innan jag och Ken Graham gick pa han och hans fru Patricias lilla vingard och vallade far over de grona kullarna pa den Nya Zeelandska landsbygden soder om Auckland. Flygresan hit gick fantastiskt bra och jag alskade landet sa fort jag bara sag det genom flygplansfonstret, jaklar vilket landskap, och da ar jaga anda bara pa den platta delen av landet annu.

I gar kvall stannade jag pa en farm nagra kilometer soder om staden Hamilton och fragade var jag kunde sla upp taltet for natten och 2 minuter senare satt jag vid middagsbordet och at nyfangad fisk till middag. Hade tankt mig att ta mig soderut pa vastkusten och siktar pa staden Queenstown. Har fatt reda pa att batsa tiden for sasongsarbete ar Jan-april sa jag siktar pa att hitta nat dar nere.

Nu ska jag ut och battra pa brannan och mota far. Hade gott sa kommer ett mer detaljerat inlagg omm nagra dagar.

The Kiwiguy 

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go............

                          Blåbärsplockning i Bellingham, Washington, USA

                      Wiskey dricks rågat ur plastglas i ett stall, så är det bara :)





Efter en rätt hektisk sista dag på jobbet så har jag nu fått i mig en rejäl tacomiddag och även varit ute i boden och klappat lite extra på Surly innan jag drog på de sista varven tejp på kartongen som ska skydda honom de närmsta 2 dygnen. Han vet vad som väntar och han ser fram emot det :). För er som inte vet vem Surly är så är det min blåa stålhäst som rullar framåt med hjälp av bara pulverkaffe, havregryn och jordnötssmör. Han tjafsar inte, han klagar inte. Det går inte fort och han är inte ett dugg cool men han är billig i drift och tar sig fram i princip överallt så därför får han följa med på ännu en resa.

Eftersom jag inte planerat särskilt mycket om resan så är det lite svårt att tala om hur "planen" ser ut. Det jag vet är att de kommande 3 dagarna med all sannolikhet kommer att bli rätt sega. Planet lyfter i morgon kl 11.05 och jag flyger med SAS till London vilket tar 2.45 h. Därefter blir det 3 h väntan på Heathrow innan Air New Zealand kommer ta mig över atlanten och Amerika till Los Angeles. Där blit det 2 h väntan på LAX Innan jag återigen kliver på tuben för nästintill 13 h till Auckland och NZ där jag landar 7 på morgonen. Inget hotell är bokat för första natten, planen är att pack upp hojen och försöka ta sig ut ur Auckland innan solen går ner över ön.

Nästa inlägg kommer förhoppningsvis innehålla lite intressantare läsning av de första dagarna på resan :)

Återkommer från andra sidan

Ciao